HEALTH
Gail Halvorsen, aka the ‘Candy Bomber,’ has recovered from COVID-19
Jan 24, 2021, 11:38 AM
100-year-old "Candy Bomber" Gail Halvorsen tested positive for the coronavirus in December. (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY — Gail Halvorsen, the man known as the ‘Candy Bomber,’ has fully recovered from COVID-19 and is back in his assisted living facility.
This information comes through the Gail S. Halvorsen Aviation Education Foundation’s Facebook page.
The post about Halvorsen said, “Gail has now fully recovered! Thank you everyone for your faith and prayers.”
How the Candy Bomber got his name
Halvorsen, who celebrated his 100th birthday in October, is a former U.S. pilot and Utah native. He earned his “Candy Bomber” nickname after dropping candy with little parachutes over West Berlin during the Soviets’ blockade after World War II.
According to a PBS article on Halvorsen, he gave some candy to children after they expressed that they could go without enough food for a little while but, “if we lose our freedom we may never get it back.” He then promised he would return the next day with more candy.
The article says the children wondered how would they know which plane was his and he responded by telling them he would wiggle his wings.
This attracted large crowds who and Halvorsen even received mail addressed to “Uncle Wiggly Wings.”
Halvorsen tested positive for COVID-19 back in December.
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