25 April 2013

May 2013 Book of the Moth: The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen

The BerlinBrigade.com May 2013 Book of the Moth: The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen

Celebrating the end of the Berlin Blockade on May 12, 1949, the BerlinBrigade.com Book of the Month for May 2013 is The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halvorsen.


Read the story of the Col. Halvorsen's journey to and from Berlin during one of the hottest times during the Cold War.

From the publisher: "The Berlin Candy Bomber is a love story-how two sticks of gum and one man's kindness to the children of a vanquished enemy grew into an epic of goodwill spanning the globe-touching the hearts of millions in both Germany and America.

In June 1948, Russia laid siege to Berlin, cutting off the flow of food and supplies over highways into the city. More than two million people faced economic collapse and starvation. The Americans, English, and French began a massive airlift to bring sustenance to the city and to thwart the Russian siege.

Gail Halvorsen was one of hundreds of U.S. pilots involved in the airlift. While in Berlin, he met a group of children standing by the airport watching the incoming planes. Though they hadn't asked for candy, he was impressed to share with them the two sticks of gum he had in his possession. Seeing how thrilled they were by this gesture, he promised to drop more candy to them the next time he flew to the area.

True to his word, as he flew in the next day, he wiggled the wings of his plane to identify himself, then dropped several small bundles of candy using parachutes crafted from handkerchiefs to slow their fall. Local newspapers picked up the story. Suddenly, letters addressed to "Uncle Wiggly Wings" began to arrive as the children requested candy drops in other areas of the city.

Enthusiasm spread to America, and candy contributions came from all across the country. Within weeks candy manufacturers began donating candy by the boxcar.

In May 1949, the highway blockade ended, and the airlift ended in September. But the story of Uncle Wiggly Wings and the candy-filled parachutes lives on-a symbol of human charity."



You can order your copy of "The Berlin Candy Bomber" from Amazon.com

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