
See also:
Berlin Airlift Monument
“The Berlin Airlift was a triumph of determination and a glorious chapter in Berlin’s post-WWII history. On 24 June 1948, the Soviets cut off all rail and road traffic into the city to force the Western Allies to give up their sectors and bring the entire city under their control. Faced with such provocation, many in the Allied camp urged responses that would have been the opening barrages of WWIII. In the end wiser heads prevailed, and a mere day after the blockade began the US Air Force launched ‘Operation Vittles’. The British followed suit on 28 June with ‘Operation Plane Fare’. ”
(Lonely Planet, Berlin Travel Guide, 6th Edition)