FReeper Canteen ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 4: The Legacy ~ 18 December 2017

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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The Berlin Airlift
Part 4: The Legecy

All info and photos from this website.

Link to Part 1
Link to Part 2
Link to Part 3

           

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 the Berlin Wall, and the Korean and Vietnam Conflicts.  The US also forged a newfound friendship with Germany, its former foe, and established the Federal Republic of Germany as a result.  In addition, the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO) was formed as a result of the crisis. 

Less politically, our aircraft and airway system we enjoy today was developed and perfected as a result of the Berlin Airlift.  Ground Controlled Approach or GCA was greatly improved as a necessity for the aircraft to land in Berlin, and our air traffic control system is a direct development of that technology.  Loading procedures and maintenance procedures are greatly improved as a result, too.

More importantly, the Berlin Airlift demonstrated the military need for Air Transport in addition to Bombers and Fighters.  A result is the Air Mobility Command and aircraft like the C-141 Starlifter, the C-130 Hercules, the C-5 Galaxy, and our newest transport, the C-17 Globemaster III. 

All of these political and logistical ideas came as a result of the resolve of the US, Great Britain, France, and Germany to resist totalitarian tactics and wage a battle of air transport.  This battle saved over 2.5 million people without firing a single shot.  In a matter of fifteen months in 1948-49, world history was changed by the greatest humanitarian aviation event in history, the Berlin Airlift. 

MEMORIALS: The Airlift Memorial at Rhein Main Air Base, Frankfurt, and on Luftbruckenplatz at Tempelhf  Airport in Berlin.

Each prong represents one of the 3 air corridors used during "Operation Vittles", and the names of the US and British Airmen killed in the process are inscribed on the base of each.

31 Americans lost their lives during the Berlin Airlift, paying the ultimate price for the freedom of others.  Let that not be forgotten.

1st Lt George B. Smith Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Captain James A. Vaughan New Haven, Connecticut	Cpl Norbert H. Theis Cunningham, Kansas
1st Lt Leland V. Williams Abilene, Texas	1st Lt Eugene S. Erickson Collinsville, Illinois	PFC Ronald E. Stone  Mt. Sterling, Kentucky
Mr Karl V. Hagen New York, New York	Sgt Richard Winter Seattle, Washington	1st Lt Ralph H. Boyd Fort Worth, Texas
1st Lt Charles H. King Britton, South Dakota	Captain Billy E. Phelps Long Beach, California	1st Lt Craig B. Ladd Minneapolis, Minnesota
1st Lt Robert W. Stuber Arlington, California	1st Lt Willis F. Hargis Nacogdoches, Texas	TSgt Charles L. Putnam Colorado Springs, Colorado
Major Edwin C. Diltz Fayetteville, Texas	TSgt Lloyd G. Wells San Antonio, Texas	1st Lt Robert P. Weaver Fort Wayne, Indiana
Captain Willian R. Howard Gunnison, Mississippi	AD/3 Harry R. Crites, Jr. Lafayette, Indiana	1st Lt Royce C. Stephens San Antonio, Texas
Captain Joel M. DeVolentine Miami, Florida	1st Lt Richard M. Wurgel Union City, New Jersey	1st Lt Robert C. von Luehrte Covington, Kentucky
1st Lt William T. Lucas Wilson, North Carolina	1st Lt Lowell A. Wheaton, Jr. Corpus Christi, Texas	2nd Lt Donald J. Leemon Green Bay, Wisconsin
PFC Johnny T. Orms Rhein-Main Air Base	Captain William A. Rathgeber Portland, Oregon	TSgt Herbert F. Heinig Fort Wayne, Indiana
	Sgt Bernard J. Watkins Lafayette, Indiana

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[PROCON]

Hiya radu!

A quiet weekend on my end, today I went over to hang at son's place and helped him with steam cleaning the carpeting in the huge basement area where he calls home, LOL. A few dog "mistakes" had to be spot-cleaned but we got 'er done!

Tomorrow the temps are suppose to soar from 35 to 55 so I think the last of the leaves will get mulched over to be ready for the Spring thaw.

Your Sunday OK?

[luvie]

Howdy, radu! Hope you had a warmer day today. It was in the 60s here. Kind of hard to get into the spirit of the season. LOL!

However, I did get my shopping all done....thanks to Amazon!

Is little Lorien all better now?

[The Mayor]

Thank you Kathy. Yes, it looks to be a slow week too.

[luvie]

Is that a crazy scenario there or what! They sound like they “can’t find their buttocks with both hands!” to quote a favorite of mine, Dennis Michael Lynch.

[radu]

Howdy, PRO!

Whew, my ear’s falling off. The phone rang right after I posted earlier and I just now hung up.

Sounds like a fun day you had ..... not! LOL! But I’m sure your son appreciated the help with the carpet cleaning.

That’ll be a nice jump in temps if your weatherman is correct. It’ll feel balmy compared to what you’ve had.

Not much going on here. We did get a little rain this morning but it stayed dreary and chilly all day. It’s SUPPOSED to warm up to mid 50s tomorrow and not be too bad all week. Next week, another big cool down.

[radu]

Howdy, LUV!

Sure would have been nice here if we’d had the 60s y’all had. Mid 40s for us with a little rain.

Yay to getting your shopping done. Feels good, doesn’t it? Now you can relax a bit for the next week. :-)

Yes, Lorien is back up to snuff. She was always a little stand-offish until that last trip to the vet but is much more lovable now.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...any improvement in the weather?

Mid 20s here and going down. No clue what the roads will be like in the morning.

[luvie]

Sounds like a great day for staying in and having popcorn or hot cocoa! And watching old Christmas movies on TV. Certainly not for having to get out!

I thimk Miss Lorien appreciates home much more now! LOL!

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

Well, we got a little rain this morning and that was an improvement of sorts. First rain we’ve had in almost two weeks but it wasn’t nearly enough. Still some is better than none.
But it was a chilly day. Tomorrow is SUPPOSED to be a little warmer.

I hope they’ve sanded all the street this weekend so y’all will be able to get to work without too much trouble. Looks like there isn’t any snow close by to cover all that ice.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any respite from the weather?

Hope you and Penny were able to get out.

[radu]

Yep, it was a good day to stay in, for sure. No Christmas movies, just some housework. Then a LOOOONNNNNG phone call from a friend of my sister’s this evening.

I think you’re right about Lorien appreciating home more now. And she loks at me like she’s asking me to NEVER do that to her again. Poor lil girlie was pretty traumatized but the end result was worth it.

[luvie]

I have a feeling that trip changed her whole outlook on life! :)

Housework! Girl! Don’t you know housework is highly overrated? LOL!

Disclaimer: I NEED to do a bunch of it this week. I haven’t had the chance for a long spell!

[radu]

I have a feeling you’re right. LOL! And maybe her lil kitteh brain understands that trip to the vet made her feel better. She was an awfully sick little girl when I took her in.

Yeeeeeaaahhh, housework is over-rated but it’s a constant here with all these cats. Bummer because I’ve never been known as a Domestic Goddess. LOL

Since you got all your shopping finished today, you have the whole week ahead to deal with your housework. *snicker*

[radu]

Due to a football game, the 10:00 Nashville news is late tonight .... it’s on now.

They just did a report about the power outage at the Atlanta airport and apparently they STILL aren’t sure what caused it. Or they aren’t saying any way. But it’s still out.

What a mess!

[SkyDancer]

Yeah, we’re stuck here in Denver and all planes from all airlines that were scheduled for ATL remain at their gates.

[SkyDancer]

Some contractors some how cut the mail power cable to the airport like it was what? Some sort of extension cord? That must have been some big cable. And no backup power?

[radu]

Gotta wonder what the heck is going on. This is 12 hours now since it went out. A real pain for the people at the airport as well as a pain for everyone across the country who needs to travel there. I hope they can get things up and running again soon!

[luvie]

I know huh? How do they NOT know where those cables are before they start digging!

And then the Mayor said there was a fire with toxic smoke near an electrical box or something?

Yeah...and what airport of THAT size doesn’t have a bank of back-up generators? Sounds like a 3rd world country! Glad you aren’t stuck there!

[luvie]

It’s a huge mess. I watched the live stream for Right Side Broadcasting this afternoon, and the feds didn’t even post any alarts about it for 2 hours, so all the customers who were stranded were clueless as to why.

It’s kind of creepy.....and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if they didn’t find out it was some kind of terrorist attempt. Or maybe I’m just seeing terrorists everywhere lately. LOL!

Clean house? Me?? Well, I really do need to. It’s very dusty and I’m sure there is cat hair all over around here, too!

[radu]

I heard about it late this afternoon and at the time I thought it had just happened. It wasn’t until even later that I found out when it happened.

I’d say you aren’t the only one who’s thought about the possibility of terrorism.

LOL! We’re pretty much on the same wavelength regarding housework. But it’s one of those things that has to be done, dang it. Sure would be nice if this herd of cats could be taught to help out!