[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 81 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 81

                      Honoring the Berlin Airlift.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 9, 1998

Mr. Coverdell submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
                      Honoring the Berlin Airlift.

Whereas the date of June 26, 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 Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) 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 to the citizens of 
        the Federal Republic of Germany, commemorating the fall of the 
        Berlin Wall and the reunification of the great city of Berlin; 
        and
            (2) civic and corporate leaders across the Nation are 
        entrusted to fulfill the intent of paragraph (1) by using 
        private subscription and volunteer effort with the 
        encouragement and support of Congress.
                                 <all>