Tue, Mar 17, 2009
Commemorates 60th Anniversary Of Herculean Effort
The Museum of Aviation will host a
traveling exhibit March 31 through May 6 commemorating the 60th
Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and paying tribute to US-German
friendship.
"The Berlin Airlift – Legacy of Friendship" is coming to
the Museum courtesy of the German Embassy, the Consulates Generals
and the Honorary Consuls in the United States as part of their
commemoration outreach activities all over the United States.
The Museum and the Museum of Aviation Foundation will host an
opening reception at the Museum at 5:30 pm on March 31 and are
asking the public to identify local veterans who were involved with
the historic operation so they may be invited to the opening and
recognized. Names of those involved should be called in to Carolyn
Gesualdo at (478) 923-6600 or emailed to events@museumofaviation.org.
The Berlin Airlift was one of the defining events of the Cold
War in which American and British cargo planes delivered over 2.3
million tons of supplies to the citizens of Berlin during a Soviet
blockade of the city from June 1948 to May 1949. The blockade
finally ended in May 1949, but the Berlin Airlift continued through
September 1949.
During the fifteen-month operation United States C-47 and C-54
aircraft delivered 1,783,573 tons, while 541,937 tons were
delivered by the RAF, totaling 2,326,406 tons of food and supplies
on 278,228 total flights to Berlin. The C-47s and C-54s together
flew over 92 million miles in the process, nearly the same distance
as the earth is from the sun. At the height of the airlift, one
plane reached West Berlin every 30 seconds.
The 464-day effort to supply a city's needs solely through the
air demonstrated the resolve of democratic nations to oppose
communist repression. The massive humanitarian effort was an early
triumph for the young US Air Force and symbolized Western
commitment to rebuilding democracy in Europe after World War
II.
The Museum has examples of both types of aircraft used in the
Berlin Airlift in its collection of nearly 90 aircraft. The C-47 is
shown in the new World War II Exhibit Hangar and the C-54 is on
display outdoors.
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