Gail Halvorsen was the tremendous ¨Berlin Candy Bomber¨ he was born on October 10, 1920 Salt Lake City, UT he was a colonel in the Royal Air Force, he later on returned to the Army Air Corps and was assigned flight duties. Gail grew up on a small farm in Utah and Idaho, he graduated Bear River High School. Gail Halvorsen was married to Alta Jolley in 1949-1999 then they got into a divorce, and later on he married Lorraine Pace. in 1939. Gail earned a private pilot licence under the non-collage civilian pilot training program in September 1941. Gail joined the Civil Air Patrol as a pilot. He was assigned as the commander of the Tempelhof, he retired from the air force on September 30, 1974, with over 8000 flying hours.
First in addition to other Air Force decoration has been awarded the legion of Merit Cheney award. In 1998 he was awarded the americanism award, Air Force Sergeants Association, in 1998 he was also awarded the Freedom award from the city of Provo. The distinguished Humanitarian award from institute of German American Relations in 1999. On the way home to Texas he flew two place p-51 Mustang a lifelong dream, commemorating the 40th anniversary to the airlift which ended the Soviet Blockade of Berlin. Halvorsen was known as the candy bomber during the blockade because of his practise of dropping candy for the children out of his plane. …show more content…
He was invited to the house of a girl named Mercedes whom Gail had met during the time the airlift. In 2012 he made five drops of parachutes of chocolate to elementary schools. The kids asked how they would know it was his plane flying by and Gail said “I’ll wiggle my wings” hence his nickname Onkel Wackel Flugel (Uncle Wiggly
First in addition to other Air Force decoration has been awarded the legion of Merit Cheney award. In 1998 he was awarded the americanism award, Air Force Sergeants Association, in 1998 he was also awarded the Freedom award from the city of Provo. The distinguished Humanitarian award from institute of German American Relations in 1999. On the way home to Texas he flew two place p-51 Mustang a lifelong dream, commemorating the 40th anniversary to the airlift which ended the Soviet Blockade of Berlin. Halvorsen was known as the candy bomber during the blockade because of his practise of dropping candy for the children out of his plane. …show more content…
He was invited to the house of a girl named Mercedes whom Gail had met during the time the airlift. In 2012 he made five drops of parachutes of chocolate to elementary schools. The kids asked how they would know it was his plane flying by and Gail said “I’ll wiggle my wings” hence his nickname Onkel Wackel Flugel (Uncle Wiggly