The Candy Bomber has died

[Skodadriver]

Yesterday's Times carried a long and interesting obituary of Gail Halvorsen who has died at the age of 101. His exploits during the Berlin Airlift are the stuff of legend but I didn't realise he had been the base commander at Tempelhof in the 1970s. Apparently he was a life-long teetotaller and found the need for the base commander to host or attend innumerable alcohol-fuelled social events a bit of a challenge! After he left the military he helped set up a student exchange programme between Berlin and Utah and kept up his connections with Berlin almost to the end of his life.

 

He told the Washington Post "Through the clouds came a little parachute with a fresh piece of chocolate. It was a symbol of hope that somebody out there realised you were under siege. I think hope is the thing, not the candy bar. It was the hope".

[Vince1159]

What a shame i remember seeing a couple of docu's back when the Military History Channel was on Sky about the Berlin Airlift and the kids used to call him 'The Chocolate Uncle'....

 

RIP.

 

Edited February 26, 2022 by Vince1159

[Paul J]

I met him at Biggin Hill in 1998 and was shown around the C-54 that was there for the Berlin Airlift Anniversary. I have a signed pamphlet with details of the 'Candy Bombing'.

[Billy54]

I had the pleasure and honour of meeting him and his family when he was the Commander of Tempelhof and I was working there in 1974. His daughter whose name I cannot recall was reading "Lord of the Rings" and whenever she saw me around the base/airport she would tell me where she was in the book and we would would discuss it. They were a very nice family and I got the impression the German employees on the base/airport were grateful for his actions.