Wiesbaden Celebrates Berlin Airlift Anniversary
(July 1, 2008) | 
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WIESBADEN, Germany, June 30, 2008 – In 1948, a
political and military Cold War began when Berlin nearly fell
into Josef Stalin's hands.
Stranded deep inside Soviet-controlled
territory, 2 million Germans faced starvation. The resulting
Allied response -- the Berlin Airlift -- not only saved a
population, but also launched a friendship between countries
that had been at war three years earlier.
Sixty years later, thousands of Americans and Germans --
including participants in the legendary humanitarian mission and
survivors of the blockade -- gathered here for two days to
celebrate the airlift's anniversary.
“Today is my best day in command,” Col. Ray Graham, commander of
U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden, said at a June 26 breakfast held
in honor of 24 U.S. and German veterans. “I'm sure Air Force
Brig. Gen. Joseph Smith felt the same way [on June 26, 1948] as
he | |
Col. Ray Graham, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden,
Germany, salutes during the playing of the national anthem
for ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Berlin
Airlift at Wiesbaden Army Airfield, Germany. Graham, wearing
a 1940s-era Army uniform, shared the stage with the city of
Wiesbaden's Lord Mayor Helmut Mueller during a flightline
observance June 26, 2008. (U.S. Army photo by Ray Johnson ) |
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stood on the airfield and watched the first aircraft lumber off
the runway and disappear into the clouds for Berlin, signifying
the start of an undertaking the likes of which the world had
never known.” |
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It was from Wiesbaden Army Airfield that
pilots, flying C-47 Skytrains, C-54 Skymasters, C-82 Packets and
C-74 Globemasters made two-hour jumps -- often harassed by
Soviet Yak fighter jets -- to Berlin's Tempelhof Airport. All
together, 28,299 airlift sorties were launched from Wiesbaden
during the 15-month operation, delivering 326,137 tons of food,
medicine and coal.
Overall, American and British aircrews kept the beleaguered city
alive with almost 280,000 flights that covered 92 million miles
and carried 2.3 million tons of supplies.
“We brought in the things that people needed to stay alive, to
stay free,” said retired Air Force Col. Gail Halvorsen, 87,
known as “the Candy Bomber” for dropping gum and chocolate to
Berlin's children. “That gives you the magnitude of this
operation. It was fantastic.”
And while pilots such as Halvorsen have been recognized
throughout the years for their exploits, those working on the
ground also played a major role in the airlift's success.
Crew chief Johnny Macia, a private first class at the time, said
everyone involved “had a job to do and we got it done; aircraft
were arriving every 90 seconds at Tempelhof.”
The retired master sergeant recalled that aircraft were tearing
up the runways. “[They] had men and women on the sides with
shovels, sand and tar filling up the holes,” he said. “It took
everyone to run the operation.”
German citizens shared the burden. Kurt Lehmann, who helped in
building Berlin's Tegel Airport, recalls the period as being
tough for all European citizens -- not just Berliners -- as the
Soviets enforced their will on embattled smaller countries.
“That's why we started the airlift, ... [and] why people
survived,” he said.
For these daring actions, every airlift veteran was instrumental
in shaping the Europe of today, said Helmut Mueller, Wiesbaden's
lord mayor, during a June 26 speech at Wiesbaden Army Airfield.
“One thing we can say with certainty,” he said, “without the
Berlin Airlift, the reunification of Germany and Europe would
not have been possible.”
Wiesbaden hosted an open house yesterday, the first public event
at Wiesbaden since Sept. 11, 2001. More than 10,000 people
attended an eight-hour show that provided static aircraft
displays -- including an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III -- as
well as helicopter candy drops and a meet-and-greet session with
the veterans, including Bill Morrissey, who labeled the tributes
“overwhelming.”
“It's been a joy, ... but with sadness,” said Morrissey, who at 18
served as an American air traffic controller at the former Celle
Royal Air Force Station in the British sector of post-World War
II Germany.
“Remembrance is tough,” he said, referring to the 77 men -- 32
American, 39 British and six German -- who died during the
airlift. | |
By
Ray Johnson
Copyright
2008
* Ray Johnson
works in the Public Affairs Office at U.S. Army Installation
Management Command, Europe.
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