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all rail, water and land routes into the city. In A Dangerous Mission and very limited possessions, they arrived in
response to this aggression, the U.S. and Great The challenges were immense. Fuel was the British-controlled sector of the city Aden,
Britain began the Berlin Airlift, a 15 month difficult to come by, the desert sand wreaked believing that God would deliver. For most of
operation that flew supplies in and out of West havoc on the planes, and maintenance crews them, when they arrived at camp, it was the
Berlin. With dogged tenacity, Alaska Airlines had to be stationed in neutral areas to assist first time they had seen toilets, running water,
secured a contract to provide some of these with repairs. To increase passenger capacity, let alone an airplane, and asking them to
airlifts, and during 1948, they flew in food and plane seats were removed and wooden climb into this metal beast was too much and
supplies and flew out German war brides and benches installed with a rope acting as a they refused to board. When crewmen heard
even the beloved dogs of service members. seatbelt. Mechanics retrofitted the Douglas about the prophecy, they painted an eagle
Operation “On Wings of Eagles” aka DC-4 and Curtiss C-46 aircraft, adding extra with outstretched wings above the door, and
“Operation Magic Carpet” fuel tanks that ran the length of the fuselage. the first group was able to be loaded onto the
May 14,1948, Israel declared to the Pilots navigated a narrow corridor at a low plane.
world her independence, marking the first altitude due to the plane’s weight. Directly Over the course of 430 flights, the pilots and
establishment of the State of Israel in over beneath them lay the battlefield, and veering crew navigated hostile territory, sometimes
2,000 years. The desire for a Jewish nation left risked being shot down by Egypt and weaving through a barrage of anti-aircraft
was decades in the making, as many felt it veering right invited the same fate from fire, and brought 49,000 Yemenite Jews to
was the only way to protect Jews from anti- Saudi Arabia. Any emergency landing in the safety in Israel. The operation lost neither a
Semitism. After the horrors of World War II and surrounding Arab countries posed the threat single person or plane. They embarked on this
the Holocaust, global support for a Jewish of imprisonment or even death for both the mission not for glory, but because it was the
homeland intensified. Jewish refugees, many pilots and their passengers. right thing to do. Some actions aren’t about
who had survived the atrocities of the war Despite all these challenges, Alaska recognition or reward—they’re about stepping
and were living in ghettos and camps, faced Airlines pilots and personnel accepted the up when it matters, even if no one ever sees.
immense challenges, including displacement, mission without question and the first planes The Aftermath
continued persecution and psychological landed in Yemen in October 1948. Only then After “Operation on Wings of Eagles” the
trauma. Rescue flights crisscrossed the globe, did the true scale of the crisis become clear. Certified Aeronautical Board caught up with
bringing Jewish survivors from remote corners Whether because of miscommunication or then president Wooten. Fined hundreds of
of the world, such as China, the Middle East a rapidly escalating situation, the camp held thousands of dollars for various infractions and
and North Africa, to the new nation of Israel. over 5,000 refugees instead of the expected violations, they ordered the airlines to cease
For these survivors, they found hope and 2,000, with hundreds more arriving each day. operations. TWA, Pan Am and Northwest
a new beginning as they rebuilt their lives A prophecy of being taken to the land celebrated the demise of Alaska Airlines as
in their ancestral homeland. The countries of Israel on eagles’ wings sustained these they had been waiting for this plucky airline
surrounding Israel immediately launched a Yemenite Jews. Walking hundreds of miles to be put out of business. But Wooten, like a
coordinated attack against the new nation. A through the desert carrying their Torah scrolls cat with nine lives, had one more trick up his
weary world, just emerging from war, watched sleeve. According to his account, an evening
as Israel struggled for survival. of drinks and cards with then President Harry
Against this backdrop, word spread Truman led to the charges being dismissed.
that a group of Yemenite Jews needed However it happened, Alaska Airlines was
rescuing. These Jews were one of the oldest back in business and through a twist of fate,
communities in the world, with many people out of the three big airlines, Alaska Airlines is
believing they were the lost tribe of Israel. Jews the only one still flying.
in the Middle East lived in an uneasy peace The Modern Era
with their neighbors, alternating between Today, Alaska Airlines has a fleet of over
calm and oppression. The establishment 330 passenger planes that carry 44+ million
of Israel escalated the persecution of customers a year with a route that spans over
Yemenite Jews, as the Yemen government 120 destinations and five countries. Much like
openly targeted its Jewish population. Laws in its early years, it is the employees of Alaska
prohibiting self-defense and the forced Airlines who make the company exceptional,
removal of fatherless children for conversion embodying its five core values: prioritizing
to Islam further worsened the plight of the safety, doing the right thing, showing kindness,
Jewish community. The American Jewish Joint delivering strong performance, and striving
Distribution Committee created a plan to airlift for excellence. Many employees live where
several thousand Yemenite Jews to Israel and they work and the company emphasizes that
Alaska Airlines received the green light to connection to the community.
begin operations. The airline supports its employees’

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