‘The Candy Bomber’ to visit USU
Col. Gail Halvorsen, a former Aggie and World War II pilot known as “The Candy Bomber,” will visit Utah State University this week.
Halvorsen, 97, earned the nickname when he started Operation Little Vittles, where pilots dropped candy to children during the Berlin Airlift.
He will speak Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at the Dean’s Spring Seminar for the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, held in the Taggart Student Center Sunburst Lounge. He will also participate in USU’s Second Annual Aviation Career Conference from 1-4 p.m. in the Sunburst Lounge the same day.
In addition, Wednesday at the USU Aviation annual scholarship social, he will congratulate students who achieved honors in rotary wing, fixed wing, maintenance management and top pilot.
The idea for Operation Little Vittles was born when Halvorsen shared two sticks of gum with a group of German children.
“That one decision changed not only his life, but the lives of thousands of children and the hearts and minds of millions,” said USU aviation professor Andreas Wesemann. “Not just during the Berlin Airlift, but also for the many more who would read about his legacy.”
The operation struck the hearts of people across the world and turned into a national project with Americans sending candy donations and pilots dropping candy every other day.
“Gail is an example of how small acts — two sticks of gum — can change the world,” Wesemann said. “He demonstrated that love and compassion reach beyond borders, nationalities and differences.”
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