Posted on 02/17/2022 12:23:08 PM PST by Borges
RIP you did great!
RIP.
One of the guys that makes you “button poppin’” proud to be an American. RIP uncle wiggle wings.
Monitor getting blurry. Thank you, sir, for your service.
My wife just told me they called him Onkel Wackelfluegel - Uncle Wiggle Wings. My German Father-in-law, on the day we had the speech and toast that allowed me to use ‘Du’ instead of ‘Sie’ with them, spoke at great length how grateful they were for the Airlift and for the Candy Bomber.
I was there that day and my wife was in the audience when President Reagan made his Tear Down This Wall speech.
I was posted to the US Mission Berlin. I worked with the WH Advance Team setting up the logistics at the Wall and at Templehof. I was stationed at Templehof for that event. Watched the Wall speech on TV. It was prior to our event.
The over 30k invitations to the Wall event were carefully planned out. The seating was critical for security even though everyone was screened prior to entering the area. The bulletproof glass wall behind the President was a story unto itself. The WH Advance was on the ground 6 weeks prior to the event.
Nothing that dramatic for me. I was an air traffic controller and in charge of the control tower at Tempelhof. Was in the tower for the President’s arrival and departure. Not very busy but had a great view.
He was a truly great American. RIP, sir.
We were treated very well by the locals. In local circles we were introduced as "My Americans" to other German families. Many of my father's Luftwaffe counterparts were some of the very kids that received the gifts from Halverson and the other pilots as they flew into Tempelhof.
America became great in the early post-war years because of her people and their generosity.
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