Free Republic

The Berlin Wall is something I grew up talking about. It's a little bit different for my sons. In fact, our 3rd son, now serving in the US Army, was born the year after the Wall came down in the fall of 1989. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 and the first casualty came 52 years ago today:

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ 60th Anniversary of the Berlin AirliftPart 4All info and photos from this website.             Berlin Airlift Veterans Return to Germany for AnniversaryBy Air Force Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein Special to American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, June 27, 2008 – For 50 years, Dub Southers recalled the grueling hours he...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 3:  Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two             "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"   OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES   40K JPEG General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Berlin Airlift, Part 2: OperationsAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One             Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner:  directed Berlin Airlift operation    A native of New Jersey and son of an immigrant father, General Tunner was awarded an appointment to West Point upon his graduation...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 3:  Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two             "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"   OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES   40K JPEG General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney...

11/13/2009 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- They had never met face to face, but a chance encounter between the two conjured a touching reunion six decades later at the Randolph Air Show Nov. 7. Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen, a 1st lieutenant at the time, earned his spot in in history flying C-54s and C-47s during the Berlin Airlift of World War II. He earned the nickname "The Candy Bomber" from dropping candy from his aircraft to children below while flying over the American sector of Berlin. "One day I met some kids in Berlin at the fence...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 4:  The LegacyAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part OneLink to Part TwoLink to Part Three             THE AIRLIFT'S LEGACY   The most obvious result of this confrontation was the 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union, which ebbed with the construction...

A loudspeaker spluttered briefly with a routine announcement that echoed across the high-vaulted departure lounge. . . Outside, there were no oompah bands and no grand parades, only a DC3 “candy bomber” revving its engines for the final take-off from the otherwise deserted runway. The choice of aircraft was a tribute to the US and British pilots who ferried two million tons of supplies to a blockaded West Berlin during the hottest moments of the Cold War.

3/28/2008 - MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Air mobility leaders gathered for the annual Phoenix Rally to acknowledge past and present accomplishments while celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift March 24 through 28 here. The theme of Phoenix Rally was "A legacy of global reach and hope," chosen to recognize the Air Mobility Command's past, present and future. At this year's conference, attendees acknowledge the historical accomplishments of Berlin Airlift along with special guest, retired Col. Gail Halvorsen, the Berlin Candy Bomber. "This year is special because we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin...

Today, during an afternoon conference that wrapped up my project of the last 18 months, one of my Euro collegues tossed this little turd out to no one in particular: " See, this is why George Bush is so dumb, theres a disaster in the world and he sends an Aircraft Carrier..." After which he and many of my Euro collegues laughed out loud. and then they looked at me. I wasn't laughing, and neither was my Hindi friend sitting next to me, who has lost family in the disaster. I'm afraid I was "unprofessional", I let it loose -...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 4:  The LegacyAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two Link to Part Three             THE AIRLIFT'S LEGACY   The most obvious result of this confrontation was the 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union, which ebbed with...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 3:  Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two             "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"   OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES   General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney Award to...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Berlin Airlift Part 2: OperationsAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One             Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner:  directed Berlin Airlift operation    A native of New Jersey and son of an immigrant father, General Tunner was awarded an appointment to West Point upon his graduation...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 1:  The Beginning All info and photos from this website.             For the next four weeks, on Mondays, the Hall of the Heroes threads will be about the Berlin Airlift and it's heroes.  I hope the story inspires you like it does me!  Thank you...

On June 26, 1948, the first American C-47 cargo aircraft were launched to supply West Berlin in what would eventually be known as the Berlin Airlift, following the Soviet Union's closure of water and land corridors between the western Allies sectors of occupied Germany and Berlin. Planes from the American, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and South African Air Forces would eventually participate in the Airlift, flying over 200,000 flights over the next 11 months before the blockade was lifted.

Leadership comes in many forms and with many levels of risk, but history gives us a few moments when leaders stood alone and were proven right. [...] In late June 1948 the Soviets cut all road, rail and water access to Berlin, a city controlled by the Western Allies yet surrounded by Soviet-controlled territories. The Soviet’s goal: take Berlin from the Allies by forcing the US-UK-French alliance into one of two options: try to protect a city of 2.1 million starving Germans, or war. The Soviets expected the West to surrender the city quickly. [...] The US was in the...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 4:  The LegacyAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two Link to Part Three             THE AIRLIFT'S LEGACY   The most obvious result of this confrontation was the 40-year Cold War with the Soviet Union, which ebbed with the construction of...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Part 3:  Operation Little VittlesAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One Link to Part Two             "DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"   OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES   General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney Award to...

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!   For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!     ~ Hall of Heroes ~ Berlin Airlift Part 2: OperationsAll info and photos from this website. Link to Part One             Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner:  directed Berlin Airlift operation    A native of New Jersey and son of an immigrant father, General Tunner was awarded an appointment to West Point upon his graduation...