Gail (Hal) was born 10/10/20 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He grew up on small sugar beet farms in Utah and Idaho. Through a scholarship he obtained his private pilot license in September 1941. He joined the US Army Air Corps in June 1942. Flight training was with the RAF. RAF and US wings were awarded in June 1944. He was assigned foreign transport operations in the South Atlantic Theater during WW-11. He flew the Berlin Airlift from July 1948 to January 1949.
1952 to 1970 he was assigned to Air Force Systems Command in research, development and operational duties, 1952-1958 in aircraft and 1958-1970 in the Space Program. 1968-1970 he was the Commander of the Vandenberg AFB Satellite Tracking Station where he was charged with converting it from a civilian to a Blue Suit operation. 1970-1974 Colonel Halvorsen was the Commander of Tempelhof Central Airport and the 7350th Support Group in Berlin. He was also the Air Force Representative to Berlin during that period. He retired 30 September 1974 with over 8,000 hours flying time in 15 different type aircraft and with over 31 years of service.
1976-1986 he was the Assistant Dean of Student Life at Brigham Young University. 1986-1987 he and Alta served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to England and in 1995-1997 they similarly served in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has been a Stake President, Bishop and has held other assignments for the Church.
1998 he was one of two co-pilots with Tim Chopp on an Airlift support C-54, "The Spirit of Freedom" on a 69 day tour to Europe and Berlin. Since then he has dropped or delivered on the ground, candy, gum , or school supplies to children in Berlin, Bosnia, Albania, Guam, Japan and to school children from the East Coast to the West Coast, USA, including the First Flight schools at Kitty Hawk near the Wright Brothers memorial. In December 2002, 2003 and 2004 he was part of the Spirit’s crew flying over the Wright Brothers Memorial commemorating the anniversaries of the first flight. The Christmas Drop Operation (C-130s) to the natives of the islands near Guam in 2000 and the 50th anniversary drops in 2002 were rewarding. Feb 2002 he led the German Winter Olympic Team into the stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies. 6 August 03 he opened the NYC NASDAQ Stock Exchange. He soloed in a power parachute in June 2003.
Education: Air Tactical School (now Squadron Officers School) Panama City FL, 1947 and Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, in 1958. He has bachelor and master degrees in Aeronautical Engineering, 1949-1952, a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1973 and a year and a half toward a Doctorate in Education at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
He has received:
the Legion of Merit and other military awards;
the Cheney Award 1948-49;
Ira Eaker "Fellow" Award;
Air Force Sergeants Association "Americanism" Award;
Service Cross to the Order of Merit from Germany;
Freedom Award from the City of Provo, Utah;
The Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Institute of German American Relations;
The Eric Warburg Pries; and
the Patriots Award from Brigham Young University ROTC.
5 Feb. 2004 received the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Certificate of Merit.
A school at Rhein-Main, a dining hall at McGuire AFB, and a new FMC 25,000 pound aircraft Loader, used world wide, all carry his name.
His book, "The Berlin Candy Bomber" and a children’s book, "Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot" by Margot Raven are in their third printing.
In 1999 he was inducted in the Airlift/Tanker Hall of Fame and in 2000 into the Utah Aviation Hall of Fame.
A movie for TV is in the pre-production phase.
January 2003 Lorraine accompanied Gail for a lecture and lunch with the 4000 Cadets at the Air Force Academy, a special experience.
Repeated it again in 2006.
He married Alta Jolley of Zion National Park on 16 April 1949. Alta is responsible for most of the good things that ever happened to him. She died just a few months short of their 50th anniversary. They have five children, 24 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Gail is now married to his Bear River High School steady of 1939, Lorraine Pace Mitchell. Lorraine has three children, eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. They live on the farm at Spanish Fork, Utah in the summer and at Lorraine’s place at Elephant Head, Arizona in the winter.