Lessons from the Berlin Airlift, 75 Years Later

On Sept. 30, 1949, U. S. Air Forces in Europe made its final flight to support the Berlin Airlift. Seen through a contemporary lens 75 years later, that mission laid the groundwork for all airlift-driven humanitarian missions to come – and left behind a legacy all Airmen still strive to emulate.

The Berlin Airlift was, said one Airman who was integral to its success, one of the first, best examples of what would become an official core value of the newly independent Air Force: “excellence in all we do.”

The Soviet Union began a blockade of Berlin on June 24, 1948, in an attempt to humiliate the Western powers that were helping Germany rebuild following the end of World War II. By denying the divided city access to food or supplies, the Soviets hoped the U.S., Britain and France would leave and the Soviet Union could have Berlin completely under their control.

The Soviet Union plot hadn’t factored on the U.S. Air Force spoiling their show of might. Maj. Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander at the time, demonstrated the feasibility of a larger airlift campaign to supply Berlin with needed supplies. On June 21, USAFE carried six tons into Berlin. The next day, USAFE aircrews carried 156.42 tons. When the Berlin Airlift officially kicked off, USAFE was ready. On June 26, 1948, the Berlin Airlift began.

Over the next 15 months, more than 50,000 Airmen from the newly independent USAF would accomplish a humanitarian mission on a scale never before undertaken. Their job was to keep the people of Berlin alive – and to do it exclusively through airpower.  

Airways to Berlin

The large-scale policy backdrop that made the Berlin Airlift possible was the European Recovery Program, also known as the Marshall Plan. The plan would support economic recovery in Western Europe while also limiting the spread of Soviet-backed Communism by drawing participating states into the United States’ economic orbit.

In early 1948, the United States, United Kingdom, and France planned to create a new German state made up of the Western Allies’ occupation zones of the now-divided Germany. However, the Soviets held control over the remaining quarter of Germany and opposed the expansion of Western economic influence over post-war Europe. When U.S. and British policymakers introduced the new Deutschmark currency to West Berlin to enable the introduction of Marshall Plan aid and curb the city’s black market, the Soviets blocked all major road, rail and canal ports into the city.

“Members of the Soviet military administration in Germany celebrated when the blockade began,” wrote USAF historian Roger Miller in his 2008 book, To Save A City. “None had doubts that the blockade would succeed.”

Miller adds that, without outside assistance, West Berlin only had enough food for 36 days and coal for 45 days. Yet less than 48 hours after the blockade had begun, USAF C-47s flew 32 flights to Tempelhof airport in Berlin, carrying more than 80 tons of provisions. This was just day one of the Berlin Airlift, dubbed “Operation Vittles” by the U.S. (The British contribution to the effort became known as "Operation Plainfare.")

Hearts and Minds

The Berlin Airlift – “Luftbrücke” in German – reflected a specific mission responsibility for America’s flying legion and, to make the mission a success, Airmen who had been separated from their families during World War II were once again asked to endure the distance for another national mobilization – but this time, the mission was to win the peace.

That meant not just winning the hearts of the German people as they rebuilt their society, but also the servicemembers who had fought and lost wingmen in German skies to Axis forces. For the U.S. Airmen and their Allies who were tasked to undertake what would become the Berlin Airlift, a culture of resilience was needed. Their initial orders to support the mission were only for 23 days, but some Airmen were extended seven months or longer on the basis of rare skill sets. There are many testaments, offering telling perspectives of this period of transformation.

“My father told the story of his first flight to Berlin during the airlift,” said Denise Williams, the daughter of Col. Gail Halvorsen, the “candy bomber” of Air Force lore.  “My father – then a lieutenant – landed his aircraft and German men rushed into the airplane to unload, but first they came to the cockpit with outstretched hands, saying "Danke, danke."

Williams said her father had a close friend who had been shot down over Germany during the war but, in that moment, Halvorsen instantly felt forgiveness in his heart and wiped away any negative feeling he had. Halvorsen saw that he and the German airfield workers had the same goal: saving the more than two million people trapped in a blockaded zone.

“It was astonishing to my father that his heart could so quickly change—forgiveness,” said Williams. “He was so proud he could be a part of the relief effort and felt a joy and passion in service. He saw how quickly serving others can change hearts.”

Halvorsen described what it was like during that first flight into Berlin, how he could look through the bombed-out buildings and he wondered how two million people could live in a city so totally devastated. After he landed at Tempelhof, he spoke to some of the children who would watch the airplanes. In English, the children told Halvorsen, “Don’t give up on us. If we lose our freedom, we’ll never get it back.”

Peace, by the Numbers

Having witnessed the effects on Germany of the punishing terms of the Treaty of Versailles following World War I, Washington was determined to assist Germany in its reconstruction. The brunt of that workload ultimately would fall to the USAF, although British and French air forces combined would contribute 25 percent to the Berlin Airlift effort.

Complicating the airlift was that the only access routes into the city were three 20-mile-wide air corridors across the Soviet Zone of Occupation. Leading the Berlin Airlift was a new unified command – the Combined Airlift Task Force under Maj. Gen. William H. Tunner – headquartered at Tempelhof Field in Berlin.

Tunner was LeMay’s choice to take over the operational aspects of the task force, the USAFE commander recognizing that he needed a logistics expert to head the airlift mission. For his focus on mission efficiency during India-China-Burma air transport operations during WWII, Tunner had earned the nickname, “Willie the Whip.”

“The actual operation of a successful airlift is about as glamorous as drops of water on stone,” said Tunner, in his 1964 biography, Over the Hump. “There’s no frenzy, no flap, just the inexorable process of getting the job done. In a successful airlift you don’t see planes parked all over the place; they’re either in the air, on loading or unloading ramps, or being worked on. You don’t see personnel milling around; flying crews are either flying or resting up so that they can fly again tomorrow. Ground crews are either working on their assigned planes or resting up so that they can work on them again tomorrow.”

The workload was staggering. The USAF (with an assist from the U.S. Navy) flew 189,963 flights and delivered 1,783,573 tons of cargo. Berlin Airlifters would land every 45 seconds at Tempelhof Airport during the peak of the operation. The greatest number of flights supporting the Berlin Airlift in a single 24 hours was on April 16, 1948: 1,398 sorties (due to risk of mid-air collisions with harassing Russian aircraft, nighttime airlift sorties were kept to a bare minimum). One might think such a high mission tempo would spark lower morale among Airmen, but Williams said the spirit of the Berlin Airlift was different. Many saw the mission as the ultimate act of charity.

Leading the Candy Brigade

“My father heard only one pilot complain about the long hours,” said Williams. “This showed to him how powerful [the concept of] service is in changing hearts. And hearts were changed throughout many years, even today, from this experience alone that so many experienced as children living in Berlin.”

Inspired by the spirit of the new mission and the words of the German children earlier, Halvorsen added a new dimension to the airlift mission: the candy drop. Prior to flights into Berlin, he would tie handkerchiefs to chocolate bars, which he would then drop out from his aircraft, allowing he candy to safely fall to earth – and into the hands of eager, waiting children in the city. To signal children on the ground of an impending candy drop, Halvorsen would wiggle his wings. This signal earned Halvorsen the moniker of Onkel Wackel Flugel – Uncle Wiggly Wings.

At around this same time, Tunner had directed what we would call today his Public Affairs team to enhance the American public’s perception of the Berlin Airlift. When Tunner learned Halvorsen was dropping candy mid-flight for the children of Berlin, Tunner ordered this activity expanded, becoming “Operation Little Vittles.”  Tunner, known to be gruff and intense by his staff, called the candy drops “One of our most delightful cargos.”

Soon, many Airmen followed Halvorsen’s lead and American school children would create more handkerchief parachutes with candy payloads – more than 21 tons, all eventually delivered via air drop into the open arms of the children of Berlin. Stories also spread of U.S. Airmen who would hand carry gum to children’s wards in Berlin hospitals, where they would teach the young patients how to blow bubbles.

By dropping tons of candy over Berlin, each with its own handkerchief parachute created by American civilians, Little Vittles became a major public relations success for the Western Allies. Through actions of Airmen such as Halvorsen – and with Tunner providing top cover – the German people were reminded that America wasn’t there as an occupation force, but as a friendly nation working to help Germany move forward. The airlift had quickly become a symbol of Western goodwill and solidarity towards the people of Berlin – and now the children of the city knew it too.

Christmas 1948

December 1948 brought seasonal cheer to the Airmen, who shared it with Berlin citizens. On Dec. 20, “Operation Santa Claus” saw Airmen bring Christmas gifts to 10,000 Berlin children. On Christmas Eve, famed American entertainer Bob Hope did a Christmas tour of the airlift bases and performed for American soldiers in Berlin. The American composer and songwriter, Irving Berlin, performed a lively song he wrote especially for the Airmen of the Berlin Airlift called “Operation Vittles,” with several actually airlifters joining him on stage for the harmony.

“As an average American, I want to express the gratitude and appreciation of 147 million Americans back home for the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen who are accomplishing the Airlift,” said then-Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, WWII hero and an on-stage guest of Hope during his Christmas show at Tempelhof. “You’re doing a magnificent job not only for Germany and America, but for all humanity.”

The USAF Statistical Digest of 1948 shows 23,015 Airmen were stationed in Europe at the time, most supporting the Berlin Airlift – yet another Christmas once again far away from their own families. But in a season known for peace on Earth and goodwill to men, Halvorsen’s daughter said those Airmen who supported the effort were living the spirit of the season to the fullest.

“My father wrote especially of Christmas 1948,” Williams said. “Of the wonderful feeling he had during that time, that he could be helping people preserve their freedom and stay alive. This was extremely motivating to all who participated.”

The Soviet Union’s ambitions in Germany were officially thwarted on April 4, 1949, with the signing of a transatlantic agreement that created an alliance of countries united against any form of military aggression – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets recognized not just the inevitable defeat of their blockade, but that they had inadvertently accelerated the growth of an air force that surpassed Soviet capabilities.

“The success of the Berlin Airlift became a public relations nightmare for the Soviets,” said Christopher M. Rein, USAFE-AFAFRICA Senior Historian. “Instead of showing Allied weakness, the airlift highlighted Allied technical prowess and strength. When LeMay flew in a camel caravan for Easter 1949 as part of the Berlin Airlift’s focus on improving the morale of Berlin children, the Soviets must have realized then that their plan had completely failed.”

U.S. air superiority had been demonstrated through a campaign of preserving peace. The Soviets lifted their blockade and, 11 days later, on May 23, the Federal Republic of Germany was established.

The Berlin Airlift continued after the Soviet blockade ended, focused now on building the city’s stockpiles of supplies until, on Sept. 30, 1949, USAF wrapped up the Combined Airlift Task Force.

75 Years Later

Some today see the legacy of the Berlin Airlift as not just a military achievement, but as a testament to the human spirit.

“We knew my father helped people after the war, and we knew he had a big heart and loved people,” said Williams. “I really began to learn more during my senior year of high school, after his 1969 trip to Berlin to reenact the Berlin Airlift, and how many thousands came out to Tempelhof to see that and to see the airplanes. We met hundreds of people who had benefited from the Berlin Airlift and his candy parachutes and participated in the Tempelhof open houses and German/American friendship days. It was a wonderful time to begin to fully understand what had happened.”

Some reminders of the Berlin Airlift and the efforts of the tens of thousands of Airmen who kept a city alive still stand in Germany today. Tempelhof Field is now a public park in Berlin, which includes a static display of a C-47 Skytrain, tail number 43-49081, representative of the 102 such aircraft mustered to support the Berlin Airlift, and a C-54 Skymaster, representative of the 224 four-engine workhorses used in the effort.

“We worked with German volunteers to restore those aircraft and clean up the memorial site,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Boyd, Flight Chief for today’s 7th Combat Weather Squadron, based in Wiesbaden, Germany. “Some simple repairs required sheet metal screws and riveting, but using 3-D printing to restore these legendary aircraft to their original glory gives us hope that future Airmen will be able to keep the spirit of this memorial alive for generations to come.”

Towering above these vintage workhorses of the air is a three-pronged concrete sculpture that represents the three air corridors the Berlin Airlift used to reach Berlin. At its base are the names of the Airmen who were killed in the airlift, mostly in place crashes. A total of 101 fatalities were recorded as a result of the operation, including 40 Britons and 31 Americans.

The Tunner Conference Center at Ramstein Air Base will reopen in December 2024 and feature more than a dozen pieces of artwork, some depicting the Berlin Airlift as drawn by artists who witnessed the massive humanitarian operation progress. The USAFE-AFAFRICA Historian Office expects the center to be an ideal meeting location for military professionals who continue to be inspired by Tunner’s genius for logistics.

As a reminder to the general officers who succeeded LeMay as USAFE-AFARICA commander, several pieces of Berlin Airlift-themed artwork from the Air Force Art Program Office hang on the walls of the command suite. Near where the USAFE-AFAFRICA public affairs office works, a painting hangs on the wall depicting a bright-eyed German child, delighting as a small handkerchief parachute delivers a chocolate bar into his hands.

Many of the German children who retrieved candy bomber parachutes still have the handkerchiefs today as mementos of American kindness. The U.S. Airmen who flew those tens of thousands of back-to-back flights received their own mementos:

Authorized by Congress on July 20, 1949, the Medal for Humane Action recognized any service member who performed at least 120 days of duty in direct support of the Berlin Airlift. The medal has a distinctive device, depicting a Douglas C-54 Skymaster over a wheat wreath and the coat of arms of Berlin.

“There is perhaps no clearer example of the great measures the U.S. and its Allies will take in response to aggression and oppression than the Berlin Airlift,” said Col. James T. Vinson, Chief of today’s USAFE-AFAFRICA's Logistics Readiness Division and lead planner for humanitarian airlift in the European or Africa theater. “The challenges faced in 1948 and 1949 in many ways mirror challenges we face today, and it will take the same level of resolve and determination, together with our Allies, to ensure freedom and liberty prevail.”

As with any humanitarian mission, the resilience of the Airmen responsible for completing the mission is balanced by the urgency to preserve the lives of innocents who are often caught up in events far beyond their control. The Berlin Airlift was the first of many such ventures the USAF has undertaken in efforts to save lives. According to no less an authority than Halvorsen himself, the Airlift captured that balance between the missions Airmen undertake and the humanity they strive to save.

“Without hope, the soul dies,” Halvorsen said in one of his final interviews before his death in 2022. “And that was so appropriate for the day. In our own neighborhoods people have lost hope, lost function because they have no outside source of inspiration. The airlift was a symbol that we were going to be there—service before self.”

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