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Posted on 10/10/2015 4:01:15 PM PDT by Borges
The Berlin children knew exactly when he came. For hours she sometimes waited at the fence of the airport, to a DC-4 came in who wiggled his wings. He, Gail Halvorsen was.
Just before the fence flew little parachutes out of the plane, because chocolate and candy. The gesture of a US officer made the Berlin Airlift popular worldwide. They intensified shortly after the war In addition, the German-American friendship and missed the pilot a nickname to which it is proud to present: "Uncle Wiggly Wings" is 95th Halvorsen now lives on a farm in Utah. "I'm doing excellent," he says of the dpa. "I ride every day, and I walk. Only the work on the farm, which is now to make the family. "He even traveled yet, even to Germany. "Berlin is my second home," he says - in German.
Nearly 70 years ago he was one of the pilots, the Berlin supplied from the air daily. The Russians wanted to starve the city, forcing the Americans to withdraw. "One day I had at the fence of the airport Tempelhof see are a bunch of kids. I felt sorry, and I wanted to give him some candy. Something they had not seen in years. "But he did not have enough. "So I promised to return. And when they asked how they know me, I said, I wiggle the wings ". Back in West Germany tinkered Halvorsen small parachutes - from his handkerchiefs. By this he fortified chocolate and sweets and he threw the next landing in Tempelhof out the window. Word spread so fast that the crowd of children grew. Halvorsen's comrades joined in soon and so sailed increasingly "Candy" from the American planes. Finally, the well received by his superiors, and so everything was a political dimension. An action that enemies had together back yesterday, just came right. And so thousands of children in the United States donated their candy and tinkered same small parachutes to. "I wanted to actually throw in East Berlin. The children were still less, "says Halvorsen. "But the Russians were against it and have made such a pressure that my superiors have forbidden me." That was more for the West Berlin children: More than 23 tons of chocolate and candies were dropped during the airlift. Of course, that was not for the Americans. "The war was precisely from," he says. And then there was the memory of Conrad. "That was my best friend, and I had taught him how to fly. During the war he flew a fighter plane and was shot and killed by the Germans. The same Germans who I now supplied every day with food "Then he got to know more German and eventually said." Basically, but all nations are equal. In their heart of hearts they want above all, peace. " Halvorsen says himself that the airlift was the most dramatic experience of his life. Although after that came a lot, even a stay in Germany as commander of Tempelhof Airport - just at that airport, he had always served with its DC. 4 When he puts on his old officer jacket, hanging as equal to it several orders from Germany. "I am so fond of over," he says. "The people are so friendly and yes, still grateful." That is even named schools after him, is it almost embarrassing. Before the 95th birthday Halvorsen is packing his things. During the winter he ever spent in Arizona because it is simply warmer than in Utah. For program is also worried: "I have 24 grandchildren and 43 great-grandchildren. Believe me, boredom does not exist because a second! "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Halvorsen
He was base commander at Tempelhof when I was stationed there in the mid 70’s. I marched in the change of command ceremony when he left. Great guy.
Our own FReeper Canteen has honored him in the past.
Much of the article in German—but not the bit about the birthday and his present occupation— appears to have been taken from the biography in Wikipedia. Worth a look. Better English.
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What's discouraging to me is that the blockade was started by Truman, a Democrat; Republicans in congress funded it; the whole American citizenry, media and business supported it!
He lives in the town where my winter home is located.
I worked with him in the Eighties. He was a classy guy, with a ready smile for everyone.
I will never forget President Clinton introducing him as a woman at a commemorative ceremony.
That was after FDR bombed Pearl Harbor, right?
I wrote this poorly, Truman APPROVED the Berlin Airlift (breaking the blockade); Of course he also APPROVED the atomic bombing of Japan. Sorry, I’ve been having some health problems and my writing has suffered from it. I don’t know enough about the decision to use the Atomic bomb. The difference between the two issues is that Truman inherited the Atomic issue from FDR, while the Berlin Blockade was entirely his issue. No one, from what I’ve read, could have predicted the blockade until after the end of WWII.
But why would you be "discouraged" that Truman approved the Berlin Airlift?
BTW, I am 100% OK with the decision to deliver the Gifts For the Empire of Japan in Furtherance of World Peace to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
I am not discouraged, please excuse what I wrote. I’ve stopped writing because my ability to put together thoughts is diminished. I promise to have my son review what I have written and put it right. Thanks for your concern.
I tweaked the title to hopefully get more folks to read the article.
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