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'Candy Bomber' Carries Message Of Freedom, Hope
(October 22, 2010) | 
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BERLIN, Germany - A German man stepped forward to meet the
Berlin Airlift "Candy Bomber" and share his story during an
event commemorating the operation's 50-year anniversary.
"Fifty years ago, I was a boy going to school," he said.
"The clouds were hanging low. It was raining. You could hear
the airplanes landing and taking off. |
Retired Col. Gail Halvorsen helps two children test their parachutes with toy soldiers holding candy bars. The soldiers were part of decorations created by the 435th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. After briefing him on their mission, the group surprised the WWII veteran with a cake celebrating his 90th birthday. The Berlin Airlift veteran is known for his role in strengthening U.S.-German ties after a goodwill gesture of air dropping candy bars to children in East Berlin turned into a full-scale operation that ended in more than 20 tons of candy delivered via small parachutes. He is touring Europe and Southwest Asia this week to visit and encourage service members. |
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"Out of the clouds came a parachute with a
fresh Hershey candy bar, and it landed at my
feet," the German man said.
He was astounded. It took him a week to eat it,
he said.
"It wasn't the chocolate that was important,"
the man said. "What was important was that
somebody in America cared for me ... I can live
on thin rations, but not without hope."
"Without hope, the soul dies," said the Candy
Bomber, Col. Gail Halvorsen, as he finished
recounting the man's story during an Air Force
Ball speech at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct.
16.
"That's so true today," Halvorsen said. "There
are those in the world without hope ... and so
often the symbol of hope comes on the tail of an
Air Mobility Command aircraft."
Clapping burst throughout the hangar as
approximately 1,000 guests stood to their |
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feet, including 15 NATO air chiefs;
and the airlift veteran walked back to his table. |
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His legacy began when he and fellow crew members air-dropped candy via
hand-kerchief parachutes to children in West Berlin. It evolved into the
delivery of more than 20 tons of candy during the humanitarian operation and
common memories that continue to strengthens U.S.-German ties.
In Germany, Halvorsen visited wounded warriors at Landstuhl Regional Medical
Center as well as airmen at Ramstein's aeromedical evacuation squadron and
contingency response unit.
The Air Force contingency response unit is an expeditionary group with a small
number of people from a broad spectrum of specialties designed to land in
austere locations within 12 hours and set up air field operations.
Air Mobility Command has two contingency response wings in the United States:
one assigned to each coast. These airmen were critical to getting relief into
Haiti during the aftermath of the earthquake, for example.
From the Berlin Airlift to ongoing efforts to help Pakistanis devastated by the
floods, "the thing that's remained constant is that concept of hope," said Col.
Scott Erickson, commander of the 435th Contingency Response Group.
Contingency response airmen bring hope through rapid response for humanitarian
relief and building partnership capacities; "because we know in this fight,
that's the only way we're going to win," he said.
More than 30 members of the 435th CRG are airborne qualified, including a civil
engineer and air field manager, the commander said.
The airmen's attitudes impressed Halvorsen. "You can see that spark in their
eyes. It makes you feel good about the future of our Air Force." |
Col. Gail Halvorsen, a retired Air Force colonel known as the Berlin Airlift "Candy Bomber," talks to a U.S. Marine, Lance Cpl. Drake Bies, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Halvorsen recorded contact information for loved ones of the warriors whom he met at the hospital. The airlift icon is touring Europe and Southwest Asia this week to encourage servicemembers and learn about the evolution of his heritage. |
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The living legend also visited warriors at
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. He wrote down
the names of patients' loved ones so he could
call them later to offer encouragement and
comfort.
"It used to take a couple of weeks to get people
out of theater. Now we can get them out in as
little as eight hours and get them here to this
hospital; and we have about a 99.5 percent
survival rate if they can get here," said Army
Maj. Kurt Martin as he briefed Halvorsen during
the LRMC tour.
"Boy, it really brings you back to reality,"
Halvorsen said after visiting patients. "But it
makes you feel good to know that such an
excellent system's in place."
He at lunch with several soldiers in the
hospital dining facility. After lunch, they
bumped into a fellow soldier and described |
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their experience. |
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"Yah! He's over there [at the USO Warrior Center]. You cannot believe this guy!"
"They were really proud that they met him," said the soldier whom they bumped
into, Staff Sgt. Rafael Hernandez-Ortiz, a 10th Mountain Division medial
liaison. "It is history. ... You don't expect to meet people like him anymore."
"Like one of the patients had said, he puts a face on the Berlin Airlift," said
Juanita Harvin, a U.S. Africa Command translator who accompanied the tour.
"Gratitude is why we're here tonight after all these years," Halvorsen said in
his speech at the Air Force Ball later that evening. "The gratitude of the
children [in West Berlin], 8-14 years of age, who didn't have all they wanted to
eat.
"They gave me a lesson about the importance of freedom. 'Someday we'll have
enough to eat,' they said. 'But if we loose our freedom, we'll never get it
back.'" | |
Article and photos by USAF 1st Lt. Kathleen Ferrerro
Headquarters Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
Copyright 2010
Provided
through DVIDS
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