The Berlin Candy Bomber
Spartan alumnus Col. Gail “Hal” Halvorsen, who left his Utah home and sugar beet farm for military service, earned his wings in Miami, and went on to become a legendary humanitarian. Through a single act of kindness, Halvorsen initiated what came to be known as “Operation Little Vittles” – an airdrop project that put more than two million pounds of chocolate into the hands of starving children in eastern Berlin. It earned him the moniker “The Candy Bomber,” a Congressional Gold Medal Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.