Saturday, July 12, 2008

The Right Stuff

Sixty years ago the Soviets shut off access to West Berlin. Michael Barone writes:
Secretary of State George Marshall and Joint Chiefs Chairman Omar Bradley, two of America's most respected generals, felt Berlin was indefensible and we should withdraw. One man disagreed. President Harry Truman, in one crucial meeting after another, said, "We're not leaving Berlin."
The Berlin airlift was born. American planes took off and landed every 90 seconds, and the Soviets backed down the following year.
The lessons are clear. Stand fast. Put the right men in charge. And never doubt the capacity of the men and women of the American military, when given the right orders, to perform far better than the experts predict.

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