,,iii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #fcd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september
 #ah1 #bjah ,mr4 ,risch 7for himself1   
,mrs4 ,shaheen1 and ,mr4 ,johnson7      
submitted the following resolution2     
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,foreign ,relations  ,,resolution       
,commemorating the #gjth anniversary of 
the ,berlin ,airlift and honoring the   
veterans of ,operation ,vittles4        
,whereas in the spring of #aidh1 ,berlin
 was isolated within the ,soviet        
occupation zone1 and there were only #ce
 days' worth of food and #de days' worth
 of coal remaining for the city2        
,whereas military planners in the       
,united ,states and the ,united ,kingdom
 determined that-- 7#a7 #a1ecd tons of  
flour1 wheat1 fish1 milk1 and other food
 items would be required daily to feed  
the #b1jjj1jjj residents of ,berlin2 and
  7#b7 #c1dge tons of coal and gasoline 
would be required daily to keep the city
 of ,berlin heated and powered2         

,whereas1 on ,june #a1 #aidh1 the       
,united ,states ,air ,force created the 
,military ,air ,transport ,service1 the 
predecessor to the ,air ,mobility       
,command1 to organize and conduct       
airlift missions2 ,whereas1 on ,june    
#bf1 #aidh1 ,operation ,vittles began   
when #cb ,c-#dg ,dakotas of the ,united 
,states ,air ,force departed ,west      
,germany for ,berlin hauling #hj tons of
 cargo2 ,whereas the first ,british     
aircraft involved in ,operation ,vittles
 launched on ,june #bh1 #aidh2 ,whereas 
,major ,general ,william ,h4 ,tunner1 a 
veteran of the aerial supply line over  
the ,himalayas during ,world ,war ,,ii1 
took command of ,operation ,vittles on  
,july #bh1 #aidh2 ,whereas ,major       
,general ,tunner pioneered many new and 
innovative tactics and procedures for   
the airlift1 including creating air     
corridors for ingress and egress1       
staggering the altitudes at which       
aircraft flew1 and implementing         
instrument flight rules that allowed    

aircraft to land as frequently as every 
#c minutes2 ,whereas one pilot1 #ast    
,lieutenant ,gail ,s4 ,halvorsen1 who   
became known as the ,candy ,bomber1     
initiated ,operation ,little ,vittles to
 bring hope to the children of ,berlin  
by dropping handkerchief parachutes     
containing chocolate and chewing gum as 
a symbol of the goodwill of the ,united 
,states2 ,whereas ,operation ,little    
,vittles ultimately dropped more than #c
 tons of candy in more than #bej1jjj    
miniature parachutes2 ,whereas1 on      
,easter ,sunday1 ,april #ag1 #aidi1     
airlifters reached the pinnacle of      
,operation ,vittles by delivering       
#ac1jjj tons of cargo1 including the    
equivalent of #fjj railroad cars full of
 coal1 and setting the record for       
tonnage of cargo delivered in a single  
day during the ,berlin ,airlift2        
,whereas #ci ,british airmen and #ca    
,american airmen made the ultimate      
sacrifice during the ,berlin ,airlift   
and #h ,british aircraft and #ag        

,american aircraft were lost2 ,whereas  
airlifters delivered more than          
#b1cjj1jjj tons of food and supplies    
during #bgh1bbh total flights into      
,berlin2 ,whereas the ,soviet ,union was
 forced to lift the blockade of ,berlin 
in light of the success of the #ae-month
 airlift operation2 ,whereas the ,berlin
 ,airlift marked the first use of       
airpower to provide hope and            
humanitarian assistance and to win a    
strategic victory against enemy         
aggression and intimidation2 ,whereas   
the enormous effort and cooperation of  
the ,berlin ,airlift helped overcome    
years of animosity between the ,united  
,states and ,germany and laid the       
foundation for a deep and lasting       
friendship between the people of the two
 countries2 and ,whereas today ,germany 
is one of the closest and strongest     
allies of the ,united ,states in        
,europe1 based on the close and vital   
relationship of the two countries as    
friends1 trading partners1 and allies   

sharing common values and institutions  
that promote stability in political1    
economic1 and security matters3 ,now1   
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--   
7#a7 recognizes the #gjth anniversary of
 the ,berlin ,airlift1 the largest and  
longest running humanitarian airlift    
operation in history2  7#b7 honors the  
service and sacrifice of the men and    
women who participated in and supported 
the ,berlin ,airlift2  7#c7 applauds the
 men and women of the ,air ,mobility    
,command of the ,united ,states ,air    
,force1 who1 in keeping with the best   
traditions of the ,berlin ,airlift1     
still work diligently to provide hope1  
save lives1 and deliver freedom around  
the world in support of the foreign     
policy objectives of the ,united        
,states2 and  7#d7 commends the close   
friendship forged between the people of 
the ,united ,states and ,germany through
 the ,berlin ,airlift1 which helps      
sustain the transatlantic alliance to   
this day4