Gail Halvorsen
| Gail Halvorsen | |
|---|---|
Halvorsen at an air force base in Germany, October 2005
|
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| Birth name | Gail Seymour Halvorsen |
| Nickname(s) | "Rosinenbomber" ("Raisin Bomber"), "Onkel Wackelflügel" ("Uncle Wiggly Wings"), "Der Schokoladenflieger" ("Chocolate Flier") |
| Born |
October 10, 1920 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1942−1974 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Battles/wars |
World War II Berlin airlift |
| Awards |
Congressional Gold Medal Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| Spouse(s) | Alta Jolley (1949–99; her death) Lorraine Pace (2004–present) |
Colonel Gail Seymour "Hal" Halvorsen (born October 10, 1920) is a retired officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber" or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" who dropped candy to children during the Berlin airlift from 1948 to 1949.
Halvorsen grew up in rural Utah but always had a desire to fly. He earned his private pilot's license in 1941 and then joined the Civil Air Patrol. He joined the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 and was assigned to Germany on July 10, 1948 to be a pilot for the Berlin Airlift. Halvorsen piloted C-47s and C-54s during the Berlin airlift ("Operation Vittles"). During that time he founded "Operation Little Vittles", an effort to raise morale in Berlin by dropping candy via miniature parachute to the city's residents. Halvorsen began "Little Vittles" with no authorization from his superiors but over the next year became a national hero with support from all over the United States. Halvorsen's operation dropped over 23 tons of candy to the residents of Berlin. He became known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber", "Uncle Wiggly Wings", and "The Chocolate Flier".
Halvorsen has received numerous awards for his role in "Operation Little Vittles", including the Congressional Gold Medal. However, "Little Vittles" was not the end of Halvorsen's military and humanitarian career. Over the next 25 years Halvorsen advocated for and performed candy drops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Japan, Guam, and Iraq. Halverson's professional career included various notable positions. He helped to develop reusable manned aircraft at the Directorate of Space and Technology and served as commander of the Templehof Airport. He retired in August 1974 after logging over 8,000 flying hours.
Gail Seymour Halvorsen was born in Salt Lake City on October 10, 1920 to Basil K. and Luella Spencer Halvorsen. He grew up on small farms first in Rigby, Idaho and then in Garland, Utah. He graduated from Bear River High School in 1939 and then briefly attended Utah State University. He went on to earn his private pilot license under the non-college Civilian Pilot Training Program in September 1941, and at about the same time joined the Civil Air Patrol as a pilot. Halvorsen joined the United States Army Air Corps in May 1942 and was 22 when he arrived in Miami to train with 25 Royal Air Force pilots at the No. 3 British Flying Training School, a branch of the Spartan School of Aeronautics. After fighter pilot training with the RAF, he returned to the Army Air Corps and was assigned flight duties in foreign transport operations in the South Atlantic Theater. He was ordered to Germany on July 10, 1948 to be a pilot for "Operation Vittles" known now as the Berlin Airlift.
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