Mark Sunday, December 19 on the holiday calendar. That’s the day the Candy Bomber will fly once again over the skies of the Outer Banks.
Colonel Gail Halvorsen is 101 now, but he is still making his candy run at the Dare County Airport on Roanoke Island.
In 1948, as the Untied States and the USSR—now Russia—were engaged in a tense standoff for domination in Europe.
Russia controlled East Germany and the US and its allies, Great Britain and France, West Germany. Berlin was in the East, but it too was divided.
In 1948, Russia, hoping to bring West Berlin to its knees and beg for help from the East, stopped all land transport to the city from West Germany.
What followed was the Berlin Airlift, considered by many as the greatest air supply effort in history. Mostly American, but also some British transport aircraft flew continuously night and day for 15 months to keep a city of 3.4 million alive.
It was at that time that a young 1st Lieutenant pilot, Gail Halvorsen, had a chance to speak to some of the kids at the airport. He was amazed at how excited they were when he handed them some gum and he promised them he came back he would get them some candy.
What followed was an extraordinary story of humanity and kindness during a time of incredible hardship. First Halvorsen and then other pilots began parachuting candy to the children of Berlin.
Halvorsen became known as the Candy Bomber, and the December event at the Airport is a reenactment of his act. Lieutenant Halverson went on to have a full career in the Air Force, retiring as a Colonel in 1974.
Although a bit weak since he’s 101 years old, he always seems to gain energy with every child who walks up to him to ask about what he did and why.
The unexpected is just a small part of the magic of the Outer Banks. Discover for yourself the wonders of life on a sandbar with a stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations home.