Gail Halvorsen, Air Force transport pilot known as the 'Candy Bomber' who dropped chocolates and gum for kids in West Berlin during the Berlin airlift, dead at 101

UK Daily Mail ^ | 02/17/2022 | AP and Stephen M Lepore

[DFG]

U.S. military pilot Gail S. Halvorsen - known as the 'Candy Bomber' for his candy airdrops during the Berlin airlift after World War II ended - has died aged 101.

Halvorsen died Wednesday following a brief illness in his home state of Utah, surrounded by most of his children, James Stewart, the director of the Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation, said Thursday.

Colonel Gail Seymour 'Hal' Halvorsen is best known as the 'Berlin Candy Bomber' or 'Uncle Wiggly Wings' and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949.

Halvorsen was beloved and venerated in Berlin, which he last visited in 2019 when the city celebrated the 70th anniversary of the day the Soviets lifted their post-World War II blockade cutting off supplies to West Berlin with a big party at the former Tempelhof Airport in the German capital.

'Halvorsen's deeply human act has never been forgotten,' Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also praised Halvorsen, who was born in Salt Lake City but grew up on farms before getting his pilot's license.

'I know he´s up there, handing out candy behind the pearly gates somewhere,' he said.

After the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Halvorsen trained as an Air Force fighter pilot and served as a transport pilot in the South Atlantic during World War II before flying food and other supplies to West Berlin as part of the airlift.

[DFG]

[DFG]

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[freespirit2012]

Great story.. I think Mike Lindell should have airlifted pillows to Ottawa.

[ought-six]

“I think Mike Lindell should have airlifted pillows to Ottawa.”

Didn’t he say he was going to do something like that? I thought I read something along those lines.

[Bob434]

Yup, indeed it is,a great story. I think ive seen this fella before- I think he was just given an award by Trump if I recall correctly?

[Bob434]

Yes he did I beleive, but the truckers are now being driven out, so he likely decided agaisntmit, though he should offer anyone who participated and has photos to prove it, free
Pillows, and Gaza sheets lol

[ought-six]

Yeah!

[Lockbox]

My wife, who is a teacher was fortunate to have this fine gentleman come speak at her school. The children very much enjoyed the living history lesson.

These are the people who should be sharing their experiences at schools, not those who are confused.

[TokarevM57]

...if I recall a recent article (somewhere....), the administration of what is now the Peoples Democratic Commonwealth of Canada denied Mike’s efforts to bring pillows into that now miserable country...on some phony charge or other....disgusting...

[bitt]

proud to PING!