At Remembrance Day, a story from postwar Berlin that may surprise you, a reminder that small gestures and acts of kindness — a child’s letter, a quick decision, two sticks of gum — can have unexpected, far-reaching results.
At this time of year especially, I sometimes wonder how it is possible to get past the hostilities of war and build friendships with those once deemed “enemies”; that is, with the Other. As we reflect on the horrors and hatred of conflict, we might also ask: under what conditions can friendship emerge in its aftermath?
But then I think of Col. Gail Halvorsen, the American pilot affectionately known as the Candy Bomber, and of Mercedes Simon Wild, the little German girl who has become the Colonel’s lifelong friend.
I met Mercedes recently in her comfortable home in Berlin, and asked her about the remarkable friendship that has formed between a US pilot taught to hate the Germans and a German girl who lived through the American bombing of her city.
This story starts with the Berlin Airlift, 
a quixotic, heroic effort that “saved” more than two million Berliners shortly after World War Two (1948-49) by flying in the food and supplies necessary to keep the populace alive. When the Russians tried to close off the city of Berlin by blockading the roads and railways, the Allies responded by airlifting in everything the people of West Berlin needed to survive for 11 months until the frustrated Russians finally ended their blockade. Even then, the Airlift continued for four more months to build up Berlin’s stockpiles.
Early in the Airlift, then-Lt. Gail Halvorsen met a group of hungry German children at Tempelhof Airport in Berlin and offered them two sticks of chewing gum, (which was all he had in his pocket at the time).
After seeing how much this meant to those children, Gail came up with a crazy idea: to start dropping tiny handkerchief-sized parachutes containing candy and gum out of his plane to the children of Berlin.
His efforts became a huge success, wildly popular with the children and populace, and eventually a whole fleet of Candy Bomber pilots joined the project. Halvorsen, The Candy Bomber (aka The Chocolate Pilot or Uncle Wiggly Wings) became one of the most famous US pilots, a hero beloved in the US and in Germany. Even today, at age 90, he loves nothing better than dropping candy to children all over the world.
In 1948, his unexpectedly kind act became a symbol of a new relationship between the Americans and the Germans. The former enemies began to move beyond their mutual hatred during the war towards cooperation, even friendship, as they united in their opposition to the Russians.
One German girl who wanted more than anything to be the recipient of one of Gail’s magical parachutes was little Mercedes Simon, then seven years old.
After trying unsuccessfully to catch a parachute
on its way down from the sky, she finally decided to write a letter to The Chocolate Pilot and ask him to please drop candy near her home, the one with the white chickens in the yard.
Instead, Gail responded to Mercedes with a personal note and a package of candy and gum mailed directly to her home. Mercedes never forgot that gesture, and says it was a turning point for her.
“I decided when I received the letter from Halvorsen [that I would] stay at home and not go to my sister in Switzerland,” she says, remembering the enchantment of that moment. She felt that, “My Chocolate Uncle is flying over my house every day looking for me.”
Many years later, when Col. Gail Halvorsen returned to Berlin in 1972 as the Commander of Tempelhof Central Airport, Mercedes and her husband Peter Wild invited him to dinner, one of the many invitations Gail received from appreciative Germans who remembered his role in the Airlift.
When the Colonel arrived at her home, Mercedes took out the carefully preserved and much cherished letter The Chocolate Pilot had written her in 1948. And he remembered precisely who she was.
When they “touched this connection,” as Mercedes puts it, it was the start of a lifelong friendship between them and their families that has included numerous visits, family weddings, and frequent phone calls.
Mercedes Wild has become Germany’s unofficial “friendship” ambassador to the United States. She has met American presidents, shares the stage whenever the much-loved Chocolate Pilot is in town, works with the German-American Society, and makes frequent public appearances and school visits.
Mercedes is determined that tales of the Airlift “must not be forgotten.” Her story of the friendship that started with a child’s actions and a former enemy’s compassionate response reminds us that our small acts of kindness may set in motion unimagined, far-reaching results.
Photo Credits
The following photos with thanks to the kindness of Col. Gail Halvorsen:
“Col. Gail Halvorsen with German kids mobbing him happily”
“Col. Gail Halvorsen at the airport with a few kids”
“Gail making the candy parachutes”
“German Chancellor Angela Merkel Greets Col. Gail Halvorsen”
The following photo © Star Weiss:
“Mercedes Wild’s friendship with The Chocolate Pilot has led to appearances with Pres. Bill Clinton and others.”
Every year I use the book “Mercedes and The Chocolate Pilot” with my 1st grade class. We spend a good week or so discussing the elements of the story, but what grabs them every year is the simplicity by which an act of kindness can change the world. That having been said this story motivated our class to perform acts of kindness collectively. Most recently they have become unofficial sisters/brothers to a troubled older student in our school. The kindness they show him daily has changed this boy. What was once an angry boy in constant detention is now a solid student who smiles and feels a sense of “pride” in being himself. This book seriously motivated a class of 6 year olds to believe. Now the want to send letters to Mercedes. We’ll see how far that goes
Hello John Tevlin, (and the others who have commented on my story, as of Dec. 16, 2016)
You’ve made my day—or even week. What a wonderful story of how the Chocolate Pilot, Col. Gail Halvorsen, touched the lives of your students, AND how they then have then touched the lives of a fellow student in need. These stories are important more than ever just now—we’ve just heard about the deaths in the Christmas market in Berlin, and we need to know that goodness and kindness are out there, changing lives, too, along with the tragedies.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and my congratulations to your students and you, who have made such a difference in at least one young life.
And thank you to the others who have commented recently on this story as well. We all need more kindness in our lives.
All the best, Star
its a heart warming story
This is a wonderful story. This man is a very good man. I feel bad for the kids that were in this area of war
OMG the best story ever!!!!!!!!!!!
that is a great story
Thanks to all for the feedback,
I’ve also had kind words from the Candy Bomber himself about this piece…He is an amazing man and Mercedes an amazing woman, and their friendship is stronger than ever today.
I’ve loved hearing you tell this story, Star. How wonderful that you can now write it up for others to enjoy. It’s a “sweet” story, for sure!
Great story Star. Thanks
Star,
What a wonderful story! To think, one small act of kindness can change a life.
Thank you-
Emmy
Star, this is a lovely story to read today. The amount of hatred today in our Western culture is shocking and it has lead to a return of racism and divisions that have catastrophic results. Simple acts of kindness go a long way and have a deep impact and this is a reminder for me today to intentionally ‘give away’ kindness in the midst of struggles or differences.