The Veteran Speaker Series will feature Gail Halvorsen, 94, as its speaker for the May 4 event at the Salt Lake City Library.
Also known as “The Candy Bomber” and “Uncle Wiggly Wings,” Halvorsen was the pilot who parachuted candy and chocolates to children in West Berlin after World War II. He was also featured in last year's film "Meet the Mormons."
Halvorsen hopes people will learn the importance of gratitude, attitude and service from his speech.
“The real reward is serve before self,” Halvorsen said. “That’s one of the things that’s taught in the military is that you gotta serve, and that’s why we call it the service.”
Upon seeing the needy children after Berlin was partitioned following WWII, Halvorsen decided to parachute candy to them from his plane. He would wiggle the plane's wings so they could find him.
"I like the nickname 'Uncle Wiggly Wings,' maybe even more than 'The Candy Bomber,' but what I like best is 'Brother,'" Halvorsen said, referring to the title commonly used for male members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "It denotes that you respect somebody."
Halvorsen, who returned to Berlin in 1970 as head of an Air Force base there, has seen firsthand the gratitude of some of the people to whom he parachuted candy. He maintains correspondence with many of the people he served in Germany.
“The thing I’ve learned through the years and that has stayed with me is that you have got to be grateful to be in a country where you have freedom of choice,” Halvorsen said.
Halvorsen will speak at the Salt Lake City Library auditorium at 7 p.m. The event will conclude the 15th year of the Veteran Speaker Series, which organizes monthly speeches from veterans.
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