Just after World War II, the Iron curtain closed on East Berlin, leaving the city cut in half, and the east without food, supplies, and access to the West. Knowing the humanitarian crisis at hand, the Berlin Airlift began. In 1948, a young US Army pilot saw a group of children watching planes land and take off at the end of the Berlin runway. The young Halvorsen gave his last two pieces of gum to the group of children, who divided them among their ranks. He decided to begin an effort to raise morale in Berlin by dropping food and candy via miniature parachutes to the city's residents. Halvorsen's "Little Vittles" was started with no authorization from his superiors, but over the next year became a national hero with support from all over the United States. Halvorsen's operation dropped over 23 tons of candy for the residents of Berlin. He fondly became known... as the "Candy Bomber". Col. Halvorsen passed away in early 2022, and Tidewater Winds' Holiday Concert honors his memory with "Christmas from Heaven".