Military Figure. Growing up on farms in rural Utah and Idaho, he always wanted to be a pilot. He earned his private pilot's license in 1941 before joining the Civil Air Patrol. He joined the United States Army Air Force in 1942. He flew C-47s and C-54s during the Berlin airlift ("Operation Vittles"). With no prior authorization from his superior officers, he launched "Operation Little Vittles," dropping candy from his plane in an attempt to raise morale in Berlin. For this he became a national hero, known as "The Berlin Candy Bomber," "Uncle Wiggly Wings," and "The Chocolate Flier." He won many awards for this operation, including the Congressional Gold Medal. He went on to do similar candy drops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Japan, Guam, and Iraq. After his military career, he helped to develop reusable manned spacecraft at the Directorate of Space and Technology and later served as the Assistant Dean of Student Life at Brigham Young University. He and his wife Alta served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1986 to 1987 in London, England, and from 1995 to 1997 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Military Figure. Growing up on farms in rural Utah and Idaho, he always wanted to be a pilot. He earned his private pilot's license in 1941 before joining the Civil Air Patrol. He joined the United States Army Air Force in 1942. He flew C-47s and C-54s during the Berlin airlift ("Operation Vittles"). With no prior authorization from his superior officers, he launched "Operation Little Vittles," dropping candy from his plane in an attempt to raise morale in Berlin. For this he became a national hero, known as "The Berlin Candy Bomber," "Uncle Wiggly Wings," and "The Chocolate Flier." He won many awards for this operation, including the Congressional Gold Medal. He went on to do similar candy drops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Japan, Guam, and Iraq. After his military career, he helped to develop reusable manned spacecraft at the Directorate of Space and Technology and later served as the Assistant Dean of Student Life at Brigham Young University. He and his wife Alta served as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1986 to 1987 in London, England, and from 1995 to 1997 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Bio by: HH