In the audience was the "candy bomber" Gail Halvorsen, now 92, who, as an American airforce pilot, dropped sweets to children during the 1948-49 Berlin airlift, which kept the city's population alive during the Soviet blockade and which became the strongest symbol of US-German friendship.
Back in 1945 as Germany collapsed to defeat, Fritz Walter and his airforce base surrendered to the Americans.
For months the US airforce and RAF planes have been heavily involved in air strikes and reconnaissance missions across Iraq that are credited with helping slow the advance of Isis fighters and have now paved the way for ground operations.
Even more eloquent is this extract from one of his last love letters, written from a North African airforce base: "Consuelo, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my wife.
Also in attendance were the chiefs of the airforce and army, Air Marshal Geoff Brown and Lieutenant General David Morrison respectively.
Several, Herberger's golden boy Fritz Walter among them, were wangled comparatively safe jobs at an airforce base, which also just happened to have one of the best football sides in the country.
Other targets aim to increase navy and airforce participation – both currently about 18% – to 25% by 2023.
Since then, royal heirs – and most particularly spares – have continued to find a vocation in the army, navy and airforce.
The same day, and again on Wednesday, airforce planes supported by naval artillery pulverised rebel positions near the northern port of Trincomalee.
This claim rang particularly hollow after Monday August 14th, when the Sri Lankan airforce bombed a children's home run by the Tigers in Mullaitivu district, killing at least 19 people, according to Nordic monitors, and perhaps as many as 61, according to the Tigers.
The French responded by destroying the small Ivorian airforce.
