Who is Bill Gaw?
And why should we listen to him?
Production Planning and Control
Production Control Skills
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Hi, welcome back. That said, earlier this year I started to
introduce a little non-technical story telling into the bulletin
lineup. So, if you've been looking for that break from your day-to
day stress, you'll want to be sure to read this week's bulletin. Have a nice day, keep the faith, and stay
connected. Bill Gaw =================================================
BEST MANUFACTURING PRACTICES BULLETIN
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TWO AMAZING STORIES 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
bombers 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. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must
somehow divert the bombers. 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 weaved in and out of the now broken
formation, firing at as many planes as possible, until all his
ammunition was spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove
at the planes, trying to at least clip off a wing or tail in hopes
of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them
unfit to fly. He was desperate to do anything he could to keep them
from reaching the American ships. 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 camera mounted on
his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring
attempt to protect his fleet. He had destroyed five enemy bombers. That was on February 20, 1942, and for that
action he became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II and the first Naval
Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later he was
killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His hometown would not
allow the memory of his heroic action to die. And today, O'Hare
Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great
man. So
the next time you're in O'Hare, visit his memorial with his statue
and Medal of Honor. It is located between Terminal 1 and 2. Story Number Two: Some years earlier there was a man in
Chicago called Easy Eddie. At
that time, Al Capone virtually owned the city. Capone wasn't famous
for anything heroic. His exploits were anything but praiseworthy. He
was notorious for enmeshing the city of Chicago in everything from
bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.
Easy Eddie was Capone's lawyer, and he was a
very good one! In fact, his 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; 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.
Yes, Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little
consideration to the atrocities that went on around him. Eddy did have one soft spot, however. He had
a son that he loved dearly. Eddy saw to it that his little boy had
the best of everything; 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 rise above his own sordid life and be a better man
than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two
things Eddie couldn't give the boy - two things he had sacrificed to
the Capone mob. He could not pass on to his beloved son a good name
or a good example. One day, Easy Eddie made a difficult choice.
He decided that giving his boy a good name was far more important
than all the riches he could lavish on him. He had to rectify all
the wrong he had done. He would go to the authorities and tell the
truth about "Scar-face" Al Capone. That meant he would
have to testify against The Mob, and he knew the cost would be
great. But more than anything, he wanted to set an example for his
son, restore his own integrity, and leave a good name to the boy. So
he testified - and within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a
blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. He had given his son
the greatest gift he had to offer at the greatest price that could
be paid. What
do these two stories have to do with one another? Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son. STAY CONNECTED To stay current on bullet-proofed manufacturing solutions, subscribe to our free ezine, "The Business Basics and Best Practices Bulletin." Simply fill in the below form and click on the subscribe button. We'll also send you our free Special Report, "Five Change Initiatives for Personal and Company Success." Your
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