Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot" Book

When this book popped up on the main page of Bibliocommons (our library's new catalog) I knew I had to read it. My wife worked for Colonel (Ret.) Gail Halvorsen when he was an Assistant Dean of Student Life at my alma mater. Due to this association I knew the story of 'ol "Wiggly Wings" and I just wanted to read it in print. The photographs in this book were an added bonus.

This story is so heart-warming and reassuring of the goodness in human-kind that everyone should read it. Tunnell tells the story very well and in a tone that focuses on the relief brought to the people of Berlin by the Airlift amid the Soviet blockade, and the special joy that the children of Berlin got from what was called "Operation Little Vittles" in 1948. In this operation, then Lt. Gail Halvorsen, USAF, started dropping candy from his C-54 transport plane to the children just outside of the airbase where he and his fellow pilots were airlifting food, fuel and supplies to the residents of Berlin, because the city was sealed off from the West.

The story continues from there and grows and expands to encompass much more than a few candy bars and sticks of gum in one war-torn city. On a deeper level, it also shows that people can come from opposing sides and learn to live together in peace, harmony and even love.