European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday september 20, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 3 c54 of Berlin Airlift Days upper Center was one of the most popular attractions during Tempelhof Airport open House. Is photos Pete Milia ov6r half million enjoy Tempelhof open House marking Berlin Airlift by Bob Cullen staff writer berlins a an estimated 550,000 visitors streamed through the Gates of Tempelhof Central Airport saturday and sunday to take in the Many attractions of this year s open House titled from the Airlift to the  the open House marked the 29th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift and the 30th anniversary of the air Force. The exhibitions included army and air Force equipment displays Parachute drops and demonstrations by such military units As the . Army Drill team. Special visitors included International Singer Peggy March concerts by american Brit ish and French bands and demonstrations by the Berlin motorcycle police. The Star attraction of the open House however turned out to be a retired air Force colonel and a decommissioned air plane. Col. Gail Halvorsen retired was the original Candy bomber of the Berlin Airlift. Halvorsen was the Pilot who began tying Candy and gum in handkerchief Para chutes and dropping them to children All Over the City. Also called the chocolate Dropper by the berliners during the air lift Halvorsen was besieged during both Days of the open House by autograph seek ers. Among those eager to shake his hand and deliver their personal thanks was the girl with the  one girl wrote me a letter about her chickens in her backyard Halvorsen said. The air planes would scare them and they weren t laying very Good. She said that if i saw the chickens i should drop the Candy and gum there anyway. It would be All right she wrote. It would t matter if they were scared if i dropped the Candy in her backyard he could never find her backyard or the chickens so he sent her a package of gum through the Berlin mail. Twenty two years later when Halvorsen returned Here As col. Halvorsen one of the dinner invitations he accepted turned out to be the girl with the chickens. When we walked in the door the woman went to her China closet and pulled out an old letter and handed it to me Hal Worsen said. It was the letter i had writ ten to her in november of 48, saying i m sorry i could t find the chickens in your backyard but Here s some gum and Candy " the decommissioned plane is also part of the Candy bombing Story. A c54 spymaster was cleaned repaired and re painted to include the nickname Rosine bomber painted on the nose by members of the transit Alert Section 7350th air base group and opened for visitor inspection. C54s were used by the air Force during the Early Days of the Airlift and were the planes from which Halvorsen and other . Pilots dropped Candy and gum to Berlin children. Officials of the open House were pleased with the sunny weather which graced both Days of the open House. It s the largest and probably the Best open House we be Ever had a spokesman said. The berliners loved  ice Cream and air planes what More could a youngster want