Wings of Freedom June Newsletter - News from Berlin & Beyond
Dear {{contact.first_name}},
I recently returned from Berlin, where I attended several events connected to the 76th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Blockade. Being back in my hometown, standing at places where history was made, and meeting people whose lives were touched by the Airlift reminded me once again why this story matters so much.
During this trip, I had the chance to reconnect with Airlift “children” and continue gathering stories for the Voices of the Berlin Airlift historical preservation project. Each conversation adds another piece to a larger picture: the Berlin Airlift was not only a logistical achievement. It was an instrumental chapter of our history that still shapes our lives today.
Happy reading,
Bibi
✨ WINGS OF FREEDOM ✨
Nonprofit Update
Behind the scenes, I have been working on establishing Wings of Freedom, Inc. as a nonprofit organization.
As the project continues to grow, it has become clear that this work is becoming bigger than one book, one presentation, or one person. The goal is to preserve the lessons and personal stories of the Berlin Airlift for future generations through storytelling, education, outreach, and historical preservation.
Right now, I am working through the practical and necessary steps: nonprofit structure, bylaws, board responsibilities, organizational planning, and the process of setting everything up properly. It is not the most glamorous part of the work, but it is important.
This foundation will give Wings of Freedom the structure it needs to grow, including applying for grants, receiving donations, building partnerships, and expanding the Voices of the Berlin Airlift project.
More updates will follow soon. For now, I am grateful to everyone who continues to encourage, advise, introduce, connect, and support this work.
For more information, visit our website: https://wings-of-freedom.org/
🎙️ VETERANS BREAKFAST CLUB 🎙️
Voices from the Berlin Airlift
I am honored to be part of an upcoming Veterans Breakfast Club LIVE program, Voices from the Berlin Airlift, on Monday, June 22. The conversation will explore the history and human experience of the Berlin Airlift, bringing together people who lived this history and those working to preserve it.
I will be joining Dagmar Weiss Snodgrass, Berlin Airlift veteran Ralph Dionne, and Denise Halvorsen Williams of the Candy Bomber Foundation for a conversation about memory, service, compassion, and why the lessons of the Airlift still matter today.
Link to podcast: Voices from the Berlin Airlift - Veterans Breakfast Club
🌎 News From Around the World 🌎
FROM BERLIN TO UTAH
The Candy Bomber Foundation
& the Gail Halvorsen School
One of the beautiful connections that continues to grow from the legacy of the Berlin Airlift is the relationship between the Candy Bomber Foundation and the Gail Halvorsen School in Berlin.
Students from the school recently visited the Candy Bomber Foundation in Utah, continuing the connection between Berlin and the legacy of Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen, the original Candy Bomber. His simple act of kindness, dropping candy attached to little parachutes for Berlin children during the Airlift, became one of the most beloved symbols of the entire operation.
What started as one pilot’s gesture of compassion has become a living legacy carried forward by students, educators, families, and organizations on both sides of the Atlantic.
I will include a link to an article here so you can read more about this meaningful visit and the ongoing work of the Candy Bomber Foundation.
BERLIN AIRLIFT HISTORICAL FOUNDATION 2026 SCHEDULE
Where to See the
Spirit of Freedom Flying Museum
The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation continues to keep the story of the Berlin Airlift alive through the Spirit of Freedom flying museum, bringing the history of the Airlift directly to communities across the country.
More information about BAHF Display Schedule: http://www.spiritoffreedom.org/schedule.html
CANDY BOMBER FOUNDATION
Camp Soar
The Candy Bomber Foundation is also launching Camp SOAR, a one-week day camp for 5th and 6th grade students inspired by the Gail Halvorsen legacy.
Camp SOAR brings together leadership training, community service, mentoring, hands-on service learning, humanitarian service, and values-based STEM activities. The program encourages students to understand that small acts can create big changes, a message that connects beautifully to Gail Halvorsen’s story and the spirit of the Berlin Airlift.
The camp focuses on values such as empathy, creativity, problem-solving, empowerment, resilience, awareness, and relationship building. These are not only important skills for young people today, they are also part of the timeless lessons carried forward from the Berlin Airlift: courage, kindness, service, and the belief that one person’s action can make a difference.
More information about Candy Bomber Foundation: https://www.thecandybomber.org/
BAVA Scholarship
Thank-You Letter
The Berlin Airlift Veterans Association continues to carry the legacy of the Airlift forward in meaningful ways.
One recent example is the BAVA scholarship awarded to an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student. A thank-you letter from the scholarship recipient was received, and it is a beautiful reminder that remembrance is not only about looking back. It is also about investing in the future.
The Airlift was powered by pilots, mechanics, engineers, loaders, planners, communicators, and countless others who worked together under extraordinary pressure. Supporting the next generation of aviation students is a fitting way to honor that legacy.
Luftbrücke Frankfurt - Berlin 1948-1949
Hessentagis Germany’s largest and oldest state festival, celebrating Hessian culture, community, music, and tradition. This year, the 10-day event takes place in Fulda from June 12 to 21, 2026, and is expected to 100,000 visitors from across Hesse and beyond.
The Luftbrücke Frankfurt-Berlin 1948-1949 e.V. will be part of the celebration, sharing the history of the Berlin Airlift through historical material, information displays, and conversations with visitors.
For more information, visit: https://www.luftbruecke-frankfurt-berlin.de/
Blacksmithing Workshop for Children at the Fassberg Berlin Airlift Museum
From Paul Hicks at the Fassberg Airlift Museum comes this summer news:
The Faßberg Berlin Airlift Museum is once again inviting children to take part in a special blacksmithing workshop as part of this year’s Faßberg Council School Holiday Pass program. The event will take place on Thursday, 16 July, with support from Sparkasse Celle-Gifhorn-Wolfsburg.
Master metalworker and blacksmith Falk Laxander from Meister-Atelier-Laxander in Lehrte will lead the workshop, bringing the forge, anvil, and tools needed for the day. After a safety introduction and demonstration, up to 12 children will have the chance to try blacksmithing themselves, creating small items such as horseshoes, hearts, and Viking cutlery.
Members of the Berlin Airlift Association Fassberg will also be on hand to assist the children.
“As the event was a great success last year, we have decided to offer this unique experience to the children again this year as part of the 2026 School Holiday Pass program.”
For more information, visit: https://www.luftbrueckenmuseum.de/
A New Honor for Gail Halvorsen in Frankfurt
Another meaningful moment of remembrance took place at Frankfurt Airport, where a street at the new Terminal 3 was named “Gail Halvorsen Schleife” (Gail Halvorsen Loop).
Frankfurt played a major role during the Berlin Airlift, and honoring Gail Halvorsen there creates another visible connection between the airport, the Airlift, and the legacy of friendship that grew from those flights.
⭐ Closing Message ⭐
One thought that stays with me was this:
The Airlift and its lessons are still with us today.
Every time I meet an Airlift child, hear a family story, stand at a former Airlift site, or connect with someone who carries this history forward, I am reminded that this is not simply history in the past tense.
It is a story that continues to ask something of us today:
To choose courage over fear.
Humanity over division.
And freedom over indifference.
As I head into new Wings of Freedom adventures this month, including research and Airlift-related visits in the San Francisco Bay Area and Colorado Springs, I carry that reminder with me.
Every trip, every conversation, and every introduction seems to open another door.
Thank you for following along and sharing the journey. Let's keep these timeless lessons alive together.
On Wings of Freedom,
Win
