100-year-old Candy Bomber will take last flight in Utah July 3
Published at | Updated atST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) – Utah’s standing legacy, Colonel Gail Halverson AKA the “Candy Bomber” will be taking flight for the very last time, this Fourth of July weekend.
On July 3, in partnership with Dixie State University, United We Pledge, Balance of Nature and the KONY Country 4th of July Celebration, Halverson, at the age of 100, will board a helicopter and be flown over the Greater Zion Stadium, where he will drop candy.
Community members are invited to watch the historic event at the Dixie State University’s Greater Zion Stadium, starting at 6 p.m.
“After landing nearby, Halvorsen will be escorted to the stadium where his legacy of kindness and charity will be recognized as he is presented with the inaugural Gail Halvorsen Lifetime Service Award,” event organizers say. “Halvorsen first dropped candy from his plane to children in Berlin as a World War II pilot.”
After the Candy Bomber’s final deployment, notable speakers will take center stage, such as Tim Ballard, the CEO of The Nazarene Fund, a nonprofit organization that seeks to liberate and protect persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
Other activities include the unfurling of “Big Betsy,” the largest U.S. flag ever flown accompanied by the national anthem and the honoring of nine Washington County’s veterans: Boris Derugin (Army, Military Police); Jerome Gourley (Army); Victor Frei (Marine Corps); Anton Kuhlman (Navy); Karen Foss (Navy); Brad Hays (Air Force); Linwood Green (Air Force); Kimberly Green (Air Force); and Bob Flowers (Coast Guard).
This story was originally published on ABC4.com. It is used here with permission.