Anniversary of Operation Frantic - Collection Finding Aid

Anniversary of Operation Frantic - Collection Finding Aid

This collection consists of records related to President Clinton’s participation in a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Operation Frantic. Operation Frantic was a joint US-USSR campaign of shuttle bombing missions flown from June through September 1944 over strategic German-held targets by United States Army Air Force bombers which were maintained and refueled out of Ukraine. The records consist of National Security Council cables between embassies covering diplomatic arrangements for US veterans and aircraft to visit Poltava during the official ceremony in September 1994. In addition, there is a cable which refers to the historical connection of the 4th Fighter Wing to Operation Frantic as justification for establishing “sister base relations” between Myrgorod and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in 1996. President Clinton’s participation was limited to making a joint speech with Boris Yeltsin in the White House Rose Garden on September 27, 1994. Russian and American veterans of World War II were in attendance. For information about this speech please see a folder called “Yeltsin WWII Ceremony 9/27/94” in the records of NSC speechwriter Anthony Blinken which were opened under FOIA request 2006-0459-F.

William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum