When American antiques heros are discussed there is some times some connection between their pure and clear goodness in their rules of conduct. There are also the children to consider. We had recently discussed in a series of how the 1948 Berlin Airlift created a windstorm for one airman - and a heartfelt bonanza of a party first in the lives of the children of West Berlin. Admidst a fear ridden atmosphere of tension qafter his first coal delivery: I have looked at the field adjacent Templehof Airfield and it is a confined area, the wall was not too far to the east.



At any rate, the stories discussed, how this airman took the lives of himself and his crew into frantic trouble came to him, we suspect, as if an insight from God. Some say they talk to God. This man listened. He made playful arm motions to the children, who were all near starvation. An incredible most of us do not know is that the world ran out of food for horrible winter of 1947 and 1948. I helped my mother send Care Packages to Europe. She said the children of Europe were starving to death. We did not have much, really.

But we shared. And we had a backyard garden, which came to represent to me the freedom of living in Canada and being on the undisputed side of right. We had won that war: I recall the gloom and solemn voice of the Man with the Golden Voice on the radio that winter before the war ended. That previous summer there had been laughter in our yard I had not known: we had landed on the Normandy Beaches! I knew the word Normandy was a very happy word. Us kids played down in the valley, crawling up our beach landing from a creek.

I didn't know the time of day - now we know it was in mid June 1944 - nor the importance of what we were naturally as children doing what our parents were doing and our uncles. I did not see my dad all the war except for two short visits home. So if you were of that era you understand we crawled on our bellies with sticks or our fingers pointed saying bang your dead. How many times do you need to shoot an upcooperative German before he stays still? Our war was no longer cowboys and indians, it was us Canadian Americans fighting arm in arm against those Germans.

I drew cartoons of their tanks as all falling apart and ours bigger and finer, our soldiers taller and with smiles. An older kid said the Germans actually had very good equipment. I hated him for that, and I said la la la and covered my ears while he said words like Mercedes and Panzers and Stutkas. How our emotions can so easily draw us away from reality to what we need to know at that moment. Here are seven tips as if you were that celestial airman with his actions affecting the lives of his crew in his hands.

You try this. Imagine your hands on that stick. In such a rust bucket, designed to carry bombs which it likely did well; this rust bucket is now creaking under the weight of ten tons of coal. He feels the shudders with each breeze, and may as well whistle. You imagine this: while he prepares to break every rule in the book and not be up against a firing squad in the morning. When you get some mad insight that could catapult you- either to the top of the heep, or straight out the window, depends on how well you execute your plan.

Some thing will be executed today. Make sure it is your plan. Not anyone you love. Apparently it was a near thing.

1. Have your insight first.

2. Give it lots of thought and effort.

3. Tell the children to keep it a secret.

4. As example involve your crew.

5. Gather their hankies and their chocolate rations.

6. Do not admit too much up front or they will panic.

7. Do it. Your own task perfectly first. Then sh..on fan.

He made it happen in such a way to cause the children to cry with joy and amazement, their heart felt parents and neighbors telling everyone such a miracle was possible even with inhuman Mongol rapists (well, their fathers)at every gate. America!You are the angel and we feel so in fear of the devils at our doors. job well done, Joe. Way over the top.All the way, Your God - their Gott- hand on your tiller too. He helped that other airman react. The laughter of the children? You made that happen Joe.

You might imagine correctly that this was surely the first times in their starved frightened little lives, I would imagine. My age and we do not know of this then. I did not anyway, and I read the papers by then. Joe, in that field from the sky you made a vast little pink army of young Amerikkaners that day. Ivan and Genghis finally had to pack up and go home, they had made not one friend near that airfield that day. You can., You do. They khan not.

And that is making all the difference in this entire beautiful glorious evolving world. And any American antiques hero you can think of says yes. Lift that flag and feel feel. Step on less toes and all be free. It is the way.