The Candy Bomber
During World War II, Colonel Gail Seymour “Hal” Halvorsen was a pilot with the United States Air Force. From the years of 1948 to 1949, Halvorsen gained notoriety in a very interesting way. While in Berlin, he founded “Operation Little Vittles” with no authorization from his superiors in the military. The operation focused on raising the morale of citizens by dropping candy to the residents of Berlin. As you might imagine, this was quite a hit with the children of the city. Hal was known as the “Berlin Candy Bomber” or “Uncle Wiggly Wings.” During the operation, he reportedly dropped an astounding 23 tons of candy to Berlin citizens. He also garnered a well-deserved reputation as a national hero in the United States.
