Gail Halvorsen

Gail Halvorsen, born on October tenth, nineteen twenty, was a distinguished military aviator and a senior officer in the United States Air Force. His passion for flying began in rural Utah, where he earned his private pilot's license in nineteen forty-one before joining the Civil Air Patrol. In nineteen forty-two, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces, eventually being assigned to Germany on July tenth, nineteen forty-eight, to participate in the Berlin Airlift.

During the Berlin Airlift, known as 'Operation Vittles', Halvorsen piloted C-47s and C-54s, but it was his initiative to drop candy to German children that earned him the affectionate nicknames 'Berlin Candy Bomber' and 'Uncle Wiggly Wings'. This heartwarming endeavor, which he called 'Operation Little Vittles', began without official authorization but quickly garnered national support, leading to the delivery of over twenty-three tons of candy to the children of Berlin via miniature parachutes.

Halvorsen's efforts during this humanitarian mission made him a national hero, and he received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. His commitment to spreading joy did not end with the Berlin Airlift; over the next twenty-five years, he continued to advocate for and perform candy drops in various locations, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Japan, Guam, and Iraq.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Halvorsen had a notable military career, contributing to the development of reusable manned spacecraft at the Directorate of Space and Technology and serving as the commander of Berlin Tempelhof Airport. He retired in August nineteen seventy-four after logging over eight thousand flying hours. Following his retirement, he served as the Assistant Dean of Student Life at Brigham Young University from nineteen seventy-six to nineteen eighty-six.