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To the countless men and women of Berlin Command and Berlin Brigade who stood resolutely shoulder-to-shoulder with the West Berliners during the Cold War, ensuring that the Island of Freedom known as “West Berlin” remained free. In June 1963, from a platform erected on the steps of Rathaus Schöneberg in Berlin, John F. Kennedy made his world-famous statement that is often shortened in quotation to: "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I am a Berliner). What Kennedy actually said was: "Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is 'Ich bin ein Berliner'." The men and women of Berlin Command and Berlin Brigade felt this same sense of pride in being Berliners, perhaps, even more strongly than Kennedy, because they actually lived in Berlin, sharing the fate of those whom it was their duty to defend. They knew the dangers of brinksmanship better than most, because they would have been the first casualties if the post-war peace in Europe failed. Yet for almost forty-five years they never flinched. They can proudly say that they held their Outpost of Freedom until relieved.