This Day in History: The Berlin Airlift Begins

On this day in 1948 the Berlin Airlift began.  It was a warm summer day but there was a cold winter ahead.  The airlift kept 2 million people from freezing and starving to death.

People of Berlin watch food supplies arrive. Photo credit:  Wikipedia Commons

Josef Stalin tried to take control of West Berlin by cutting off all transportation that would allow food and fuel into the city. He assumed the allies would not be able to provide for the people in their sectors.

Stalin was wrong. He couldn't control the airspace so the allies responded by flying in food, coal, manufacturing supplies - just about anything necessary to run a city.

Even chocolate!

It started with a few flights and grew into an efficient undertaking with planes coming and going constantly.

There were some accidents.  People died in their attempts to deliver aid to the people of Berlin.

But millions lived as a result of the allies decision to deliver love, not hate, to their former enemies.  It is one of my favorite stories from the 20th century.

And I think it was one of America's finer moments!

 

This monument at Templehof Airport commemorates the airlift.  The three prongs reaching into the sky represent the three air routes traveled by the planes coming and going. Inscribed on the base are the names of pilots who lost their lives while giving aid.

Chuck and I visited Templehof last spring.  It's a huge space that has been turned into a recreational park.  I love that people can go there to relax every day.  But I was glad that part of it had been left to age naturally.