A Moment in History that All Students Should Learn About - The Berlin Airlift - an INTERVIEW with a 5th Grader and Oma Berlin Airlift and Candy Bomber - w Interview

What is a moment in history that all students should learn about? That is the question NPR is asking students across America, and I feel sure I have the answer.

I am just glad my 92 year old great-grandmother in Berlin is still around to be able to have this interview with me.  And after doing this project, it made me realize, if not for her, and this event, I wouldn't have been here either!

I had a longer version (19 minutes including this interview), but my teacher asked me to submit that separately, and then come up with something for this NPR contest. So I of course chose to fit this interview by itself, just barely getting it under the 8 minutes which is the maximum that can be accepted (this took a lot of editing! sheesh)

Anyway, whether anyone at NPR ever sees this or not, I hope other still do. 

This interview deals with an important historical event that not everyone knows about anymore, but there is hardly anything that compares to it. It gave many people hope and renewed purpose and determination that what we do makes a difference, and when we work together, we can accomplish anything.  This is the real story how the long 'Cold War' actually began. And why Germany was once two countries. And is the very event which led to how West Berlin came to represent the symbol of freedom all over the world. And that is why I think this is an important part of history that should not be left out of student's history books.

What this took to make... This entire project as I mentioned before, was part of a slightly longer podcast I put together, and it all took an enormous amount of research including books, Internet, documentaries, and movies.  

And this part is just the bonus - The Interview part which you see here, are my questions, translated by my cousin and read to and answered by my great-grandmother (Oma) in Berlin, who was a resident and witness to the event, and who's husband was part of the actual Berlin Airlift (Opa) which took place between 1948-1949. The German is translated and read in English for the purpose of this podcast by my dad and me. The interview took numerous takes and edits to narrow it down to under the required accepted time limit for the NPR 'Student Podcast Challenge' submission. 

Hope you guys appreciate it.  



Credit for participants:

Gabriel Endres - Age 13 - Interviewer (cousin) - Berlin, Germany

Shawn Seaver - (my dad - all around support) - Lake George, NY

Inge 'Oma' Moldenhauer - Interviewee (Berlin Airlift witness - my great-grandmother) Berlin, Germany

Jonny Endres - Translations (cousin) - Berlin, Germany

Michael Moldenhauer - (uncle) Camera and audio in Berlin

Special thanks also to Mrs. Bridget Crossman for showing us how to use Anchor.fm app to put this together.

Last but not least... Branden Seaver - Age 10 (Yours Truly who wanted this to happen) - LGES student, Grade 5, Lake George, NY 



All filmed and recorded in 2021. Permission granted for usage for LGES (NY) and NPR if accepted

NPR and "Student Podcast Challenge" 2021 - All Rights Reserved