Col. Gail Halvorsen, the man who became known as Berlin’s “Candy Bomber,” died Wednesday in a Utah hospital. He was 101 years old.
The U.S. Airman, born in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 10, 1920, earned the nickname during the Berlin Airlift following World War II. Halvorsen, a 27-year-old first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force who dropped flour and coal from his C-54 into West Berlin, began dropping candy to the children of West Berlin after he spotted a group of kids watching the airplanes take off from the airstrip.
Halvorsen was one of many pilots responsible for saving 2 million Germans from starvation after the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin.
According to the Berlin Aircraft Historical Foundation, in July 1948, on one of his days off Halvorsen went to the end of the runway at Tempelhof to capture some of the planes landing. While there he noticed a group of children were also watching.
He engaged in a conversation with them, and one thing he found peculiar was that they didn’t ask for any candy like others previously had. The U.S. Airman decided he would give them a treat, though he had very little to share. He took the two pieces of Wrigley’s Doublemint gum that were in his pocket, split them, and gave it to the children.
To his surprise they didn’t fight over it. He told them the following day he would drop candy to them from his airplane. They asked how they would know it was him.
“I’ll wiggle my wings,” he said.
And so he dropped candy tied to makeshift parachutes the following day. He and his crew didn’t realize the drop was successful until they saw the children wave the parachutes.
“Wish they wouldn’t wave like that,” he reportedly said.
However, he did wave back to them out his window.
Halvorsen and his crew continued to drop candy to the children, though they tried to keep a low profile in fear of getting in trouble. In August 1948, a German newspaper published a story about children receiving candy from the sky.
To his surprise, Halvorsen was not disciplined by his superiors. Instead the military decided to promote the idea.
American companies donated 23 tons of candy, and the Air Force used silk and canvas to make parachutes for the candy drops.
What started out as a small gesture turned into “Operation Little Vittles” and gave hope to many during a dark time in history.
Halvorsen retired from the Air Force in 1974. After his retirement he continued to serve his community in a variety of ways up until his death.
He received multiple medals, including the Congressional Gold Medal, from both Germany and the United States and has met with several U.S. presidents and many German chancellors.
Many officials from around the world have reacted following his death.
And while Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber, became the face of the Berlin Airlift, he always gave credit to the young children who inspired him.
“This operation never would have happened without the gratitude of children, ages 9 to 14.”
Thank you so much for your kindness, Col. Gail Halvorsen. You inspired so many people throughout the years.
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