Colonel Gail Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber passed away yesterday at age 101. It may seem strange to be on the Outer Banks and write about the passing of a man who lived his civilian life in Utah, but anyone who ever met Colonel Halvorsen will understand why his passing is noted in so many places.
Halvorsen was the kind of hero we all need. He was part of the Berlin Airlift—to this day considered the largest supply airlift every accomplished. When Soviet Russia sealed off West Berlin in 1948, the western Allies led by the United States, kept a city of 2,000,000 alive for over a year, flying supplies day in and day out.
When he learned that the children of Berlin had no sweets or candy, he tied handkerchiefs to candy as parachutes and began dropping candy to the children of the city.
He is still revered in Germany for his act of humanity and courage.
For the past 20 years, Halvorsen and a C54, the plane that made the Berlin Airlift possible have been coming to the Outer Banks at Christmas and reenacting his act of kindness, dropping candy from the aircraft as it flies over Dare County Municipal Airport.
Colonel Halvorsen was not able to make the trip last year because his health was failing.
To meet him was to meet someone filled with the joy of life. He was truly a happy person and at lest a part of that may have been that he knew he had lived a good life.
He was flying the Airlift in 1948 he was a First Lieutenant, freelancing a bit by dropping the candy—an act that got him called on the carpet by his General. Although everything changed when the press picked up the story.
He retired as a Colonel in 1974, and had a second career at as Assistant Dean of Student affairs at BYU, retiring from that in 1986. He also continued to speak about his candy bomber missions and how small acts of kindness can make such a remarkable difference in people’s lives.
It is sad that he has passed away, but truly, Gail Halvorsen’s life is life to be celebrated.