World War II Story: This Man Dropped Candies Instead of Bombs

By | December 6, 2016

As the Second World War approached its end, the Soviet army sieged Berlin until the city, and eventually all German forces, surrendered. The people of Berlin were starving, and so the Allies started airlifting food into the city. U.S. pilot Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen was aware that stores in Berlin were without chocolate for two years and so he decided it was time the people's sweet tooths were put back into action.

What started with handing out two sticks of Wrigley's Doublemint gum soon turned into "Operation Little Vittles," drops that amounted to 23 tons of candy. Before long, Halvorsen's unauthorized actions made him a national hero and was given a variety of nicknames including "Berlin Candy Bomber," "Uncle Wiggly Wings," and "The Chocolate Flier." Watch the video via Great Big Story below.

Credit: Great Big Story