protection. the justices, justice powell, looked on the reservation of the nursing as an affirmative action. it was ok. sandra, if you read between the lines, what she is saying is if you want to improve the status of women in nursing is to get women to do the job. pay will inevitably go up. [laughter] that was an insight that she had. school was not a favor to women. former more about supreme court justice sandra day o'connor's judicial impact monday at noon and 8:00 p.m.

eastern. you're watching american history tv on c-span3. >> >> next, on real america, from 1948, operation vittle. short story tells -- short film tells the story of the berlin airlift. ♪ >> 1948. that's when i was assigned to cover berlin again. the city was still occupied and caught up. it had lifted its head and begun the war.

some could find jobs, but others had to find places to build. comparativeived in peace. -- i was was effort impressed with what. subways taking people to work and trolleys taking people home. hospitals had milk for new babies. music in then park. everyone forgot or took for roads. electricity, until 1948, when sudden the trains stopped.

traffic between berlin and the western zones was banned. canceled timetables. walls of words. blockade cut out 75% of the lights. in and out of the city stopped. that reason now manufactured hunger and fear. vegetables were planted in the parks and trading in the alleys. in addition to 2.5 million germans, the blockade affected 5000 frenchmen, 10,000 englishmen, and 10,000 americans. this crisis was immense. the same morning the train up.ped, they woke me

i had to fly a special run with high priority military. c 47 wasid in my starting operation vittles. 1940 five, western cities were connected with berlin by court orders in the air. and high forwide normal traffic, they gave berlin easy access to the western zone. c-47 couldn't feed all of berlin, a city bigger than philadelphia. the initials would strangely match the occasion, e.a. ts. he asked for help. this could be any city, anywhere.

the notorious german weather tried to interrupt rescue. record rains fell that first month. increased with every flight. we flew in west, i couldn't see my own fan turnoff. interethnic -- flying in those court orders was terrific training. -- corridors was terrific training. this time, to keep the same city alive. fan visibility caused crashes. all four crewmembers were able to walk away from this one.

and the call they carried was used in berlin. correct even as berlin's mayor -- >> even as berlin's mayor -- this, the city was in reserve. operations brought cargo to berlin lake. adding the royal air force to the list gave the british york, lancaster -- only 55 minutes from berlin. german kids often think the captain as well as the general pop fly boys. they work together in peace. then headquarters -- to put into

effect the airlift plan. forceectacular air operation was shot air force leaders. the secretary of the air force signed it, and the general chief of staff. they looked us over. the c-54 from the caribbean -- c-54'sflung bases -- can't move without us throttle jockeys. to lift 10 tons of coal and food in peace time as carefully as they carried the five wounded men in wartime. men wounded in wartime.

some of us came to frankfurt in the american zone at the air force they called -- those trucks were waiting for us. transportation did a colossal job. we got down there in a hurry to give them a lift. this stuff was much more organized. somehow it all went into our airplane. the big assignment was cool for the utilities. packed as g.i. barracks bags. biggest item was pumpernickel. was.cond-biggest item

-- was pumpernickel. maximum number of ships on the job. trained ground units. streamlined maintenance was in germany, england and in texas, usa. gulf and east coast ports, the ocean born leg of the airlift brought approximately 12 million gallons of aviation fuel to germany every month. we carried enough gas for the trip and return. gang loved -- much, just candy on tiny handkerchief parachutes dropped to the berlin kids. what a great guy. good flying, john. , -- the rest of us

altitude and aan moving block of space. 40 to 50 airplanes were crowded in the narrow airway. byeful timing, controlled the most modern communications facilities, made the airlift work. >> that's how we could fly three roundtrips per day and provide putin fuel to a city of 2.5 million with a handful of planes. and even a supply for kids who waited on a certain hill for little vittles. ♪ 1988 to may 12, locatede soviet union west germany, preventing ship of