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On the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift long-serving pilots and military leaders, curious visitors and dedicated diplomats celebrated the enduring German-American friendship it inspired during the 2008 Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and "Candy Bomber" Gail S. Halvorsen, Col. USAF (ret.), the airlift pilot who first dropped chocolate bars from tiny handcrafted parachutes to grateful Berlin children, both spoke at an opening ceremony for the annual air show on May 17.
"Today, Berlin is again the capital of the united Germany. But 60 years ago, freedom and the democratic future of Germany were at stake when the Soviets blockaded the city," said Ambassador Scharioth. "The United States and her Allies saved more than two million men, women and children in West Berlin," he said. "I stand in awe before what these Americans did for my country: for 322 days, in more than 270, 000 flights, the US Air Force, working with the Army and the Navy, brought more than 1.7 million tons of supplies into the city – everything from potatoes to an entire power plant," he added. "The common effort made allies and friends out of former enemies ... That transformation was a miracle of friendship."
At the same time, Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne said: "The Berlin Airlift displayed a US dedication to a stable and prosperous rule of law and international system. It demonstrated truly the ingenuity of America's military to create sovereign options … in response to a changing national security environment." The opening ceremony was kicked off with the words "Friends Always" - the joint motto of Andrews AFB, the Department of Defense and the German Embassy for the 60th anniversary - written in huge white letters across a bright blue sky by several aircraft. It also included flights manned by two German pilots: Col. Ludger Bette in a German C-160 Transall and Lt. Col. Marc Beutler in an American aircraft, the C-17 "Spirit of Berlin". And it concluded with a rousing rendition of the "Armed Forces Medley" played by the Air Force Band in full uniforms of deep blue with gleaming brass buttons.
In a nod to the special occasion, Ambassador Scharioth moreover dropped candy to children from the historic C-54 "Spirit of Freedom" aircraft with Halvorsen and viewed a photo exhibit about the Berlin Airlift that will tour the United States. The German Embassy distributed "Friends Always" giveaways, including pins, pens, brochures, t-shirts and baseball hats. It also partnered with Andrews AFB to host a "Friends Always Hangarfest" at which commemorative beer steins were handed out to more than 1,000 invitees. The Navy's Blue Angels and the Army's Golden Knights were among the esteemed guests honored at the party. The three-day air show drew more than 250,000 visitors to see aircraft ranging from modern fighter jets, including the Navy's elite aerial ballet troupe the Blue Angels, to antiques such as the "Spirit of Freedom", a Douglas C-54E R-5D that flew in the Berlin Airlift and is now maintained for educational purposes by the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation as a "flying museum".
Its crew, led by pilot Tim Chopp, were on hand to answer questions from visitors who boarded the aircraft. "Thousands of people have come to see the 'Spirit of Freedom' this weekend," said Chopp, the founder and president of the New Jersey-based foundation. Once inside, they were greeted by Helga Johnson, who was a girl of 14 during the Airlift and now acts as a self-proclaimed "Berliner mascot", touring the country with the "Spirit of Freedom" to talk about how this experience shaped her life - including an early decision to immigrate to the United States. "I'm a very proud American citizen," Johnson tells people who board the C-54. "It's the best country in the world, no matter what."
Meanwhile Halvorsen, a sprightly 87, tirelessly greeted visitors, autographed books about the Berlin Airlift on sale to benefit the foundation, posed for photographs and dropped candy from the "Spirit of Freedom" to eager children - all with a smile and a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. "So I told the children in Berlin I'd be back with more candy - if they agreed to share it," he said before one group of youngsters waiting to catch chocolate bars attached to miniature "parachutes" he tossed from the plane's windows with a wide circular swing of his lanky arm. "It is sharing that really enriches your life - not making a lot of money."
As the event came to a close, after all the jets had landed on Sunday evening, members of the German Embassy team and the "Spirit of Freedom" crew came together in Hangar 3 on the base. Before he bid everyone farewell, Gail Halvorsen recalled that he had been to many air shows in his lifetime but was particularly grateful for the synergies that had come together on the 60th anniversary of an unforgettable turning point in human history: "General Tunner (the organizer of the Berlin Airlift) always said: A good team works together like a symphony orchestra - everbody plays their part. And in the end, there is harmony."
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As part of an ongoing speaker series at military bases across the United States, documentary filmmaker and journalist Bob Frye attended the Charleston Air Force Base Air Expo on April 26, 2008. Frye was stationed as a US serviceman in postwar Germany and has produced a film series called "Berlin Metamorphoses" in the form of a trilogy tracking the city's modern history, including one part entitled "The Berlin Airlift: The Most Dramatic Rescue Operation of the 20th Century". He is making this legacy come alive for servicemen, servicewomen and their families across the country as part of the "Friends Always" campaign celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.
Tim Chopp, president and founder of the New Jersey-based Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation and pilot of the C-54 "Spirit of Freedom", which serves as a "flying museum" that teaches new generations about the Berlin Airlift, was also in attendance and spoke during the presentation. Col. John C. "Red" Millander, Commander, 437th Airlift Wing, invited guests ranging from teens to Airlift veterans to such a celebration in the Magnolia Ballroom of the Charleston Club, located on the base in South Carolina. The event took place under the aegis of the Charleston AFB Air Expo 2008.
German pilot Lt. Col. Marc Beutler, a pilot-exchange officer from Germany, currently flying C-17s in the 14th Airlift Squadron, was instrumental in coordinating the Charleston event He also flew an American aircraft, the C-17 "Spirit of Berlin", at the May 17 opening ceremony of the 2008 Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington which also celebrated the Berlin Airlift anniversary. Beutler introduced Bob Frye in Charleston: "While we have not always been allies, through many lessons learned and over time, we have found our two countries embraced again, celebrating human life over starvation and death.
"Today we come together to celebrate one of the greatest humanitarian relief efforts of all time and a triumph of freedom – we celebrate the efforts of the Berlin Airlift and the heroes involved. And please believe me, the friendship which these heroes of the Berlin Airlift planted in the hearts and mindsets of the German population endures forever … we are very grateful for this. "Because of this relationship and out of thanks, we want to share that legacy of friendship with you and many others throughout the United States. "Each base that was involved with the Berlin Airlift will be visited by May 2009. The Air Mobility Commander, General Arthur Lichte kicked off the celebration at MacDill AFB four weeks ago, and it will end in Fort Lewis, Washington in May 2009."
After a 23-minute film presentation and talk by Bob Frye, stories, memories and perspectives were shared by all - some young guests learned about the Airlift for the first time, while some older guests recalled the dramatic and brave tales of their youth. And everyone parted - as friends.
Legendary "Candy Bomber" Gail Halvorsen launched the "Friends Always" campaign celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift before more than 700 servicemen and women of the U.S. Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Gail S. Halvorsen, Col. USAF (Ret.), 87, is a World War II veteran and hero of the Berlin Airlift. Halvorsen was the first pilot to drop bundles of candy wrapped in handkerchiefs as miniature parachutes to the hungry children of Berlin when a Soviet blockade shut down all ground-based supply routes to the war-ravaged city. His kindness earned him the nickname “Uncle Wiggly Wings”, the “Chocolate Flyer” and the “Berlin Candy Bomber - and legions of lifelong fans, for whom the Airlift still remains a vibrant inspiration today. Speaking at the "Phoenix Rally", a conference of high-ranking US Air Force officers, Halvorsen summed up the values that made the Berlin Airlift a triumph of freedom: "attitude, integrity, service before self, gratitude". His moving words did not fall on deaf ears: The unprecedented and bold Berlin Airlift is deeply and permanently etched into the history of the US Air Force.
Halvorsen gave a keynote address at this gathering of U.S. servicemen and women. His words visibly inspired those invited by four-star General and US Air Mobility Commander Arthur J. Lichte to attend the March 25 event. The highlight came on March 26 in Hangar 3 of the MacDill Air Force Base, where the bleachers were filled with some 600 people. Norma Henning, the German honorary consul in Naples, FL, was among them. General Lichte, Halvorsen, Brigadier General Hans-Georg Schmidt, who heads the German liaison command CENTCOM, and Airlift veteran Bill Morrissey walked up to the podium. TV journalist and filmmaker Robert E. Frye, who had previously presented a new version of his documentary "The Berlin Airlift" at the conference, moderated the podium discussion on "the airlift - a legacy of global reach, hope and friendship" with great sensitivity. One of the most emotional moments came when he spontaneously asked a young Air Force member to describe in his own words how he saved a child's life during a humanitarian mission. Generations inspired each other on that memorable day at MacDill Air Force Base, during which the C-54 "Spirit of Freedom" provided the perfect backdrop beneath a gigantic star-spangled banner. One of the last remaining airborne "raisin bombers", the "Spirit of Freedom" is lovingly maintained by the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation with support from the Berlin-based Luftbrückendank foundation and the German Embassy. The historic aircraft will make many more important pitstops this year as part of the "Friends Always" campaign. |
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 Friends Always – The Legacy of The Berlin Airlift Lives On
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