Edward O’Hare was a lawyer…who worked with and for the gangster Al Capone. O’Hare had a son who was applying to the Naval Academy and it was thought that the lawyer decided to change his life so as not to be a hinderance to his acceptance. Edward O’Hare changed his direction in life and worked with law enforcement officials to convict Capone and send him to prison. The son graduated from the Naval Academy and went into Naval Aviation. Not long after that, his father was murdered by unknown gunmen, presumably in retribution for turning against Capone. His son was known by everyone as Butch O’Hare and he went to war when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Less than three months later, Butch O’Hare was on patrol with the USS Lexington aircraft carrier. The ship was attacked by eight bombers and O’Hare was in the fight to save their ship. He personally shot down five of them that day and became America’s first Naval air ace in that war…and may have saved the lives of every man on that ship. For that, Butch O’Hare received the Medal of Honor. The youngster whose dad had been the lawyer and associate of one of America’s most notorious criminals might have followed in his father’s footsteps. But his dad didn’t want that legacy for his son. Edward O’Hare didn’t live to see his son become a national hero…but he turned his life around to give him that chance. Butch O’Hare didn’t survive the war. He was shot down on November 26, 1943. He was leading the Navy’s first ever nighttime fighter attack against the enemy; his body was never recovered. But if you go to O’Hare airport in Chicago, named after this American hero, you can see a full size replica of the plane O’Hare used that day in 1942. And it is a reminder of what a changed life and positive example a father can make in a son’s life. Your life counts. People will watch you. Jesus Christ can make you more than you ever thought possible. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
Malachi 4:6 BSB And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ
Malachi 4:6 BSB And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.
Remember I’m praying for you!
With love, PJ