FReeper Canteen ~ The Berlin Airlift Part 3: Operation Little Vittles ~ December 15, 2014

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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Part 3:  Operation Little Vittles
All info and photos from this website.

Link to Part One
Link to Part Two

           

"DER SCHOKOLADEN FLIEGER"
 

OPERATION LITTLE VITTLES
 

	General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force is shown presenting the 1948 Cheney Award to 1st Lieutenant Gail S. Halvorsen, USAF, former Berlin Airlift pilot and originator of Operation Little Vittles while his wife, second from left, looks on.
U.S. Air Force Photograph Negative Number A-35720 AC National Air and Space Archives Videodisc Number 3B-38771

One of the most poignant stories of the Berlin Airlift was that of one 1^st Lt. Gail S. Halvorsen.  Halvorsen was somewhat of an ammeter moviemaker, and on July 17, he decided that on one of his off days, he would hitch a ride as a passenger on a C-54 and visit the City he was saving.  Once at Tempelhof, Halvorsen walked to the end of the runway to film some aircraft landings when he noticed a group of children near the fence watching the planes, too.  He went over to them.  They asked questions about the aircraft, the cargo, how fast it was going and things like that.  During this conversation he noticed that these children, unlike others he had encountered in Europe as a Ferry command Pilot during the War, did not ask him for any candy or gum, like others always had.  This struck him funny, and he knew that they were too proud to beg for such things.  Some having been born during wartime had not even heard of treats like that.  He made a fateful decision at that moment which was to become one of the symbols of the airlift.  He reached into his pocket and found that he had only two sticks of Wrigley's Doublemint Gum.  He remarked that if they did not fight over it, he would drop some candy to them if they were there the next day.  They agreed, took the sticks of gum and divided it amongst themselves, some happy to get only a piece of the wrapper.  Before he left them, a child asked him how they would know it was him flying over.  He replied, "I'll wiggle my wings." 
True to his word, the very next day, on approach to Berlin, he rocked the airplane and dropped some chocolate bars attached to a handkerchief parachute to the children waiting below.  Every day, the number of children would increase and he made several more drops.  Soon there was a stack of mail in Base Ops addressed to "Uncle Wiggly Wings', "The Chocolate Uncle" and "The Chocolate Flier". 
Halvorsen didn't tell anyone about what he was doing for fear he'd get in trouble.  Then, he was called into his commander and asked what he was doing.  He replied 'Flying, Sir."  His commander asked again, and received the same response.  He then pulled out a newspaper with a picture of Halvorsen's plane and tiny parachutes trailing behind.  Apparently, a newspaper reporter narrowly escaped being hit on the head with a chocolate bar.  His commander wasn't happy about it, but General Tunner though it was just the kind of gesture that the operation needed.  It was dubbed "Operation Little Vittles".  It continued, and many C-54 pilots participated.  Candy and parachutes were assembled and sent from Chicopee Falls, MA to assist in the gesture.  In the end, over three tons of candy was dropped over Berlin, some even in the Soviet sector.  For this simple kindhearted gesture, Halvorsen became the most recognized pilot of the Berlin Airlift. 

THE EASTER PARADE
 

By April 1949, airlift operations were going rather smoothly, and General Tunner wanted to break up the monotony.  He liked the idea of a big event that would show the capabilities of his command, as well as give everyone a big morale boost.  He wanted to set a record.  In order to do that, much planning was necessary, and it was decided that on Easter Sunday, the only cargo was to be coal.  In fact general Tunner wanted to shatter all previous tonnage records set so far.  Secretly, coal was stockpiled for the event.  Maintenance schedules were altered so that the maximum number of planes was available.  Everyone put in extra effort for this special event.  From 12:00PM April 15, to 12:00PM April 16, 1949, crews worked overtime to deliver more tonnage than had ever been delivered in a 24 hour period.  When it was over, 12,941 tons of coal had been delivered as a result of 1,383 flights without a single accident.  As a matter of fact, as a result, the daily tonnage also increased from 6,729 tons a day before the Easter Parade, to 8,893 tons per day, an unexpected benefit.  This was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

THE END OF THE BLOCKADE
 

On May 12, 1949, the Soviets capitulated.  The blockade was over.  It was decided to continue supplying Berlin by air in addition to the land routes in order to build up a sufficient supply of goods.  The Airlift officially ended on Sept. 30, 1949, fifteen months after its meager beginnings in June of '48.  In total, the US delivered 1,783,572.7 tons, while 541,936.9 tons were delivered by the British totaling 2.3 Million tons from 277, 569 total flights to Berlin.  C-47's and C-54's alone traveled over 92 million miles in order to do so.  These were astounding figures, considering that in the beginning it seemed impossible to even try.  Nevertheless, even the greatest operation is not without risk.  A total of 101 fatalities were recorded as a result of the operation, including 31 Americans, mostly due to crashes. 

The end of the blockade was unexpected; however, as bigger plans were made and bigger planes were set to replace the existing fleet of C-54's.  The USAF had already used a C-74 "Globemaster" and one Boeing YC-97A "Stratofreighter" in the airlift, testing the feasibility of heavy-lift transports and their use in a continued operation.  The Douglas C-124 "Globemaster II" was coming and the plan was to use C-97's and 124's to continue the operation without as many flights.  Fortunately, that was not necessary. 

Boeing C-97 "Stratofreighter" owned by the Foundation                Fairchild C-82 "Packet"                                  Douglas C-74 "Globemaster"       

 

...continued and concluded next week....

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[ConorMacNessa]

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TO COME ABOARD



CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (Jan. 14, 2008) The first major snowfall of the New Year blankets the USS Constitution. Despite the weather "Old Ironsides," remained open for free public tours. At 210 years-old, USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, manned by 67 active-duty United States Sailors and visited by nearly half a million visitors annually. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Brown (Released)

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!!!





Boston, Oct. 21, 2009 - Boatswains Mate 2nd Class Philip Gagnon pipes as USS Constitution performs an underway demonstration in honor of the three-masted wooden frigate's 212th birthday. (U.S. Navy photo by Airman Mark Alexander/Released).
(Click for Bosun’s Whistle)



USS Constitution's 1812 Marine Guard fire vintage Springfield flintlock muskets during the ship's underway. "Old Ironsides" was underway for the "Constitution Day Cruise," which is conducted to thank the family and supporters of Constitution. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Nick Lyman (Released)

OUR TROOPS ROCK!!!!!!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

[PROCON]

Thanks Kathy; what an interesting and cool story about Lt. Halvorsen’s candy drop.

[SandRat]

Hi Kathy

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mac...*HGS*...how did the choir do today?

Did you get some more fence up and tied down?

I’ve been puttering and napping. I seem to have caught a horrid cold.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, Kathy and Star!

***HUGS***



Thanks very much – coming aboard! Rendering Hand Salutes to our National Colors and to the Officer of the Deck!

And thanks very much to you and Star for tonight’s Hall of Heroes thread! The Berlin Airlift stands as one of our earliest Cold War Victories!

"Riamh nár dhruid ó sbairn lann!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Soaring Feather]

[PROCON]

Ma, get better; here drink a bottle of this:

[SandRat]

[ConorMacNessa]

Good evening, again, Kathy! The Choir did well this morning - my voice is still in pretty bad shape. Tomorrow is my last day on antibiotics.

We got a little done on the fence today. The progress is slow - we're not skilled laborers. At least we got to the point where we're putting some slats up - David and friends can do some of that during the week while I'm at work.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[ConorMacNessa]

Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!



Missing Man Setting

"The Empty Chair"

By Captain Carroll "Lex" Lefon, USN (RET), on December 21st, 2004

"In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture. The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat – it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.

The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.

AS YOU REMEMBER.

The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.

We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each other’s company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room – we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:

The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.

The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.

The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.

The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate.
The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them.
The bible represents the faith that sustained them.
The glass is inverted — they cannot share in the toast.
The chair is empty — they are not here. They are missing.

And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.

We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.

But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.

WE SHOULD REMEMBER."

Many Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding Capt. Lefon's Chronicle Of "The Empty Chair."

"Träumerei"
Robert Schumann
(Click)

Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who
Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sending out prayers for Arrowhead1952 as he recovers from his horrible fall.

Please note: The author of the Hall of Heroes is StarCMC.

Please thank StarCMC for today’s thread.

~ Hall of Heroes: Berlin Airlift Part 3: Operation Little Vittles ~

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[SandRat]

[left that other site]

Hi everybody!

((((HUGS))))

[DeaconBenjamin]

The hero of the Berlin Airlift

During the Berlin Airlift, one US pilot threw candy from his aeroplane for the kids in West Berlin. Since then, children have honored him for his work. DW met the Candy Bomber.

Former US pilot Gail S. Halvorsen at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn on July 2, 2013.

In the summer of 1948, the young American pilot Gail S. Halvorsen ran across the landing strip at Tempelhof airport in West Berlin. Thirty children stood behind the barbed wire fence.

"Gimme chocolate," they asked the 27-year-old. "They weren't begging, they were just asking for chocolate," he remembers. But the pilot only had two pieces of gum in his pocket: "Two! For 30 kids!"

He divided the strips into four pieces and shared them around. To his surprise, there was no jostling: "They were excited just smelling the wrappers and hid them in their hands to take home. That's when I knew I had to do more."

Soviet troops corner West Berlin

The situation in divided Berlin was tense. Just a few weeks before, the Soviet army had closed off the western half of the city.

Following the introduction of a new currency, the Ostmark, they hoped to force Western powers to retreat.

Trucks, trains and planes were no longer able to enter West Berlin. Around 2.2 million people were cut off from basic services, including the supply of coal and food.

Gail Halvorsen, pictured here in 1948, shows how he delivered the candy 'bombs' during the Berlin Airlift

But the Allied forces didn't leave them in the lurch. The Berlin Airlift was to become the biggest aid mission of all time.

On a daily basis, hundreds of American and British airplanes darted through the sky, bringing supplies to Tempelhof airport. They would go down in history as the Candy Bombers.

Fulfilling a promise

One of them was Gail Halvorsen, now 92. He undertook countless missions through to the end of the Berlin Blockade in May 1949.

During the encounters with the children, he promised them that he'd return the next time with chocolate. He'd wiggle the wings of the plane before he landed so the kids would recognize him, he told them.

Boys in West Berlin celebrate the arrival of the candy bombers

Later, Halvorsen gathered chocolate from his colleagues. "I had two hands full of chocolate," he remembers.

On July 18, 1948, he saw the children at Tempelhof and wiggled his wings as promised.

The chocolate was released from the plane via a chute from which the packages of candy would float down to the ground below on small white parachutes.

The kids ran for the parcels with glee.

Candy from 'Uncle Wiggly Wings'

From then on, the children called him Uncle Wiggly Wings. The delivery of sweet "bombs" became routine and it wasn't long before the press got wind of the story.

Traute Grier, pictured in Berlin

Traute Grier was just 14 when US pilots delivered candy to the children of West Berlin

"That was a problem at first. A reporter took photos in which you could see my airplane number," he explains. A big article appeared in the newspaper and Halvorsen was quoted as a commanding officer.

Soon enough, children in the US began raising money to buy chocolate bars for West Berlin and other American pilots began to help too.

By the end of the Berlin Blockade, they'd dispatched 22 tons of candy over the city, but Traute Grier, then 14 years old, didn't get a single piece. She lived in the district of Neukölln.

"When Gail Halvorsen flew over us and threw Hershey's down, all the children rushed to get it. I held myself back. The boys were so pushy," she recalls.

But Grier isn't sad about it. "To this day I still think about the pilots. The courage they mustered up! And they did it all for our freedom."

The airlift was a logistical - and human - show of strength. "In the beginning we flew day and night," Halvorsen says.

The mission wasn't without its dangers: At least 78 people were killed in air collisions. The British and American planes took off and landed in cycles of a matter of minutes.

Ultimately, the Berlin Airlift was a success, and on May 12, 1949, the Soviet Union lifted the blockade. The C-54 airplane used to throw candy at Tempelhof airport in 1948

In 1948, Halvorsen threw candy from his C-54 airplane at Tempelhof airport

From enemies to friends

The Berlin Airlift also brought the Americans and the Germans closer together - something which can still be felt today.

"Our enemies became our friends," Traute Grier says.

The actions of Gail Halvorsen are symbolic of the transatlantic friendship and when President Barack Obama gave a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in June 2013, he personally addressed the veteran who was seated in the audience.

"It was here that Berliners carved out an island of democracy against the greatest of odds," said Obama. "We are so honored to be joined by Colonel Halvorsen, 92 years old - the original Candy Bomber. We could not be prouder of him."

Gail Halvorsen pictured at the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn in July 2013

In July 2013, Halvorsen visited the Haus der Geschichte museum in Bonn where the airlift is documented

In 1974, Uncle Wiggly Wings was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit in Berlin and in June 2013, a secondary school in the capital was named in his honor.

Gail Halvorsen, who now has five children, 24 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren, personally attended the opening. He likes coming to Germany where he still has many friends.

The encounter with the children behind the fence at Tempelhof airport is still vivid for the Candy Bomber. "If you help someone, then you feel happy," he says.

http://www.dw.de/the-hero-of-the-berlin-airlift/a-16957792

[acad1228]

Tunes For Da Troops!!!acad1228’s Daily Dose O’ Da Blues!

Corey Stevens - Crosscut Saw

Elmore James - Got To Move

Delbert McClinton - Best Of Me

Candye Kane - Sharktown

Bo Diddley - Crawdad

Crank up them speakers!!!!

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[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Sand...((HUGS))...how many more doors for Maddi?

Are you traveling for Christmas? Making things for little hands?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Beautiful signs of Christmas coming. Good evening, Ms Feather...*HUGS*

Any birds visiting these days?

[SandRat]

Good evening, Kathy...((HUGS))...only 10 days left for Maddie.

We are driving for to PHX for Christmas. Sadly I didn’t make any things for little hands.