Candy was so scarce in Berlin in 1948 that when American Air Force Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen gave a few sticks of gum to a group of German children, they tore the wrappers into strips to pass around so they all could have a chance to smell them. The children's excitement inspired Halvorsen to start "candy drops," parachuting down small packages of treats as the U.S. Air Force flew food into West Berlin.