AMBASSADOR GUTMANN REMARKS AT THE RECEPTION MARKING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERLIN AIRLIFT
as prepared for delivery
Ambassador Gutmann
May 13th, 2024
Thank you for joining us here today at our beautiful Embassy to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift. Our Embassy would not be here were it not for all who made the Airlift a success. Berlin itself would have been a completely different city.
At the end of World War II, Berlin lay in ruins. Physical reconstruction was of course painstaking, but the political rebirth of the city turned out to be one of two events in postwar Berlin that changed the course of history. In 1946, the first post-war elections were held in Berlin. The Soviets expected a landslide, but the Social Democrats and other non-Communists won. A year later the city assembly elected SPD candidate Ernst Reuter for mayor. Berliners stood up for freedom and democracy. The Soviets vetoed the vote. An Iron Curtain was descending across Europe.
The second event that changed history was the Soviet Blockade of Berlin.
For the United States, the immediate lesson learned of World War II was stay engaged. Do not turn away from Europe, as we had after World War I. Reconstruction and reconciliation were more important than recriminations.
In 1948, President Truman signed the Economic Recovery Act funding the Marshall Plan and providing billions of dollars to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe, including West Germany.
Together, the Western allies also began consolidating their occupation zones in Western Germany – including West Berlin—into a single independent German state. Just days after the introduction of an economic reform package and the new Deutsche Mark, the Soviets imposed a blockade. Their intent was to pressure the Western allies to relinquish their control over the city by cutting off West Berliners’ lifelines and landlines.
What the Soviets could not cut off, however, were the skies. What began were flights loaded with vital necessities. At first, a temporary measure. But America and its allies recognized that letting Stalin drive them out of Berlin would be seen as a first step in expelling them from all of Germany. President Harry Truman cast aside any doubts saying simply, “We stay in Berlin. Period.” Together, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other allies embarked upon the most extensive air transport operation history had ever seen.
At the height of the 15-month campaign, a plane landed every 45 seconds. Pilots flew around the clock, in good weather and bad, delivering over two million tons of supplies, including food, medicine, and even coal. Today we remember and we salute the heroic efforts of all those who worked tirelessly in this brave mission. Over 100 American and British pilots and civilians lost their lives in the operation.
On this 75th anniversary of the end of the Airlift, the number of Berlin airlift veterans has dwindled to a precious few. It is truly my honor to welcome a U.S. veteran of the Airlift. Harald E. Bowers: We thank you for your service. Of all the airmen associated with the Berlin airlift, perhaps the best known is Colonel Gail Halvorsen, famously known as the “Candy Bomber.” Colonel Halvorsen started the tradition of dropping candy to the children of West Berlin. Other pilots joined in the effort. Operation “Little Vittles” captured the hearts of people worldwide. Col. Halvorsen passed away two years ago at the age of 101. Four of his children—Denise, Marilyn, Mike and Brad—are our guests of honor today. The children he reached in Berlin will never forget him. Two of those children—Mercedes Wild and Vera Mitschrich—are with us today.
On May 12, 1949, Soviet forces backed down and lifted the blockade. Their effort to weaken ties in the West had backfired. The Airlift became a symbol of goodwill and solidarity towards the people of Berlin. The skies had empowered the people’s will for freedom and democracy. The Soviet blockade had backfired, hastening the creation of NATO and the establishment of the state of West Germany. Berlin, the last European battlefield of World War II, became the first battlefield of the Cold War.
West Berlin was no longer a fragment of a city, but a symbol of democracy and freedom. At the height of the Berlin crisis, the Commander in Chief of the U.S. Forces in Europe and military governor of the U.S. zone, General Lucius Clay wrote, “I believe the future of democracy requires us to stay.” He was right.
The Berlin Airlift was a massive humanitarian and logistical effort. It was a symbol of resolve and resistance, based on a widely-shared commitment to a world in which people are empowered by freedom and democracy. We see the results of that vision in this city and this country today. Today, the United States and a unified, free, and democratic Germany are partners in supporting that vision. And in recognizing that today’s possibilities are not tomorrow’s guarantees.
We must relearn the lessons of the Airlift and bring them to bear on the challenges of this new century – and the challenges are many. Together with the Allied Museum, we sponsored a social media contest, reaching out to young people for their opinion on the impact of the Airlift. This is part of our Stand Up and Speak Out for Democracy initiative. Stand Up and Speak Out for Democracy is all about the crucial role of civil courage—the courage of every person in keeping democracy strong.
The symbolic value of West Berlin was precisely in the courageous act of defending what to many appeared practically indefensible: a tiny bit of western territory deep in the Soviet-controlled part of Germany. No amount of resolve would have been enough, however, had the allies not had the ability – and the resources – to sustain the airlift.
The beasts of burden for the American airlift effort were the C-47 and C-54 transport aircraft. It is only appropriate that two of these historic planes are now a permanent part of Berlin’s history. The history of our time is indeed written in the life of this city.
There are also lessons learned for leaders. There are parallels to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainians, like Berliners and their Western allies in 1948, are determined not to give up. Without a doubt, Putin’s aggression in Ukraine is also rooted in his fear of a democratic Ukraine evolving in a Western direction. This is why I am not surprised that Germany has stepped up to meet this challenge. After the United States, Germany is the largest provider of assistance to Ukraine. Germany is hosting over a million Ukrainian refugees, the largest number of any country. It is in this spirit of standing up and speaking out for democracy and freedom that we commemorate the Berlin Airlift today.
Thank you again for joining us.
And now, to formally complete the transfer of the two historic planes from the U.S. Air Force to Germany, I’d like to pass this model of a C-47 to Joachim Breuninger, Director of the Deutsches Technikmuseum. Dear Joachim, I am so glad these amazing symbols of the transatlantic relationship are now officially part of your collection. I would like to thank all those who worked so hard to make this special part of our 75th anniversary commemoration a reality. Kari Raffensberger, formerly a member of our Embassy Berlin team, now Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate in Tashkent, initiated the plane turnover, came back for this event. Welcome, Kari – and thank you.
