A Parachute, A Shmoo, and Survival - Ruth Petersson

A powerful firsthand account of the Berlin Airlift through a child’s eyes, where a parachute, a black Shmoo, and a simple food voucher became symbols of hope and survival.

A Parachute, A Shmoo, and Survival - Ruth Petersson

About the Author

Bibi LeBlanc is the creator and editor of Voices of the Berlin Airlift, an oral-history project dedicated to preserving personal memories of the 1948–49 Berlin Airlift. She is also the author of Wings of Freedom and numerous other award-winning books. Having grown up in West Berlin during the Cold War, Bibi brings both lived experience and careful historical research to her work.

Through interviews and firsthand accounts from airlift children, veterans, families, and eyewitnesses, she documents the human side behind one of the defining moments of the early Cold War, ensuring these voices are preserved for future generations.

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