[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 230 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 230

                      Honoring the Berlin Airlift.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 1998

  Mr. Hefley submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
                      Honoring the Berlin Airlift.

Whereas the date, 26 June 1998, marks the 50th anniversary of the commencement 
        of the Allied effort to supply the people of Berlin, Germany, with food, 
        fuel, and supplies in the face of the illegal Soviet blockade that 
        divided the city;
Whereas this 15 month Allied effort became known throughout the free world as 
        the ``Berlin Airlift'' and ultimately cost the lives of 78 Allied 
        airmen, of whom 31 were United States fliers;
Whereas this heroic humanitarian undertaking was universally regarded as an 
        unambiguous statement of Western resolve to thwart further Soviet 
        expansion;
Whereas the Berlin Airlift was an unqualified success, both as an instrument of 
        diplomacy and as a life saving rescue of the 1,000,000 inhabitants of 
        West Berlin, with 2,326,205 tons of supplies delivered by 277,728 
        flights over a 462-day period;
Whereas historians and citizens the world over view the success of this 
        courageous action as pivotal to the ultimate defeat of international 
        tyranny, symbolized today by the fall of the Berlin Wall; and
Whereas this inspiring act of resolve must be preserved in the memory of future 
        generations in a positive and dramatic manner: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the 50th anniversary of the 
Berlin Airlift should include the presentation of a suitable gift of 
representational art from the citizens of the United States of America 
to the citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, commemorating the 
fall of the ``Berlin Wall'' and the reunification of this great city 
and, to this end, civic and corporate leaders across the Nation are 
entrusted to fulfill this intent using private subscription and 
volunteer effort with the encouragement and support of the United 
States Congress.
                                 <all>