IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 398 

Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift’s success. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 4, 2009 

Mr. FORTENBERRY (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. 

MCCOTTER, Mr. INGLIS, and Mr. BACHUS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and in 

addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift’s 

success. 

Whereas pursuant to mutual agreement among allies concluded at the Potsdam Conference following the unconditional surrender of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist 

(NAZI) regime on May 8, 1945, the German capitol of 

Berlin was divided into four zones of military occupation 

controlled by the United States, the Soviet Union, Great 

Britain, and France; 

Whereas in a bid to maintain leverage over Germany by perpetuating its economic instability, and in opposition to 

the United States’ Marshall Plan and the allies’ proposal 

for a new, more stable German currency, then Soviet DicVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:55 May 05, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR398.IH HR398

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•HRES 398 IH 

tator Joseph Stalin ordered a blockade of Berlin on June 

22, 1948; 

Whereas Stalin’s blockade prohibited all ground access to the 

city, blocking the people of Berlin; 

Whereas three 20-mile-wide free air corridors had been 

agreed on November 30, 1945, to provide unfettered access to Berlin along accepted flight routes; 

Whereas the Soviet regime insisted that the Western Allies 

allow food and medicine to be supplied to these sectors 

only through Soviet-controlled East Germany, effectively 

allowing Soviet control over West Berlin; 

Whereas President Harry S. Truman ordered the stationing 

of U.S. B–29 Superfortresses at British airfields on June 

28, 1948; 

Whereas Britain’s Foreign Minister Ernest Brevin, at the 

suggestion of Commander Sir Brian Robertson, proposed 

employing a military airlift as an alternative to an armed 

convoy through the Soviet sector to provide humanitarian 

relief to Berlin’s traumatized and beleaguered population; 

Whereas General Lucius Clay, then United States military 

governor of Germany, and Major General Curtis LeMay, 

Commanding General of the United States Air Force in 

Europe, requested Douglas C–54 Skymasters, the largest 

transport plane available to the United States Air Force, 

to help supply the colossal strategic air mission; 

Whereas the first Skymasters arrived at Rhein-Main Air 

Base on June 28, 1948, and were immediately loaded to 

begin Operation Vittles to convey supplies to Berlin; 

Whereas the Soviet regime publically derided the airlift, announcing that it would be impossible to carry out and 

maintain such an operation, characterizing the mission in 


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•HRES 398 IH 

the East German press as, ‘‘the futile attempts of the 

Americans to save face and to maintain their untenable 

position in Berlin’’; 

Whereas Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand joined 

Great Britain and the United States in what became the 

largest humanitarian operation ever undertaken by the 

United States Air Force; 

Whereas Lt. General William Turner, honored in the Air 

Cargo Hall of Fame for his tactical brilliance as commander of the Berlin Airlift, was called upon to lead the 

Berlin Airlift and worked tirelessly to ensure that the aircraft he commanded supplied the besieged city of Berlin 

with essential supplies including coal, heating oil, medicine, and food from July 28, 1948, through the official 

conclusion of the mission on September 30, 1949; 

Whereas the Berlin Airlift resulted in the total delivery of 

1,783,573 tons of supplies by the United States and 

541,937 tons of supplies totaling 2,300,000 tons delivered on 277,569 total flights to Berlin; 

Whereas the United States Air Force’s C–47s and C–54s 

alone logged 92,000,000 miles in the Berlin Airlift; 

Whereas the commitment of the United States to aid the besieged people of Berlin resulted in the tragic loss of 101 

allied personnel, of which 31 were United States casualties; 

Whereas the following Air Force units, aided by the United 

States Navy and Army, are known to have contributed to 

the success of the Berlin Airlift— 

(1) HHS1Air Life Task Force; 

(2) 10 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(3) 11 Troop Carrier Squadron; 


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(4) 12 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(5) 14 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(6) 15 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(7) 29 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(8) 39 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(9) 40 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(10) 41 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(11) 47 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(12) 48 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(13) 53 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(14) HHS 60 Troop Carrier Wing; 

(15) HQ 60 Troop Carrier Group; 

(16) 60 Troop Carrier Group; 

(17) HQ60 Maintenance Support Group; 

(18) 60 Maintenance Squadron; 

(19) 60 Supply Squadron; 

(20) 60 FIN DIS UT; 

(21) 60 COMM Squadron; 

(22) 60A police Squadron; 

(23) 60 Food Service Squadron; 

(24) 60 Install SQ; 

(25) 60 Motor Vehicle Squadron; 

(26) 60 Base Services Squadron; 

(27) 60 Medical Group; 

(28) HHS A B Group; 

(29) HQ61 Troop Carrier Group; 

(30) HQ313 Troop Carrier Group; 

(31) HHS61 Troop Carrier Wing; 

(32) HQ317 Troop Carrier Group; 

(33) HQ317 Maintenance Supply Group; 

(34) 317 Maintenance Squadron; 

(35) 317 Supply Squadron; 

(36) HHS 317 A B Group; 


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(37) 317 Communications Squadron; 

(38) 317A Police Squadron; 

(39) 317 Food Services Squadron; 

(40) 317 Installation Squadron; 

(41) 317 Motor Vehicle Squadron; 

(42) 317 Base Services Squadron; 

(43) 317 FIN DIS UT; 

(44) 317 Medical Group; 

(45) 330 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(46) 331 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(47) 332 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(48) 333 Troop Carrier Squadron; 

(49) HHS 513 A B Group; 

(50) HQ 513 Troop Carrier Group; 

(51) 513 Troop Carrier Group; 

(52) HQ 513 Maintenance Sup Group; 

(53) 513 Maintenance Squadron; 

(54) 513 Supply Squadron; 

(55) 513 Communications Squadron; 

(56) 513A Police Squadron; 

(57) 513 Food Service Squadron; 

(58) 513 Install Squadron; 

(59) 513 Motor Vehicle Squadron; 

(60) 513 Base Services Squadron; 

(61) 513 Finance Distribution Unit; 

(62) 513 Medical Group; 

(63) HHS 7350 A B Group; 

(64) 7351 Maintenance Supply Squadron; 

(65) 7352 AF Police Squadron; 

(66) 7353 Installation Squadron; and 

(67) HHS 7497A Lift Wing; 

Whereas Col. Gail Halvorsen, also known as the ‘‘Candy 

Bomber’’ and recipient of the 1948 Cheney Award, disVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:55 May 05, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR398.IH HR398

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tinguished himself by launching Operation Little Vittles, 

a magnanimous effort that parachuted over 3 tons of 

candy to the children of Berlin, including children in the 

Soviet sector; 

Whereas in the face of the massive allied goodwill offensive, 

the Soviets capitulated and lifted the blockade on May 

12, 1949; 

Whereas the Berlin Airlift consolidated the successful use of 

air transport in military operations and led to the creation of the Air Mobility Command; 

Whereas German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer noted that the 

Berlin Airlift ‘‘was a truly visible sign that America recognized her duty to be the leader of free nations and 

wanted to fulfill it.’’; and 

Whereas the determined actions of the Berlin Airlift sent a 

clear message to the Soviet Union that the United States 

held an unquestionable commitment and unwavering resolve to prevent tyranny in Europe: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 60th anniversary of the Ber3 lin Airlift, and commends all of the operation’s 

4 United States veterans for their valor and deter5 mination to represent the noble ideals that thwarted 

6 the fall of the Iron Curtain over Berlin’s western 

7 strongholds; 

8 (2) honors the veterans of the Berlin Airlift 

9 who lost their lives to bring the means of survival 


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1 and sustenance to civilians under siege in the service 

2 to their country; 

3 (3) commends the spirit of collaboration which 

4 characterized this united allied operation involving 

5 both military and civilian aircraft and crews; and 

6 (4) honors the men and women of the United 

7 States military whose continued dedication to the 

8 ideals of integrity, compassion, and liberty upholds 

9 the honorable legacy of the United States Armed 

10 Forces, as illustrated by the Berlin Airlift, and re11 news our faith in the power of freedom and goodness 

12 to prevail over tyranny. 

Æ 


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