Something Uplifting given all the evil going on:
The Candy Bomber turns 100
https://borepatch.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-candy-bomber-turns-100-sammy-davis.html?m=1
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October 10, 2020
.....today’s story which starts with “Happy 100th birthday, Col. Gail Halvorsen”.
He was a kid who liked to fly, joining the Civil Air Patrol in 1942 and then the brand new US Air Force when he was old enough to sign up. He missed World War II because of his age but found himself in the left hand seat of a C-54 in Germany, 1948. That’s when Stalin cut Berlin off from the Free World and the Berlin Airlift started.
Lt. Halvorsen was at Tempelhof Airport one day when he saw some kids standing on the other side of a chain link fence. They told him not to worry if the weather was bad and he couldn’t bring in food. You see, they said, they could live on very little food but if they lost their freedom they thought they would never get it back. Smart kids.
Halvorsen wanted to do something for them and told them that he’d drop some gum from his plane. They’d know it was him because he’d wiggle his wings. He and his co-pilot pooled their candy rations for the next day’s flight. Because it was heavy, they made little parachutes out of handkerchiefs. Over the next weeks the number of kids waiting for his flights grew and grew. He tells the story about when his Commanding Officer found out about it:
On his return from Berlin, he was told that Col. James R. Haun, the commanding officer of Rhein-Main Airbase, wanted to see him in his office.
Here, Halvorsen, sitting in his Provo backyard and wearing the same uniform he wore back then, picks up the narrative.
“‘Halvorsen,’ the colonel asked when I came in his office, ‘What in the world have you been doing?’
“‘Flying like mad, sir,’ I told him.
“‘I’m not stupid. What else have you been doing?’”
Here, Halvorsen pauses for effect.
“That’s when I knew they knew. I got chewed out real good,” he says before flashing his trademark smile. “But at the end, the colonel said, ‘That’s a good idea. Keep doing it. But keep me informed.’”
The Berlin Candy Bomber had the clearance he needed to carry on.
They called him the “Candy Bomber” and when the word got to the Press it became a sensation back in the States. School children and candy manufacturers donated candy for the children of Berlin. In just a few months Lt. Halvorsen couldn’t keep up with all the candy and handkerchief parachutes that were arriving in the mail. Pretty much everyone in his unit was now a Rosienbomber (as the German kids called them - “Raisin Bomber”. Halvorsen himself was known as “Uncle Wiggly Wings” because of his signal that he was about to drop sweets.
Operation “Little Vittles” dropped 23 tons of candy in a quarter million handkerchief parachute loads. Halvorsen was awarded the Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz, Germany’s highest award. He also got some marriage proposals via mail from adoring fans back home, but he went home and married his College Sweetheart. They had 5 children and 24 grandchildren.
In a very real sense, he represents what is best with America. Three years before we had been mortal enemies of Germany, now we were trying to take care of their kids because, well, kids. I’m not the only one who thinks this - he retired to his native Utah and in 2002 for the Winter Olympics there the German team asked him to carry their national standard into the stadium in Salt Lake City. Bravo Zulu, Colonel.
Like I said, Col. Halvorsen, happy 100th birthday. You make me proud to be an American. This song is for you because you’ve earned it 100 times over. Sammy Davis.Jr. didn’t like it initially because it was too sweet. It became his signature song, and I think he’s approve of it being played for your 100th birthday. .....
The Candy Man (Songwriters: Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley)
Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew
Cover it with choc’late and a miracle or two
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh
Soak it in the sun and make a groovy lemon pie
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Now you talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes
Oh, who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
Yes, the Candy Man can ‘cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Like I said, it’s not country music. But I think the community can take a day to salute a veteran who represents the best of this country. Here’s what looks to be an early 2000’s documentary of Operation Little Vittles. It’s long but well worth a view. If you aren’t looking for a kleenex between 15:00 and 18:00 then I’m sorry, we just can’t be friends. And the last line in the video hits the nail on the head, spoken by a now grown German kid who remembers catching the parachutes and knows that it meant that someone who didn’t have to care, cared anyway: The world needs more Halvorsens. Amen, and amen
Like I said, Col. Halvorsen represents the best this country has to give to the world. He is a man who made the world a better place. Happy birthday, Uncle Wiggly Wings.
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The story is IMO uplifting in these trying times. We need more people like him who make the world a better place. Especially given what is going on currently.
Link to documentary mentioned above: https://historydusst.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-candy-bomber.html
Noah’s Nightly Newsletter – 2/20/22
https://truthlion.com/noahs-nightly-newsletter-2-20-22/
* Ted Cruz: People Need To Go To Jail For This!
* Dr. Zelenko: You Have To Get The Zinc To The Virus, And The Magic Ingredient Is…
* Pastor Robb Goodman: Bringing Things Forth, From the Unseen Realm
* DOCTOR PANEL DISCUSSES VAXX AND ITS INGREDIENTS — WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR TIME!
* EXCLUSIVE: “President Trump” Gives a Shout-Out To WeLoveTrump.com!
* Revisiting Pastor Dana Coverstone’s “Three Prophetic Dreams” — Trump Missing?
* Dana Coverstone and the Jets 2022
* Timothy Dixon: 1776 Dream *REPUBLIC RESTORED*
* BREAKING: Fully Vaccinated Queen Elizabeth II tests Positive for COVID
* BRAVO! Another School Board Gets Served!
* Klaus Schwab Brags About Trudeau’s Loyalty To His World Economic Forum (not Canada)!
* Canada Begins Fencing In All Parliament Buildings In Ottawa
* Capitol Fencing Going BACK UP Ahead of Biden’s State of the Union Address
What a great story! Thanks. There are so many great war/military stories out there.
Petey
Beautiful and touching. Man can be so good, so noble, so heroic.
ThankQ for this uplifting post!
Yes, a good man just passed away. RIP