Podcast appearances and mentions of Gail S Halvorsen

After World War Two, Germany was split up and occupied by the United States, France, Britain and the Soviet Union. In June of 1948, the U.S., France, and Britain announced they were creating a unified West German currency. Joseph Stalin opposed this unification, and cut off land routes from Berlin to West Germany.  In order to bypass the land routes, bombers transported supplies (primarily food) and delivered them to West Berlin in what was called Operation Vittles. Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen was one of several pilots recruited to fly these missions. One day, after sneaking out and flying to Berlin for some R&R, COL Halvorsen met some local children who were survivors of the war. Talking with them changed his life, and he decided he wanted to do something to help them. He returned to base, gathered as much candy and gum as he could, fashioned parachutes with handkerchiefs, and put all the goodies inside. The next day, he flew over West Berlin and dropped the parachutes full of candy out of his bomb bay.  The children were delighted. COL Halvorsen did this several more times, and gained international acclaim for his actions. To learn more about COL Halvorsen, check out his book, The Berlin Candy Bomber. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was such a great episode to dive into. There can be goodness in the darkness and Gail S. Halvorsen taught us that during the Cold War. Birthday Shout Out Form Instagram Resources, Books, Photos, and more! Mysterykidspodcast.com Become a Patreon! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/themysterykidspodcast/message

Gail Seymour "Hal" Halvorsen (born October 10, 1920) is a retired senior officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force. He is best known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber" or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949. Hal grew up in rural Utah and earned his private pilot's license in 1941 before joining the Civil Air Patrol, then the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. During the Berlin Airlift, he initiated ‘Operation Little Vittles' to raise morale in Berlin by dropping candy via parachutes to the city's children.   Today on the Wow Factor, Colonel Halvorsen shares some of the leadership lessons he has learned during his 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He explains how he came to be in Germany after WW2, some of the problems local people encountered, and how he and his fellow pilots let the local kids know which airplane had the candy bars in. Colonel Halvorsen also describes his three-pronged philosophy on life and leadership and how he has used it to inspire others over the years.   "Put yourself in the position of the receiver of what you say; how will they interpret this based on who they are?” - Colonel Halvorsen   “Gratitude is key to human relations.” - Colonel Halvorsen   “Attitude, gratitude, and service before self.” - Colonel Halvorsen    This Week on The Wow Factor: Colonel Halvorsen's entrepreneurial spirit and how he earned pocket money as a teen in Utah What his upbringing taught him about giving to others How the German children correspond with the pilots to ensure they go some candy Some of the Presidents that Colonel Halvorsen has met over the years What were some things you learned about those leaders? Well, Some of the most important things that Colonel Halvorsen has learned over his 30 years in the Air Force How he has taken his story and encouraged other people since leaving the Air Force Key things Colonel Halvorsen has learned about leadership over the years What gratitude looks like for Colonel Halvorsen   Colonel Halvorsen's Words of Wisdom: Some leaders are more successful than others — they listen to what should be done, not what's popular but what should be done here to make life better for everybody. Get to the meat of the thing, and that's the need; it should always come back to the need.   Connect with Colonel Halvorsen: The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen   Connect with The WOW Factor: I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Formsma Words of Wisdom Website Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter    

On today's episode, I get to tell you a true story the Candy Bomber after World War II and three lessons we can learn from it. 3 Lessons from the Candy BomberLittle Things Can have a Big Ripple Effect Serving Others Heals Inspiring Hope Saves Lives You can learn more about Gail S. Halvorsen, The Candy Bomber on his website: http://wigglywings.weebly.com/ (http://wigglywings.weebly.com/) Here is the transcription of today's episode:Welcome to stories of hope in hard times, the show that explores how people endure and even thrive in difficult times. All with God's help. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson. Join me on a journey to find inspiring stories of hope and wisdom learned in life's hardest moments.  The Berlin AirliftMy true story today starts just after World War II in Germany during the Berlin airlift. You see, the city of Berlin then was starving due to the Soviet blockade. So in order to get food and supplies to the famished people, Allied Airmen flew over the city and dropped thousands of tons of food daily. I now quote from a history that talks about that time period, "It was determined that the city's daily food ration would be 646 tons of flour and wheat, 125 tons of cereal, 64 tons of fat 109 tons of meat and fish, 180 tons of dehydrated potatoes, 180 tons of sugar, 11 tons of coffee, 19 tons of powdered milk, five tons of whole milk for children, three tons of fresh yeast for baking, 144 tons of dehydrated vegetables, 38 tons of salt, and 10 tons of cheese. In total 1,534 tons were needed to keep the over 2 million people alive on a daily basis. And that number did not include necessities like coal and fuel."  So really what they ended up dropping was about 4,500 tons on a daily basis. Isn't that crazy? But that is what was needed to keep that city alive during the Soviet blockade. And they did this by dropping food from airplanes to the people.  The Candy BomberOne of the pilots who was part of this Berlin airlift was Gail Halverson and he just celebrated his 100th birthday this past week. So it is in memory of him and his service that I'd love to tell you a little bit about the impact two sticks of gum had not only on Berlin, but the ripple effect it had on the entire world.  Gail Halverson, known as "Hal" to his friends, was a rural farm boy from Utah, and he was serving as an Air Force pilot, then in the Berlin airlift. One day at the Tempelhof Airport, he noticed a line of children at the fence watching the planes fly over to bring them these life saving supplies. He felt he needed to go talk to these children. I now quote from his history.  The Two Sticks of Gum Which Changed Everything"One day in July 1948, I met 30 kids at the barbed wire fence at the Tempelhof in Berlin. They were excited, they said, "When the weather gets so bad that you can't land, don't worry about us. We can get by on little food, but if we lose our freedom, we may never get it back. The principle of freedom was more important than the pleasure of flour. "Don't give up on us," they asked. The Soviets had offered the Berliners food rations, but they would not capitulate.  For the hour I was at the fence not one child asked for gum or candy. Children I had met during and after the war, like them in other countries had always begged insistently for such treasures. These Berlin children were so grateful for the flour to be free, that they wouldn't lower themselves to be beggars for something more. It was even the more impressive because they hadn't had gum or candy in months.  When I realized this silent, mature show of gratitude, and the strength that it took not to ask, I had to do something. All I had was two sticks of gum. I broke them in two and passed them through the barbed wire. The result was unbelievable. Those with the gum tore off the strips of wrapper and gave them to the others. Those with the strips, put them to their noses and smell the tiny fragrance. The expression of...

Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen turns 100-years-old on Saturday. Lee tells the story of the Utahn who changed the world with candy during the Berlin Airlift. Gail joins Lee live to tell his story.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this hour, our WLRH Community Newsroom explores why solar power for homeowners in Alabama is a losing proposition, with Daniel Tait of Energy Alabama. Producer Brett Tannehill gets the Tennessee Valley caught up on the state's upcoming bicentennial events, in a conversation with Huntsville Madison County Bicentennial Committee executive director Sally Warden. Ed Carr, the Alabama State Ambassador for Team Rubicon, an international disaster aid nonprofit, talks with WLRH's Katy Ganaway about what it takes to sign up with the organization, and why having military experience adds value to a volunteer. And the Goethe Institut and KCRW Berlin's The Big Pond Podcast, bring us the story of how U.S. military vet Gail S. Halvorsen brought joy to children living in the somber times of the Cold War.