After hearing Air Force stories from my Dad, I wanted to learn more about the history of the air force and there isn’t a better place to begin then the event that made the Air Force take off. After World War II, the Air Force got its separation from the Army and needed to make a name for itself. The Berlin Airlift was the event needed to do just that, showing the true ability of the Air Force and how successful they can be. The Berlin Airlift, or known as Operation Vittles, was the United States response to the Soviets placing a blockade of all transportation into Western Berlin by ground and water means. That left the Air Force to step up and bring in the supplies to keep Western Germany and its 2 million population from collapsing and the …show more content…
Mr. Halvorsen began his pilot career by gaining his private pilot license in 1941 and joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 (1). From there Mr. Halvorsen was trained as a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force and then assigned to the South Atlantic Theater of Operations (2). It wasn’t until the Berlin blockade that Mr. Halvorsen’s career took off. Mr. Halvorsen volunteered to take a friend’s place to fly in “Operation Vittles” on July 10, 1948 as a lieutenant flying C-54 Skymasters cargo planes (2). “Operation Vittles” or better known as the Berlin Airlift happened when Stalin blocked the Western Allies’ railroads, road, and canal access to their controlled sections of Berlin, later called the Berlin Blockade. The blockade lasted from June 24th, 1948 to May 12th, 1949 when Stalin lifted the blockade after the airlift was clearly succeeding. The Western allies even got to the point where they were delivering more by air then was previously done by other means before the blockade. Consisting of the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force, flights flew up to 8,893 tons of necessities each day, providing food and fuel for the Western Germans of Berlin to survive
Armies and Navies have clashed since antiquity, but the airplane that enables aerial combat is barely a century old. Airplanes saw widespread combat in the First World War, and, despite the doubts and financial concerns of military leaders of the time, the brave men who fly them have gained their own dedicated military division, the United States Air Force. Billy Mitchell, through his charisma and an image that endeared him in American culture, was an instrumental figure in developing the modern Air Force.
Miller, Roger G. 1998. "The Berlin Airlift, 1948-1949." US Air Force Historical Studies. Accessed April 26, 2014. http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101001-053.pdf.
During World War I, General Mitchell demonstrated the importance of air superiority. The Battle of St. Mihiel exemplified this concept. During this battle, Allied forces massed their air power and sent waves of planes to destroy German ground power. Mitchell was attached to the assaulting force and emerged as the first American Army aviator to cross enemy lines. This status earned him the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Legion of Honor, and a promotion to Brigadier General. This promotion enabled Mitchell control over all American air combat units in France. These successes legitimized Mitchell’s world view on air superiority.
World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. There were many different battles that took place within this war; some more important than others. World War II began once Germany’s new dictator, Adolf Hitler, decided that he wanted to gain power for Germany and for himself. One of Hitler’s first moves in power was invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Many other countries became involved in this war because of the alliance system. The two sides during this war were the Allies and Axis powers. German, Italy and Japan were on the Axis powers; France, Britain, and the United States were on the Allies. Germany first began with the Blitzkrieg tactic meaning “lightning war”. This tactic is based on speed, surprise and was the most popular tactic. It is set up with military forces based around tanks which are supported by planes and infantry. The Blitzkrieg tactic lead to air wars with airplanes between countries. All of the countries were allowed to participate in the air wars but the four main countries were United States, Japan, Britain, and Germany. During the 1920’s and 1930’s airplanes grew in size and structure giving them more power, and making planes more effective. Planes made it easier to drop bombs, or plan attacks. All of these countries fought over air superiority. Air superiority is the position in which the air force has control over all of the air warfare and air power of the opposing forces. Germany began with air superiority but they lost it when Britain defeated them at the Battle of Britain. Gaining control over the air is a very big advantage because it is easier to plan an attack on an opposing country. All of the countries relied on their aircrafts during this war. The issue about the use of...
With the recent innovation of the airplane revolutionizing the battlefields of World War I, American air warriors like 1st Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. and Captain Eddie Rickenbacker separated themselves through valiant actions that contributed significantly to the American war effort. Yet, the fearless determination to serve and the advances in tactical air warfare influenced by Lt. Luke Jr. greatly outweigh the amount of citations and medals earned by Capt. Rickenbacker setting the prescient for the massive contributions airmen could make in war.
The Berlin Wall was a divider between East and West Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It stretched for miles upon miles. Ninety-seven miles in total, and 11.81 feet in the air. After 30 separated years, families were worried to know if there family members that were separated by the wall. Parts were taken all around the world brought by people who were at the site when it fell on November 9, 1989. This is a wall that will be remembered for hundreds of years in not only Germany, but everywhere in the world.
The Warsaw Ghetto was a Jewish-populated ghetto in the largest city of Poland, Warsaw. A ghetto can be defined as a part of a city in which large quantities of members of a minority group live, especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure. Ghettos were commonly attributed to a location where there was a large Jewish population. In fact, the word Ghetto originated from the name of the Jewish quarter in Venice, Italy, in 16th century.The Warsaw Ghetto was the largest Ghetto, as a part of the Holocaust, and as an early stage of it, played a very significant role. Today, in our museum exhibit, we have several artifacts, including primary evidence relating to the Warsaw ghetto. We will be discussing how and why it was created, the lifestyle
I learned how the beginning of technological development in the aviation programs was not safe and secure, as there were many accidents during jet testing and air force trainings. I learned about the pilots who put their life in the line to serve their country, passing through a rough training in a dense physical and mental conditions; just like when Chuck Yeager was performing his duties in the most critical conditions “Even though his side was throbbing and his right arm felt practically useless, Yeager figured he could grit his teeth and get through the flight" (42). Those pilots were having an incredible determination to do what needed to be done regardless of any situation and circumstance. Even when they knew their life is in danger in every minute and second, they just followed a clear path to serve their country and focus on the programs more than anything
John F. Kennedy, having been in Berlin numerous times already, returns to display the support of the United States government. Kennedy’s willingness for the survival of Berlin was vast and was never doubted. The strength of Berlin rested with the United States, and John Kennedy looks toward the positive of their situation. With his youth and energy, John Kennedy’s words are heard around the world yet again. On June 26, 1963, President Kennedy delivered the most distinguished speech of the time, elevating the morality of the city’s protection from communism (Kennedy 1963).
The Warsaw Ghetto[1] (German: Warschauer Ghetto, called by the German authorities Jüdischer Wohnbezirk in Warschau, Jewish residential district in Warsaw; Polish: getto warszawskie) was the largest of all the Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. It was established in the Muranów neighborhood of the Polish capital between October and November 16, 1940, part of the territory of the General Government of German-occupied Poland, with over 400,000 Jews from the vicinity residing in an area of 3.4 km2 (1.3 sq mi). From there, at least 254,000 Ghetto residents were sent to the Treblinka extermination camp over the course of two months in the summer of 1942.
When someone hears the words ‘Air Force’ they might think of one of the most strikingly impressive and capable military branches known today. However, most people do not know the struggle and competition to change the minds of stubborn Generals and die hard soldiers. William ‘Billy’ Mitchell was the man who first envisioned air power. He fought his whole life for an Air Force. Once he ran out of options he sacrificed his career to continue advocating for air power’s potential, Mitchell continued this effort until death. He managed to convince his superiors of his idea of aircraft right before America would have been destroyed by Germany and Japan in World War II. General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell’s leadership in advocating air power led to his legacy that lives on and is clearly seen in today’s modern United States Air Force.
I think war is only acceptable when it comes to protecting its territory, its people, and its allies. However, if some one s doing something awful that can only stop if the people doing it are stopped then war may occur. For example, Hitler was doing bad things to its people. You can find many pages in the book where it talks about what he did. He put them in gas chambers but teold people they were going to get "disinfected." In cases like this war may be an option. War is often fought over territory, people, resources, ideas/beliefs, and to defend rights. The Warsaw Ghetto rose to fight for their rights.( World History Book 752). Its wrong to start a war where your just going to hurt people and ruin their land just to get something for your
“Air superiority was the pre-requisite to all winning operations, whether at sea, on land or in the air.”1 This belief was what Air Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder used as his guide during the Second World War, and when able to be fully implemented, allowed his air forces to dominate the skies. This complete air superiority would provide the Allied forces significant and decisive advantages throughout the course of the war.
How useful and reliable are these sources in explaining how people's lives were changes by evacuation during WW2?
Further fears only propagated with the events of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and due to Japan’s rapid military conquest in Asia and the Pacific suspicion rose that Imperial Japan was planning for complete domination of the West Coast. The public opinion of the Japanese would change forever; already there were rumors of espionage, but due to the Ni'ihau Incident where an Imperial Japanese pilot, Shigenori Nishikaichi crash landed in Hawaii and received help from 3 Japanese-Americans, the loyalty of the Japanese Americans were at were questioned. From here full on investigations were stemmed more likely from racial prejudice than rather any proof of actual malintent to prove the loyalty of the Japanese. For example, John L. DeWitt who concluded