AS WORLD WAR II CAME TO AN END, RUSSIA ATTEMPTED TO BLOCKADE WAR TORN WEST BERLIN FROM RUSSIAN CONTROLLED EAST BERLIN. FEARING FOR THE PEOPLE OF WEST GERMANY, THE UNITED STATES AND UNITED KINGDOM WORKED TOGETHER TO AIR-DROP FOOD ON THE DESERTED AND IMPOVERISHED PEOPLE OF WEST BERLIN.

GAIL HALVORSEN, A U.S. AIR FORCE PILOT, WITNESSED A SWEET ACT OF SELFLESSNESS THAT GREATLY MOVED AND INSPIRED HIM. AS GAIL OFFERED A COUPLE OF STICKS OF DOUBLEMINT GUM TO CHILDREN BEHIND A FENCE, RATHER THAN A COUPLE OF CHILDREN HORDING THE GUM TO THEMSELVES, THE CHILDREN BROKE THE GUM UP INTO SMALL PIECES IN ATTEMPT TO SHARE THE PIECES WITH AS MANY AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE GUM WAS GONE, THE CHILDREN WHO DID NOT RECEIVE A SMALL PIECE TOOK TURNS SMELLING THE WRAPPER WITHOUT A COMPLAINT. GAIL PROMISED THE CHILDREN THAT HE WOULD DROP MORE CANDY AT HIS NEXT FOOD DROP. HE TOLD THE CHILDREN TO LOOK FOR THE PLANE WITH WIGGLING WINGS.

WHEN GAIL RETURNED TO HIS BASE, HE GATHERED HIS OWN CANDY RATIONS AND OTHER SOLDIERS’ DONATED CANDY. WITH GREAT CARE, GAIL ATTACHED THE CANDY RATIONS TO SMALL HAND-MADE PARACHUTES AND LOADED THEM UP FOR THE HISTORIC DROP. UNCLE WIGGLE WINGS, AS THE CHILDREN CALLED HIM, DROPPED PARACHUTE AFTER PARACHUTE INTO THE EAGER OUTSTRECHED ARMS OF FORGOTTEN CHILDREN.

AS THE WORD SPREAD ABOUT WHAT GAIL WAS DOING, CANDY DONATIONS CAME POURING IN FROM AMERICA. HEARTS AND MINDS WERE SOFTENED AND CHANGED DURING A TIME OF SEVERE CONTENTION. THIS ACT OF LOVE MARKED A REMARKABLE CONTRAST FROM THE DEVESTATING EFFECTS OF HATRED AND WAR EXPERIENCED BY THE PEOPLE IN GERMANY. IN ADDITION,MANY HAVE CLAIMED THAT THIS ACT SPARKED A MORE PEACFUL SHIFT IN DIPLOMATIC DIRECTION BETWEEN HIGHLY SENSITIVE COUNTRIES.

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMBERLESS WAR MEMORIALS DESIGNED TO HONOR THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT IN WARS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. PEACE AND LOVE MEMORIAL PARK IS NOT JUST INTENDED TO MEMORIALIZE THE CANDY BOMBER STORY, BUT HAS ALSO BEEN DESIGNED TO USE THE CANDY BOMBER STORY TO PROMOTE THE IDEA THAT ACTS OF LOVE AND KINDNESS OFTEN HAVE MORE POWER TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS THAN THE SWORD.

AS PEOPLE WALK TOWARD THE PARK ENTRANCE THE STORY OF THE CANDY BOMBER WILL BE SHARED IN PICTURES AND WORDS CARVED INTO THE PAVING. AS THE USER ENTERS THE PARK HE/SHE WILL FIRST EXPERIENCE A WAR TORN SIDE WHERE THE VISITOR CAN SEE MONUMENTS OF CHILDREN PLAYING ON RUBBLE WITHOUT REGARD TO WHY WAR IS TAKING PLACE.

HOPE AND LOVE MEMORIAL PARK IS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED ON THE LAND WHERE GAIL HALVERSON WAS RAISED. WHEN SEEN FROM AN AIRPLANE THE PARK WILL LOOK LIKE A GIANT PEACE SIGN.

THE OTHER HALF OF THE PARK IS MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE BEAUTY OF A WORLD IN PEACE. A FENCE DIVIDES THE TWO SIDES WHERE SCULPTURES OF CHILDREN WILL BE SEEN ON ONE SIDE OF THE FENCE REACHING OUT TO HEAVEN FOR CANDY AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, SCULPTURES OF SOLDIERS WILL BE SEEN HANDING CANDY THROUGH HOLES IN THE FENCE.

WE HAVE PROPOSED THAT THE VERY PLANE THAT HALVERSON FLEW WOULD MAGNIFICENTLY DEVIDE THE WAR TORN SIDE FROM THE PEACEFUL SIDE OF THE PARK. THE PLANE WOULD BE BURRIED INTO A BERM ALLOWING CHILDREN TO WALK ON TOP OF THE PLANE, SLIDE DOWN THE BERM, AND SWING ON SWINGS HANGING FROM THE WINGS. RAMPS LEADING TO THE FUSELAGE GIVE THE USER THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE AN AIR FORCE PILOT DROPPING CANDY BOMBS. ADDING TO THE AFFECT, THE PARK AND PLANE WILL BE PLACED ON THE TOP OF A HILL WITH THE NOSE OF THE PLANE JUTTING OUT FROM THE FACE OF THE HILL. THIS WILL GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE AIRPLANE IS FLYING THOUGH THE AIR.

THE HOPE OF THE PARK IS THAT PEOPLE WILL LEAVE WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE WORLD THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN, WE WILL BE BETTER PREPARED TO FACE THE CHALLENGES IN THE WORLD.