I suppose you refer to CARE packages in the aftermath of WWII. I began school in September of 1946 in Jacksonville, Fl. Our school particpated and collected soap, wash cloths, tooth paste, etc.

Regards

I have the answer! Chief Wiggles is indeed in very good company!

Thief
Thief's Den
http://www.thiefsden.net

The Thief's explanation is totally convincing. I won't quote it here, in case people want to try to solve it independently, but I do want to add one point (the Thief doesn't seem to have comments):

As the Thief notes, the other Wiggles is apparently now retired (he must be very old) in Utah. I believe I've read that our Chief Wiggles is from Utah. Is his pseudonym a conscious homage (rhymes with fromage) to the original Wiggles? I had sometimes wondered about the source of his name, and hoped that it was not meant to imply a physical or verbal resemblance to Chief Wiggum (sp?) of the Simpsons.

John:

No, that's not it. I had the right answer, although I had never heard of the "Wiggles" connection until now. (grin)

A hint: Berlin Airlift...

This is the sort of thing that gives American troops a good name.

I had never heard of the "Wiggles" connection either untill today. Interesting to say the least.

That is neat. Thank you for sharing.

The Berlin airlift of 1948 was one of the proudest moments in a history of the United States already crowded with such occasions. It was a tribute to the resourcefulness, ingenuity, bravery and doggedness in the face of opposition of our armed forces.

I had heard about the candy dropper of Berlin. I never knew the Berlin kids called him Uncle Wiggles, or whatever. But the people of America and the people of Germany sort of bonded in a fundamental way when the United States of no bullshit Harry S Truman demonstrated that we are no people to push around. I think Joe Stalin learned that too, but apparently didn't remember it long enough to restrain his North Korean lackey, Kim Il-Sung from invading South Korea just two years later. Maybe Stalin was getting slow in the head when he approached 70 years of age.

Also, one thing I've always wondered about. If the USA could use air transport alone to supply the food, fuel and other necessities for a blockaded city of millions of people in 1948, why couldn't fat-ass Hermann Goering and his Luftwaffe do the same thing for the starving soldiers of the German 6th army at Stalingrad in 1942?

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

Simple, Arnold: the Luftwaffe, in 1942-43, didn't have anything near the logistic infrastructure that the US did in 1948-49.

Also, the Allies direct and full access to supply heads, so they could feed the planes easily. The fields connected to Stalingrad, on the other hand, were temporary tactical fields at the very end of an extremely tenuous supply line. I recall one after-battle analysis remarking that any war plan with that kind of project logistical support would have gotten the author flunked out of the German war college before the war. :)

Finally, the Germans were being shot at, and the Allies weren't.

I'd like to take a moment from my usual (and generally well-justified) frog-bashing to recall one of the few bright moments of French history: it seems there was some sort of tower, or tall building, that was blocking an air access route to an American airfield in West Berlin, that the Soviets refused to remove.

One night the French invited the entire British and American staffs over to a party. That night, during the party, someone planted explosives at the base of the tower and demolished it! It couldn't have been the Amis or the Brits; they were all at the party.

No one ever found out who blew that tower... :)