The Stars and Stripes article covering the Airlift's 60th anniversary celebrations in Wiesbaden is worth looking at for many reasons including the great photos of Hal Halvorsen back in ths skies over Germany dropping candy parachutes. But this passage, in particular, caught my eye.

Army Col. Mark Olinger, commander of the Defense Energy Support Center–Middle East, made a special trip from his Middle Eastern base — he couldn’t say where — toting along a copy of the book, "The Candy Bombers — The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event," Olinger said, and admitted this is the first time he’s ever taken off from work — or traveled thousands of miles — for an event like this.

"Like the World War II and Korean veterans, the veterans of the Berlin Airlift are all — they’re passing on," he said. "They have left a legacy that’s the benchmark for humanitarian airlift."

On this 4th of July weekend, thank you Col. Olinger and all those are serving overseas for carrying on America's proud traditions.