After World War II, Germany was divided and occupied. West Berlin, an area controlled by the U.S.-backed Allied powers, was surrounded by Soviet-controlled East Germany.
To get supplies to the land-locked city in 1948 and 1949, U.S. and British forces airlifted food and fuel to the blockaded city.
“There is the political background, and then there is the airlift itself,” said Paul Harris, professor and associate director of Auburn's Honors College. “The two cannot be separated.”
On Wednesday, Harris showed an audience of more than 50 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members a slideshow of pictures and documents from East and West Germany. Many were commanders involved in the mission. Another slide was a picture of an iconic church in Berlin that stood for many years.
Harris' presentation, “To Save a City: General Lucius Clay and the Berlin Airlift,” came from nearly two decades of full-time teaching experience both in the United States and in Germany. He has published widely, in both English and German, on the subject of comparative immigration policy.
Harris recalled many family stories about his mother-in-law, who was born and lived in Germany for several years. One story, which the crowd welcomed with laughter and approval, was of the night his mother-in-law got caught on a base where she was not supposed to be. She escaped further questioning and criticism due to her quick thinking.
She told the guard she encountered that she was married to the general at that time. “Do you know who I am? I am Mrs. Tunner!” she said.
Discussed were both the historical implications of the Berlin Airlift, as well as its leaders, such as General Lucius Clay and General Curtis LeMay, among others.
Speaking specifically of Clay, who served in Auburn for a few years, Harris joked, “I admire him — but I am so glad that I never worked for him. He never rested. In his four years, he took a vacation just once.”
After the talk, Harris engaged with members of OLLI, a 1,072-member organization that began in 1990. Ingrid Doerstling, who was a refugee in East Germany at the time of the Berlin Airlift, spoke with him at length about her experiences growing up.
As they spoke, the two flowed seamlessly between both English and German.
“I remember that I was always hungry,” Doerstling told The Plainsman. “We lived under primitive conditions, but we were still happy. We still had a good time. When you’re little, you enjoy life and make do.”
Doerstling spent many years going into the woods with her parents and grandparents and collecting berries and beechnuts for food. “We didn't have much of anything," she continued. "The best thing was to be living in the countryside.”
She said the first time she met an American soldier, he gave her some chiclets and a Hershey bar. She remembered thinking "Wow! What is this?”
“Even though the title is To Save a City, it was really to save a continent,” Harris said in his closing remarks. “This was a critical test of American leadership, and we passed it. Had this not happened, the world would be a very different place.”
Attendees said the presentation spoke to their hearts and allowed them to both share in the struggle of the war and the joy at the success of the operation.
Barbara Daron, the organization’s coordinator, has been with the program for five years.
“The best part about working with OLLI is the academic programming,” she said.
The speaking event was held at the Clarion Inn and Suites on College Street at noon on Wednesday. OLLI is an organization of Auburn University Outreach that provides academic courses, health and service activities, socials and group events for Auburn residents ages 50 and over.
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