[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 605 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 605

 Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and honoring 
                   the veterans of Operation Vittles.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 26, 2008

     Mr. DeMint (for himself and Mr. Bayh) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and honoring 
                   the veterans of Operation Vittles.

Whereas in spring of 1948 Berlin was isolated within the Soviet occupation zone 
        and had only 35 days' worth of food and 45 days' worth of coal remaining 
        for the city;
Whereas military planners in the United States and the United Kingdom determined 
        that 1,534 tons of flour, wheat, fish, milk, and other food items would 
        be required daily to feed the 2,000,000 residents of Berlin;
Whereas military planners determined that 3,475 tons of coal and gasoline would 
        be required daily to keep the city of Berlin heated and powered;
Whereas, on June 1, 1948, the United States Air Force created the Military Air 
        Transport Service, the predecessor to Air Mobility Command, to organize 
        and conduct airlift missions;
Whereas, on June 26, 1948, ``Operation Vittles'' began when 32 United States Air 
        Force C-47 Dakotas departed West Germany for Berlin hauling 80 tons of 
        cargo, and the first British aircraft launched on June 28, 1948;
Whereas Major General William H. Tunner, a veteran of the aerial supply line 
        over the Himalayas in World War II, took command of ``Operation 
        Vittles'' on July 28, 1948;
Whereas Major General Tunner pioneered many new and innovative tactics and 
        procedures for the airlift, including the creation of air corridors for 
        ingress and egress, staggering altitudes of the aircraft, and 
        implementing instrument flight rules which allowed aircraft to land as 
        frequently as every 3 minutes;
Whereas one pilot, 1st Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen, who became known as the 
        ``Candy Bomber'', initiated ``Operation Little Vittles'' to bring hope 
        to the children of Berlin, by dropping handkerchief parachutes 
        containing chocolate and chewing gum as a symbol of American goodwill, 
        ultimately resulting in more than 3 tons of candy being dropped in more 
        than 250,000 miniature parachutes;
Whereas, on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1949, airlifters reached the pinnacle of 
        ``Operation Vittles'' by delivering 13,000 tons of cargo, including the 
        equivalent of 600 railroad cars full of coal, setting the single day 
        record for the Berlin Airlift;
Whereas 39 British and 31 American airmen made the ultimate sacrifice during the 
        Berlin Airlift, and 8 British and 17 American aircraft were lost;
Whereas airlifters delivered more than 2,300,000 tons of food and supplies on 
        278,228 total flights into Berlin;
Whereas the Soviet Union was forced to lift the blockade in light of the success 
        of the 15-month airlift operation;
Whereas the Berlin Airlift marked the first use of airpower to provide hope and 
        humanitarian assistance, and to win a strategic victory against enemy 
        aggression and intimidation;
Whereas the enormous effort and cooperation of the Berlin Airlift laid the 
        foundation for a deep and lasting friendship between the people of the 
        United States and the people of Germany; and
Whereas, today, air mobility continues to play a vital role in United States 
        foreign policy by helping to advance freedom and alleviate suffering 
        around the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift 
        as the largest and longest running humanitarian airlift 
        operation in history;
            (2) honors the service and sacrifice of the men and women 
        who participated in and supported the Berlin Airlift;
            (3) commends the close friendship forged between the 
        American, British, and German people through the Berlin 
        Airlift; and
            (4) applauds the men and women of the United States Air 
        Force's Air Mobility Command, who, in the best traditions of 
        the Berlin Airlift, still work diligently to provide hope, save 
        lives, and deliver freedom around the world in support of the 
        United States's foreign policy objectives.
                                 <all>