Honoring Colonel Hal Halversen, Author & Retired Command Pilot in the US Air Force, Episode 120
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Gail Seymour "Hal" Halvorsen (born October 10, 1920) a retired senior officer and command pilot in the United States Air Force, passed away last week at the age of 101. He is best known as the "Berlin Candy Bomber" or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949. Hal grew up in rural Utah and earned his private pilot's license in 1941 before joining the Civil Air Patrol, then the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. During the Berlin Airlift, he initiated ‘Operation Little Vittles’ to raise morale in Berlin by dropping candy via parachutes to the city's children.
Today on the Wow Factor Podcast, we honor the life of COL Halversen by re-airing his episode. Colonel Halversen shares some of the leadership lessons he has learned during his 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force. He explains how he came to be in Germany after WW2, some of the problems local people encountered, and how he and his fellow pilots let the local kids know which airplane had the candy bars in. Colonel Halversen also describes his three-pronged philosophy on life and leadership and how he has used it to inspire others over the years.
"Put yourself in the position of the receiver of what you say; how will they interpret this based on who they are?” - Colonel Halversen
“Gratitude is key to human relations.” - Colonel Halversen
“Attitude, gratitude, and service before self.” - Colonel Halversen
This Week on The Wow Factor:
Colonel Halversen’s entrepreneurial spirit and how he earned pocket money as a teen in Utah
What his upbringing taught him about giving to others
How the German children correspond with the pilots to ensure they go some candy
Some of the Presidents that Colonel Halversen has met over the years
Some of the most important things that Colonel Halversen has learned over his 30 years in the Air Force
How he has taken his story and encouraged other people since leaving the Air Force
Key things Colonel Halversen has learned about leadership over the years
What gratitude looks like for Colonel Halversen
Colonel Halversen’s Words of Wisdom:
Some leaders are more successful than others — they listen to what should be done, not what's popular but what should be done here to make life better for everybody. Get to the meat of the thing, and that’s the need; it should always come back to the need.
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