operation endurance......

A little over fifty-eight years ago, in June of 1948, a military action far past the ideas of what the military is thought to do, was born. It is officially known as the Berlin Airlift. It was to be a shining moment during a time when everyone was recovering from World War II, and one that every person who was involved with it, became a hero for. And with good reason... it was helping to save the lives of a city still torn by the effects of war.

Berlin layed over 100 miles into the portion of Germany that was occupied by Russian control, after the country was divided up into four major sectors. The United States, Great Britain, France, and Soviet Russia were each responsible for the administration of their own sectors; similarly, Berlin was also divided by four. Not happy that he wasn't going to receive reparations he felt his country deserved, Stalin (from Russia) elected to convert his sectors into Communist Dictatorships. This included the section of Berlin that was also under his control. While the Communist rule was enforced, it was obvious that the the democratic rule of the western sectors was beginning to flourish and rebuild. Attempting to gain control over the city of Berlin, the Soviets began to blockade and shut down all means of transportation into the city. To further show their dominance, it was announced that Russian sectors would not provide supplies to the sectors of the city that were under Western administration. It would mean that the people of West Berlin would starve to death. Within ten days of this final blockade, the United States and Great Britain decided to mount an airlift program, and flights into Berlin began to bring the much needed supplies these people needed.

It wasn't an easy job, in fact, it was one of great heroism and dedication. There were only three flight paths that the planes could use to get into the city, as all other airspace was Soviet ruled.
Add to the problem the treacherous fog that had to be overcome in many instances. If a transport plane flew too far off the flight pattern, they could be in danger of being shot down by a Soviet plane; indeed, flying blindly also put them at risk for crashing into the remnants of bombed out buildings that still remained. Needless to say, it was not a job for the weak of heart.

In August of 1948, just a few weeks after Operation Vittles began, Lt. Gail Halverson, a C-54 pilot, came up with an idea of dropping tiny bundles of candy, chewing gum, and other goodies to the crowds of children who would line up at the end of the runway and outside the gates of Tempelhof Airport. It was a gesture he had taken upon himself, fearful that he could possibly get court-martialed for his actions. Because it became so popular, and gave the Air Force a good name, he was allowed to continue his Operation "Little" Vittles. (One boy, too small to grab a parachute of goodies for himself even wrote to the Colonel, making a map of his home, so that when the plane came overhead, the boy could be ready. ) The children were told that they would know the "special plane" because the lieutenant would wiggle his wings. Lt. Halvorson would become known as "Uncle Wiggle Wings", and the "candy bomber" to the children of the city who waited with anticipation at the end of the airport runway where a cemetery was located. It became a ray of hope for many children who were much to young to know the full scope of war, as well as adults who were trying to rebuild a very damaged city and get on with their lives.

The airlift was a round the clock operation, trying to maintain a constant flow of essential commodities into the city. In trying to prepare for the winter, a newly developed Ground Controlled Approach Radar system was shipped to Europe to be installed at the airport. With the installation of this new system, controllers at the airport were able to give some insurance to the pilots flying in. It did not, however solve problems of icing the planes received while flying in the clouds. There were crashes, and a total of 31 Americans and 39 RAF flyers and workers on the ground did lose their lives. The numbers of lives they saved still remains priceless to this day, as the German people never forgot the kindness of a people they were at war with just a few years earlier. They would receive almost 2.5 million tons of essential goods. The Soviets would end their blockade in May 1949, but the operation would continue till August of that year. Fearful that the Soviets would re-blockade, the United States wanted to be sure the city of Berlin was on its feet a little bit better before stopping airlifts altogether.

I knew a lady who lived in Berlin during those times. She was raising two small children; another one on the way a few years later. The struggle she faced everyday was a constant threat. She was fearful of her children playing in bombed out buildings, weakened by the effects of war, and she was fearful that her children would never have enough to eat. She even resorted to "stealing a ham" once. When I asked her what she meant by "stealing", she proceeded to tell me that actually a friend of hers had stolen it, and given it to her. Afraid that it would be confiscated, she hid it under her coat and pretended to be pregnant while riding the train home from her friends home. There would be real food on the table that night for dinner. In August 1957, she immigrated to America with her husband, and now, three children. On the 20th, they landed at Ellis Island, and into a new life in a foreign country. She would learn to speak English through television, and had a habit of watching gangster movies of the time, emulating some of their vocabulary. My favorite was when she referred to taking a walk as "taking a powder". I used to lovingly call her "Mutti"... the German version of "Mother", and I used to love hearing the stories she would tell me of the time when she lived in Germany. She would even illustrate each one with a picture she pulled out of a special box that contained family photos of times when she was a young woman in the 1940's. My favorite ones included the Berlin Airlift. One cannot know desperation unless you truly face it head on, and she certainly had her trials in that area. She would lose her oldest son to a car crash when he was 18, and her husband succumbed to a heart attack while on one of his daily walks. Hers is a life that had seen many things, including her share of tragedy.... yet her stories of the airlift brought a sparkle to her pretty blue eyes, and I could tell that she was a survivor of the highest caliber for all that she had endured.

Everytime I think things are too tough to endure for myself, I think back to this courageous lady who braved the reconstruction of her bombed-out city in order to find some means of survival. The lessons I took away are immeasurable, but the sum of it was always: one has to do what one has to do in order to survive. It's not an easy balancing act, as it is a long and winding road.....but no matter, what's the alternative otherwise? If you can do what you need to do without sacrificing your soul at the end of the day, you are further up the ladder of personal success than most of the population of the world. It's the silver lining of the cloud we call life. It's a measurable feature we possess as humans, and making it through the curve-ball times certainly earns us a gold medal for Endurance.