Tempelhof Airport in Berlin, having ceased operation a couple of years ago, officially became a city park this month.  It was the same month sixty-one years ago when the people of West Berlin cheered the triumphant conclusion to the Berlin Airlift.  The memory of the Lüftbrucke or “air bridge” is a reminder that constraints and adversity can be catalysts for sound decisions leading to successful outcomes.  Acceptance of limitations is often the first step to better solutions, because incorporating limits into any plan demands a complicated and sometimes contradictory mix of patience, humility, creativity, and daring.  America’s finest hours have not necessarily been when America had superior power and the ability to dictate terms, but when the odds of averting failure were long and the situation precarious.

In confronting a blatant act of aggression by the Soviets with the blockade of West Berlin in June 1948, the U.S. immediately realized there was no way to defend the city militarily short of nuclear war.  The U.S. working with its allies quickly devised a means to supply West Berlin from the air through Tempelhof Airport.  The Berlin Airlift became a symbol of American ingenuity, determination, and sheer audacity in the face of staggering obstacles and the threat of imminent violence.  After nearly a year of having to witness the unrelenting logistical wonder of the airlift and the undaunted bravado of American and British pilots willing to die to save West Berlin, the Soviets had to finally lift the blockade in May 1949 to avoid further embarrassment.  The Cold War had begun; and by seizing the initiative away from the Soviets, America and its allies unambiguously set the tone for the emerging confrontation.

Operating from a real or perceived position of strength can at times be a hindrance, because it can lead to self-confidence degrading into arrogance and offers an easy short-cut past stated beliefs.  When the U.S. has helped overthrow freely elected leaders, supported dictators, or engaged in foreign wars of choice, resentment has been fomented abroad among both friends and adversaries.  When America has not had the luxury of blithely intervening with political coercion or military might, however, Americans had to rely on innovation and resourcefulness to find solutions that more accurately reinforced American principles.  It has been from positions of relative weakness that America has often risen to meet its cherished ideals.

Even though Tempelhof is no longer used as an airport, it will remain a monument commemorating the deaths of dozens of American and British pilots and crew members and the lasting significance of this pivotal event.  It is an event that exemplifies and celebrates what American success can be and can mean to Americans as well as to others.  This is a version of success distinguished by the ability to bring courage and resources to bear with unwavering precision and relentless intent; and the disciplined choice to play protracted chess when enemies are insisting on a quick game of checkers.  As Americans contemplate the difficulties in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and beyond and consider future options, it is time to also reflect on how challenges and setbacks in past conflicts have forced better solutions.  By demanding that power, no matter its strength, be applied with patience, humility, creativity, and daring, Americans can help ensure that both collective struggles and successes are worthy of the label “American”.