Memorial cleanup for 65th anniversary of Berlin Airlift

Members from the KMC were among those who volunteered their time to freshen and restore aircraft and the surrounding memorial at the Berlin Airlift Memorial May 18 near Frankfurt International Airport. The Berlin Airlift was a joint nation effort, consisting of the U.S. Air Force, British Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force and South African Air Force, which flew more than 200,000 flights in a single year and provided up to 4,700 tons of goods daily.

Thirty-one Americans lost their lives in an effort to supply Germany’s biggest city. In their honor and to commemorate their substantial effort, memorials stand in Berlin and near Frankfurt. Each prong on the memorial represents one of the three air corridors used during Operation Vittles and the names of the U.S. and British Airmen killed in the process are inscribed on each memorial base. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the airlift.