FReeper Canteen ~ The Berlin Airlift ~ Part 4: The Legacy ~ 18 December 2022

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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 Tempelhof  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]

Yes, it’s going to be a contrast for all of us. It’s going to hurt bad at the end of the week here with the high Thursday fairly close to 50 and the high Friday only in the teens ..... with 20 to 30 mph winds and snow on the ground. They did finally say it’ll get above freezing a day or two after Christmas but it’ll still be cold.
I hope it doesn’t stay real cold there very long. Your kitties are going to be unhappy not being able to wander. I imagine they’ll all stay on their warm beds.

Not having the best of luck with the cat food but have found some. Today was a bust but the stores are always low by Sunday, especially this time of year. They’ll have trucks come in the next couple of days with more food for people and critters and I’ll have better luck.
I have plenty of everything I need for now but just want to get the cat food stash built back up.

[radu]

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

Was it another beautiful day for your outing with Gizmo? KFC for supper or Sonic?

[luvie]

This has been the strangest year for weather. And everything else. We normally don’t have temps this cold till mid-January. Maybe we’ll have them now and be done with them. At least it’s not 102. That’s the worst.

Glad you at least found some food for the kitties to get you through the nasty weather coming. Then you can build your stock back up when it’s more moderate.

Guess I’ll finish this show and head out. The early morning wake-up is catching up with me. See ya mañana!

[caww]

I hybernate when it gets this cold - anything in the 20’s and below I'm parked inside!

There's a lady down the ally way nearby that puts a tarp over her fence with a light bulb inside - then she takes old laundry baskets and fills them with straw when it gets this cold. All for the stray kitties in the neighborhood. The humane society gives her free dry food for the kitties when it gets cold.

[radu]

It normally doesn’t get this cold here so early either. Hard to believe last Christmas Day it was in the mid 70s. I’d be more than happy with that again this year! LOL

I already have enough food for the kitties to get by a little while. I just got a little slack with my stockpiling and let the stash shrink more than I should have. And now the dry food just isn’t showing up on the shelves .... all brands. Not sure why.

Sleep well and late. Catch ya tomorrow.

[Kathy in Alaska]

LOL! Rest well, TigerHawk.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good morning, E...((HUGS))...still acceptable weather for fun adventures?

Hope you and Gizmo had a good time yesterday.

You boys enjoy your Monday outing.

[Kathy in Alaska]

My phone says it is -8 here, and “Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups”.

LOL!! I guess so!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

The Candy Bomber!

[Kathy in Alaska]

The Berlin Airlift Medal!

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

[radu]

YIKES!!!! Yeah! Breathing air that cold is going to be unhealthy for ANYONE.

[Kathy in Alaska]

For sure...but smoke and smog are unhealthy. Cold surprised me, but not after you think about it. LOL!

[radu]

Yes, they are, but frigid air will put a hurtin’ on the lungs. The coldest I’ve felt is -9 and I couldn’t breathe without a scarf wrapped around my face.

[E.G.C.]

Still watching for that artic blast to come later this week. It's forecast to get downright cold later this week. Windy also.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake.

[radu]

Yep, a lot of us are watching for it and NOT looking forward to it AT ALL. We’re most likely going to have a wind advisory Friday, the winds are supposed to be so strong. And they’ll give us sub-zero wind chills all day.
It’ll be time to just hole up and forget about doing anything outside.

[luvie]

Hope you have a great time at the lake today, just as you did yesterday! Giz looks like he's finding new scents and treasures and admiring the fallen Autumn leaves.

[luvie]

🎼On the first day of Christmas
🎵The good Lord gave to meeeee...
🎶A feisty squirrel in a pecan treeeeee.
Weren't the troops amazing as they helped others?
Nothing like it...ANYWHERE!
Hope everyone has a Mahv'lus Monday
...and a Wonderful 🎄Christmas🎄 Week!
(((hugs))))