The Candy Bomber · Human Operations

The Candy Bomber

I have a bit of an Air Force history lesson for you all today. This doesn't really have anything to do with HR per say, but it's a very uplifting story that I hope will inspire some of you the way it inspired me.

When I was a brand new airman, I was given the opportunity to attend an AMC wide conference in Florida. It was my first conference and, left to my own devices, I attended all of the presentations that I could so I could confidently say that I had made the most of my time there. I can't say there was a day at that conference that I didn't enjoy, but I think one of the best experiences, was getting to hear about and meet Gail Halvorsen, the Candy Bomber.

For those who don't know, during the Berlin Airlift in 1948, Gail Halvorsen - a young lieutenant at the time - became known for dropping candy and chocolate attached to handkerchiefs from his aircraft to the children of Berlin.

He began using his own rations, then cajoled others in his squadron into letting him use theirs as well. When word spread back home to America, people starting sending candy overseas and Halvorsen enlisted several other pilots to help him in dropping these candy bombs for the children.

It's such a simple thing, really, giving candy to children who are suffering during a time of war. But it had such a profound impact on those children's lives and the lives of their families. This selfless act of giving up his own rations - a little taste of home and sweet memories - helped to instill hope in the lives of so many who were living without it.

Getting to meet the retired Colonel, who was 99 at the time, make an impact on me too. I may not have the opportunity to touch so many people's lives on the same scale that he did, but it inspired me to find ways to spread kindness - no matter how trivial - to others both in my personal and professional life.

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