On February 20, 1942 the fates brought together an incredible mix. A young Lieutenant named Butch O'Hare, who was probably the best marksman in the US Navy at that time, trained by John Thach one of the USN's best tacticians. Also in the mix was a scrappy little fighter from a relatively new company, Grumman. In the space of a few minutes Butch shot down five attacking Betty bombers probably saving the carrier Lexington from severe damage or even sinking. The significance of this feat is even more important because without the Lexington the outcome of the Battle of the Coral Sea three months later might have been very different.

Butch was awarded the Medal of Honor for this accomplishment. Sadly, it is doubtful that many of the millions that go through O'Hare airport in Chicago every year know anything of this story.