Bundesverdienstkreuz (German Service Cross) awarded to Gail S. Halvorsen

This medal is Gail Halvorsen's most prized medal. It is "The Service Cross to the Order of Merit," given to him in February 1974 by Chancellor Helmut Schmidt from the German Government in 1974 for his excellent service to the people of Berlin while USAF commander at Tempelhof in 1970-74. He was beloved by the Berliners and all of Germany alike, and this medal represented to him the special connection he had during the Berlin Airlift and throughout the years. He considered Berlin and all of Germany his second home, "Zweite Heimat".
It is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellectual or honorary fields. It was created by the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Theodor Heuss, on 7 September 1951.