Berlin Airlift heritage lives on
Berlin Airlift heritage lives on

Comments 0

By Gen. Roger Brady

Published: June 23, 2008

Every generation of Americans has been witness to events that continue to define who we are and the character of our world. For some, our chronology started in 1948 with the Berlin Airlift. Not only did the effort save a city, it laid the foundation for the most successful alliance in history.

The end of World War II was just the beginning of a miserable existence for the citizens of Berlin. The city was left in ruins by the final assault of the Allies, and the subsequent abuse of the people by the Red Army is well documented. The Soviet grip on the eastern part of Germany was complete and the communist party extended influence throughout Europe. Almost immediately after the euphoric meeting of Soviet and American forces at the Elbe River in 1945, it became obvious that confidence in the Soviet Union was misplaced. After almost three years of efforts to make the division of Berlin work, the western sectors became increasingly isolated until finally the Soviets severed the supply lines from the west.

For 15 months, the city was fed by the most dramatic airlift in history. With aircraft landing every 90 seconds, the city was kept alive. It was an incredible feat of military efficiency and individual courage and the first challenge of the Cold War for the United States and its newly independent Air Force.

But it was more than just an incredible victory for the nation, the Allies and the Air Force. It changed forever the way airmen would think of Berliners, and how Berliners would think of them. In his new book, "The Candy Bombers,” Andrei Cherny says that as the airlift gathered momentum, Berliners identified with the young men who had become their lifeline. "When a C-47 crashed near Tempelhof, killing two American lieutenants, residents put up a plaque commemorating the loss. …The people of Berlin were coming to see they had a chance for the world to think of them as something other than the perpetrators of history's most heinous crime.” And the force that only a few years earlier had rained bombs on the city now saved it.

The Berlin Airlift, which began 60 years ago this week, also punctuated the need for economic aid that would rebuild Europe, and the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Today, America's Air Force continues to partner with our NATO allies.

NATO came together in 1999 to successfully address the conflict in Kosovo, and then lived up to its charter by responding to the 9/11 attacks. It recognized the common threat of the Taliban in Afghanistan by committing forces, and responded to assist the citizens of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The American airmen of today in U.S. Air Forces in Europe are proud to claim the heritage of the Berlin Airlift, and to serve today in an alliance that ensures freedom's future.

Brady, a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, is commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

With aircraft landing every 90 seconds, the city was kept alive.