Gail Halvorsen was a pilot for the United States Air Force during World War II, and he took part in the Berlin Airlift at the end of the war. With Berlin controlled by Russian forces, the U.S. and its allies flew missions over the city and dropped food to prevent starvation. While this was a noble effort, Halvorsen stood out as a hero to children because he devoted his time to dropping candy.
"I knew that there had not had chocolate in stores in Berlin for two years," Halvorsen explains in the video." By the time he was done, the pilot dropped 23 tons of chocolate from his plane. Children knew to look for him, because Alverson told them he would "wiggle" his wings over the airfield.
"From then on, I was known in the press and all the kids in Berlin — 'That's Uncle Wiggly Wings!" Alverson says.
Watch the video above for the full details from a sweet story.