I can’t believe it has been twenty (20) years since the complete fall of the Berlin Wall and Communism as we knew it. I spent twenty six (26) years in the US Air Force, eighteen (18) of those 26 years was in USAFE (Europe). I lost count of the number of military exercises I was involved with supporting flying activities all directed at preparing for “war” with the former Soviet Union and they with us.

If I had to guess at the number of NATO Tactical Evaluations (being rated on our collective preparedness) or Higher Headquarters Exercise I was involved with I would say it was in the “hundreds” over those long years. Countless Base and Local Exercises, massive flying events (loaded to the teeth) practicing all types of flying scenarios against the USSR and many other events, it boggles the imagination that we never actually had a full, all out war with them (thankfully).

There is so much to say about the event itself and what led up to it, I have to say I feel one President more than any other in my adult life was directly responsible for the fall of Communism and that would be President Reagan. His building up of the US Armed Forces, (in my opinion) forces the Soviets to spend money on their military (trying to keep up with our technology) actually forced them into bankruptcy and they to re-evaluate their form of government(Gorbachuf - sorry spelling is off there is also to thank)  – However, to President Reagan, thank you, your vision was amazing.

I say “Salute and thank you Sir” the planned worked. Of course to the hundreds of thousands of service men and women who did their part while in uniform area also to be ‘thanked”…we managed to change the world.

Of course there were countless civilians who played their part as well in this bid to free the world of Communism, the collective team effort paid off and the Berlin Wall came down (Officially) on this day, twenty years ago. At the moment the “wall” was being torn down, I was assigned to the US Air Force Thunderbird Team so I missed being in Europe for that wonderful, history making event but I know I played my part in for decades and I was very excited to know it was coming about.

Of course with both sides of Europe now opened, it created many other “issues” for Europe, employment, housing, medical are just a few but the wonderful knowledge knowing “families might soon be reunited” was a miracle in itself. The world changed and this nation played a major role in it, I was and still am grateful to have played my role in that collective event…Thank you to all that served in that history making event over the decades starting with the Berlin Airlift until that dame wall came down – A Job Well Done by All – Salute.