Dear Readers,
January, the first month of the new year, is a good time to share this poem, once sent to me by the late Frank Befera of Duluth, Minnesota:
The Clock of Life:
The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will.
Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still.(Author unknown)
***
January 20, 2009 we will be inaugurating our 44th United States President, Barack Obama, former Senator from the State of Illinois. Let us keep him in our prayers because he will need supernatural strength to safely steer the ship of State U.S.A. through these turbulent domestic and international waters…..
***
Al Capone’s conviction of tax evasion and notoriety unfortunately put an Italian American face on crime and corruption in the state of Illinois. In fact, corruption has been perpetuated politically, mostly by non-Italians.
Al Capone considered himself a patron of the arts and was often the behind the scenes “angel” who funded Italian Theater Group performances and solo appearances of Italian artists in Chicago during the 1930s. Al Capone virtually owned Chicago many years ago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic.
He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone has a lawyer nicknamed “Easy Eddie.” He was Capone’s lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also Eddie got special dividends.
For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life in Chicago and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.
Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son: he couldn’t pass on a good name.
One day, ‘Easy Eddie” reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al “Scarface” Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some resemblance of integrity.
To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay, a good name.
***
A few years later our country was at war. World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.
One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier.
Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircrafts was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn’t reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet.
Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber’s blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another.
Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.
Deeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircrafts. This took place on February 10, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of WW II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.
A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today O’Hare International Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.
So, the next time you find yourself at O’Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch’s memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It’s located between Terminals 1 and 2. Butch O’Hare was Easy Eddie’s son…
***
A Proverb, someone once said, is a short sentence based on long experience. “Grazie” to the late Anthony Sorrentino of Chicago, Illinois I can share these old Italian proverbs with you:
Solo alla morte non c’è rimedio - Only death has no remedy
Chi va piano va sano e va lontano - He who proceeds slowly goes both safely and far
Chi ha salute è ricco - He who has health has wealth
La migliore parola è quella che non si dice - The best word is that which is not spoken
Amico di tutti, amico di nessuno - A friend to all is a friend to none
Chi dorme non prende pesci - He who sleeps does not catch fish
Un padre può mantenere dieci figli, ma dieci figli non possono mantenere un padre - A father can support ten children but ten children cannot support one father
Lavare la testa all’asino è perdere l’acqua e il sapone - Wash a jackass’s had, and you are sure to waste both soap and water.
10631 Vinedale Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 - Phone (818) 767-3413 - Fax: (818) 767-1410
