The Candy Bomber

We had a neat Sacrament Meeting speaker in church today. The retired colonel Gail Halvorsen spoke about his experiences in the time after WWII. He was actually the keynote speaker at an ROTC function I went to on my first date when I was 16 (back in Utah) so it was interesting to hear him again almost 10 years later. This is part of the story he shared during his talk. I was looking for more information on him and found this article so I thought I would save myself the effort of retyping what he said.

American Forces Press Service

"WASHINGTON, May 15, 2008 – While members of the allied air forces delivered millions of tons of food, fuel and vital staples in the Berlin Airlift almost 60 years ago, one American pilot stood out as a favorite of the sweet-toothed children in the German capital.

The idea grew out of a chance meeting with a group of hungry German school children gathered near Tempelhof Airport in Berlin to watch the giant airplanes land and unload, Halvorsen recalled in a February 2007 interview with Air Force Public Affairs. “They were just grateful that we were bringing in the supplies,” he said.

“They had been through Hitler, and were going through Stalin,” he continued. “After a while, I realized I had talked to these kids for an hour and they hadn’t asked for anything. I found out there hadn’t been any candy in months.”

Halvorsen gave the two pieces of gum in his possession to the kids, half expecting them to fight over the rare treat. Instead, he recalled, the children split the sticks into miniature morsels, and those who didn’t get any gum were given small strips torn from the foil wrappers so they could smell the confection’s sweet residue.

The pilot promised to bring the children more gum and candy on his next flight into the airport. Though the decision could have earned him a court-martial for breaking flying regulations, Halvorsen vowed to drop the goodies as he passed over them before landing.

So they’d know which of the huge airplanes was his, Halvorsen said he told the children he would “wiggle” his wings as he approached their position.

When he returned to his quarters at Rhein-Main, Germany, then-lieutenant Halvorsen requested his fellow pilots donate their candy rations to disburse to the children. His Air Force comrades warned him of the consequences of throwing unauthorized objects from an aircraft in flight, but he refused to be swayed from delivering on his promise.

After attaching makeshift parachutes of handkerchiefs and string to each chocolate bar, Halvorsen brought the airworthy goodies onboard and kept his oath to the children during his missions over the following three weeks.

Local newspapers picked up the story, and Halvorsen’s fame started to spread. At his home base, Halvorsen began receiving mail from other pilots who wanted to help. Donors sent candy, volunteers made handkerchief parachutes and the tiny parcels began to fall all over Berlin.

On a brief trip back to the United States, an interviewer asked Halvorsen what he needed to continue his popular “Candy Bomber” operation. He jokingly remarked, “Boxcars full of candy!” Sure enough, shortly after his return to Germany, a train car loaded with 3,000 pounds of chocolate bars arrived for “Uncle Wiggly Wings.”

Sixty years after the Berlin Airlift, or “Operation Vittles” -- the largest humanitarian effort in Air Force history -- the mission is remembered for relieving some 2.5 million beleaguered West Berlin residents and striking a blow against the communist Soviet government depriving them of essential goods."

Brother Halvorsen emphasized how much these kids wanted freedom, even more than the flour and other goods the military was dropping to sustain their lives. He also talked about their gratitude. Another thing I thought was interesting was how he said that he felt that God prompted him to share his two sticks of gum with the kids by the fence. Out of that small and simple thing an amazing thing was brought about that blessed countless children, brought great honors and recognition to Brother Halvorsen, and certainly smoothed intercountry relationships in the time following WWII. What a great example of service!