The History of Rhein-Main Air Base

After 60 years of serving as the Gateway to Europe, Rhein-Main Air Base is ceasing operations on September 30, 2005. The unique history and determination of this Air Base has supported over 170 humanitarian airlift operations, to include the famous Berlin Airlift. Since 1945, some 8 million GI's have arrived at Rhein-Main AB to begin their tour of duty in Europe, or in transit to support military operations such as Desert Storm or to Iraq and Afghanistan. Rhein-Main also provided support to the MATS  Aero Medical Evacuation and military supply flights, not to mention the countless military exercises that occurred. No base in USAF  history accomplished so much, under often the most difficult conditions, for so many years, as did Rhein-Main.. This "Can Do" mentality was always supported by the Frankfurt International Airport, which provided a unique alliance found no where else. This combined, is what made Rhein-Main special.

John Provan III was born in 1956, in Steubenville, Ohio. His father, an Air Force Chief Master-Sergeant John Provan Jr., who was assigned to Germany for almost 20 years, where he grew up in the Kaiserslautern, Sembach and Rhein-Main areas. John has collected for more than 35 years and has amassed the largest private library on LTA, with over 1,200 books and 20,000 photos. His primary interest has evolved though, in now preserving the history of American Forces in Germany. Here alone, he has obtained some 250,000 images, films and sound recordings from 1945, to present
Provan obtained his B.A. from the University of Maryland in 1979. He wrote his M.A. thesis on the “German Airship during World War One” and PhD thesis on the “German Airship sheds”, both degrees from the University of Darmstadt. Dr. Provan has organized numerous exhibits and/or written books on various topics, to include: Thomas Edison, 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers, the Dornier Do-X, AFN-the American Forces Network, the Kinderlifts and the Berlin Airlift. He has also appeared on several TV documentaries; for the History Channel, HR, ZDF, A&E and AFN.

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