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
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.