Greetings, Avengers!
Go look at http://www.emperorshammer.net/competitions/details.asp?ID=322
This is for you, Avengers! It's an all day event!
It will run from 10h GMT till 1h GMT, (or 5am to 8pm EST) on Saturday 1st of March. Total of 15 hours
VA Darksaber will host from 10-13h GMT (5am EST until 8am EST)
LC Azazel will continue from 13-17 GMT (8am-noon EST)
CPT Verr will host from 17-2130 (noon -16:30)
VA ShadowHawk will wrap up the day 2130-0100 GMT/1630-2000 EST or 4:30pm on for those who really don't get 24 hour time
This should be enough time for everyone to fly
Don't give me 'but I live in the wrong time zone' for an excuse! MAKE the time. It's 15 hours, there should be SOME time in there to fly.
MP is the focus of the day; Tau and ATF vs ASF and Avenger squadron. Let's rock!

Wraith has MP nights for XvT and XWA:
XvT Training:
Saturday - 4PM to 5 PM GMT
XWA Training:
Sunday - 4Pm to 5PM GMT

Demos is on leave; MAJ Thom Zack is the Acting WC during his absence. I have been seeing an increase in activity in XIX, let's keep it up so Demos won't have to worry while he's gone. Anything normally going to him now goes to Maj. Zack at EHZACK@aol.com or to me.

Wing XVIII has been constant in activity and victory. How many CJ victories is this now? Eight? Awesome work guys! I'd also like to welcome FL/LT Jake Russel and FM/CM Andrew to Butcher, and LCM Wisal Pol-Jo to Spectre (ok welcome back! to the Avenger)

Maj. Karimicus Sukkarius has been working very hard on a website that is nearing completion. I am very pleased with what he has so far!

A WORD OF WARNING: Now this won't apply to most of you, since the Avenger has a history of excellence and honor from the time when Firefox took it over and brought it from almost nothing to two wings. The best have made the Avenger theirs from that time until now. However, there have been those who do not find honor within their reach. These will be swiftly expelled from our midst. DO NOT CHEAT. TAC office has seen every trick you think you may have discovered. They WILL catch you. If not today, then tomorrow. I do not tolerate anything less than your best. Save your fiction for the fiction contests! Do not invent pilot files. Enough said?

I don't usually include such things but this caught my eye and I hope you will excuse me for passing it on:

Two Very Interesting Stories

STORY NUMBER ONE:

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 were speeding their 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 weaved in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until finally 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 home town would not allow the memory of that heroic action 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, however, notorious for enmeshing the city of Chicago in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Easy Eddie was Capone's lawyer and for a good reason. He was very good. 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 atrocity 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 young son 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. Yes, Eddie tried to teach his son to rise above his own sordid life. He wanted him to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things that Eddie couldn't give his son.
Two things that Eddie sacrificed to the Capone mob that he could not pass on to his beloved son: a good name and a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Offering his son a good name was far more important than all the riches he could lavish on him. He had to rectify all the wrong that he had done. He would go to the authorities nd tell the truth about "Scar-face" Al Capone. He would try to clean up his tarnished name and offer his son some semblance of integrity.

To do this he must testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But more than anything, he wanted to be an example to his son.

He wanted to do his best to make restoration and hopefully have a good name to leave his son. So, he testified. 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 he would ever pay.

What do these two stories have to do with one another?

Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son.

The truth of the matter is that you ALWAYS know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.

---General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

I don't know the original source of this account, but I thought it was worthwhile.

Respectfully,
COM/VA ShadowHawk/SSD Avenger
BS/PCx3/ISMx6/MoI/LoC-ISx53/CoL/CoB/LoAx2/OV-2E [HUSS] {IWATS-SM/2-XTT}
SW Shadowhawk (Sith)/P:GM-FL/Archanis of Taldryan [KSOE: CC2]
(SE)/DC-KC-O-CS/(BN)/(LSS)/LoA