US, Gail S. Halvorsen "Candy Bomber" Collection, 1920-2022

Colonel Gail Seymour Halvorsen gained fame during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 when he dropped candy to children in Berlin, helping turn former enemies into friends. By the end of the Berlin Airlift in 1949, crews dropped 23 tons of candy to children as part of “Operation Little Vittles.” Col. Halvorsen’s personal archive contains over 30,000 images, including military records, histories, letters, newspaper clippings, awards, videos, photographs, and more. Browse the unique categories in this collection and explore Col. Halvorsen’s military career and tremendous impact during his 101 years. Col. Halvorsen passed away on February 16, 2022. Following his death, Fold3® has worked closely with the Halvorsen family to digitize his remarkable legacy. Just a few of the interesting records that can be found in this collection include:

Example Records