"" Writer's Wanderings: Chicago's O'Hare Namesake

Friday, January 18, 2013

Chicago's O'Hare Namesake

On our way to Seattle, we had a lay-over at Chicago's O'Hare airport. As we made our way from one terminal to another an display we hadn't seen before caught my eye. A WWII plane sat on a platform that was dedicated to Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a tenacious pilot in the war and a Chicago native.

O'Hare is credited with leading the successful defense of the USS Lexington in a surprise attack by the Japanese as the aircraft carrier was in the Coral Sea. The February 20,1942 attack foiled by O'Hare led to his being awarded medals and given some public relations work to do. He returned to active service in October, 1943, and a few months later was shot down. His aircraft was not found and he was declared dead a year later.

My curiosity is piqued. I'm looking into some of the more unfamiliar airports names. Reagan and JFK and Bush are knowns. O'Hare was not known to me. There must be some other interesting namesakes out there. The next time I'm passing through an airport, it will be much more fun to know a little history as well.

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