12th Annual Roll Call of Nations Wreath Laying Ceremony and Presentation of the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom

A record of 19 embassies, 4 delegations, and representatives from 48 ethnic and human rights organizations gathered at the Victims of Communism Memorial statue in Washington, D.C. on June 14 to lay wreathes in honor of the more than 100 million victims of communism.

On June 14, a record 19 embassies, 4 delegations, and 48 ethnic and human rights organizations joined the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) for the 12th Annual Roll Call of Nations Wreath Laying Ceremony and Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom Presentation at the Victims of Communism Memorial statue on Capitol Hill. The purpose was to honor the memory of the more than 100 million victims of communism, celebrate liberty where it has triumphed, and further our pursuit of a world free from communism.

This year — the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and 70th anniversary of NATO — we announced an exciting new partnership with the American Cold War Veterans organization to educate young people on the lessons of the Cold War and the sacrifices of veterans who stood watch around the globe for nearly five decades to keep the world safe and defend the cause of liberty. VOC will begin advocating to establish a long-overdue official service medal for our Cold War veterans.

We then presented our Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom to Col. Gail S. Halvorsen (known as “The Candy Bomber”), a retired officer and command pilot in the US Air Force who helped conduct the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, which transported supplies into the Soviet communist-blockaded city of West Berlin.

During the 15-month airlift, American and British pilots delivered more than 2 million tons of supplies to those trapped in West Berlin. But it was Col. Halvorsen’s decision to airdrop candy to the children that earned him the lasting affection of a free West Berlin. After the Berlin Airlift, he performed similar candy drops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Japan, Guam, and Iraq.

Col. Halvorsen offered this statement: “I commend the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation for their commitment to the legacy of America’s Cold War veterans who stood their watch faithfully. I am grateful for all those who have helped with the cause of freedom throughout the world. We hope and pray that future generations will continue to value freedom and pay the price for it.”