FReeper Canteen ~ The Berlin Airlift ~ Part 4: The Legacy ~ 28 December 2020

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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!

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Did you and Gizmo have to share the lake with a crowd again yesterday?

[radu]

LOL! Considering the winds they were predicting for Hillside, I’d say those folks are VERY happy! It would have been rough!
The pilots were happy, too, I’d say.

[E.G.C.]

Well, actually there were two guys with two dogs on our path yesterday((LOL)) so we had to get off the road but other than that we had a great visit.

This is the KFC supper I got yesterday:

This picture is from behind the dam at the lake. They have been doing some controlled burning in spots that last several weeks. This was one of those areas.

Here Gizmo in the bathroom at the pavilion:

The rest of the pics.

[radu]

Glad to see you’re heading to bed early. You aren’t going to get much sleep tomorrow night. I imagine you spent a lot of today getting everything ready. All appendages crossed for luck that things go smoothly.

Rain chances are high for Wed. so we’ll probably get something then. High enough I’ll do the grocery shopping Tues. when I know I can do it in the dry.

[radu]

Two guys with dogs isn’t too bad. It sounded like you had a pretty big crowd to contend with the day before.

Looks like y’all covered some ground out there. You were probably more than ready to chow down on that KFC when you got home! LOL

[left that other site]

We do! :-)

[Biggirl]

Good Morning!

[Bonemaker]

When I was there the radar was all green trace. State of the art at the time at BARTCC.

[Bonemaker]

Lt. General!

[luvie]

Gooood mornin', Early Bird!
What a story that Berlin Airlift was/is!
So many brave and loving Americans! 🇺🇸
Did everyone have a Merry Christmas? 🎄
We sure did! We don't live in fear!
And now we look forward to the New Year!
Meanwhile, have a Mahv'lus Monday!
.....and a Wonderful Week!
((((hugs))))

[luvie]

Howdy, EGC! (((hugs)))

All is well here. We had a wonderful Christmas and weekend, and it sounds like you and Gizmo did, too! Lots of great pics and this is my favorite!

[Mark17]

When I was there the radar was all green trace. State of the art at the time at BARTCC.

It was trace when I was there too. Now, I think they use narrow band radar. I never saw narrow band radar, till after I retired. I thought it was pretty nice.

[Bonemaker]

I was communications at the 6912th and didn’t get into radint hardly at all. I believe at the time though because of the importance and delicacy of the Berlin situation they tried to have the best stuff.

[Mark17]

I first saw narrow band radar at Travis, years after I retired. I thought it was pretty nice. I wish we had it, when I was in.