Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
C-54D Skymaster
The Candy Bombers
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. C-54D Skymaster Marker
At first, the drone of planes overhead during the Berlin Airlift (1948-49) reminded Germans of Allied bombing raids during the recent World War. Then U.S. crews on approach over the city took to dropping tiny handkerchief parachutes, weighted with candy, for the children of West Berlin. These Airmen won the hearts of the German people. They delivered hope and delight along with precious food and coal.
"We flew, slept, flew and slept, because we had to get that food in to those people."
-Airlift pilot Chuck Childs
LT COL CHUCK CHILDS
In a B-17 during WWII, Chuck Childs bombed the Third Reich. Three years later, the South Dakotan returned to Germany in a C-54 to save Germans in West Berlin. He continued to serve in the Air Force until retiring from Ellsworth in 1961, having earned seven Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross twice.
Childs in his B-17 bomber during WWII.
C-54 pilot Gail Halvorsen started the candy airlift. With donated sweets, the Air Force dropped an estimated 250,000 parachutes: "Gratitude is serving someone else," Halvorsen said at the 2016 rededication of Germany's memorial
this page online
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 275
Crew · 4
Range · Continental
Payload · 28,000 lbs.
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Charity & Public Work • War, Cold. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota Air and Space Museum series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1948.
Location. 44° 8.029′ N, 103° 4.457′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and aircraft are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. C-54D Skymaster and Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: B-52D Stratofortress (within shouting distance of this marker); Ellsworth Air Force Base (within shouting distance of this marker); Duke Corning (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); MIM-3 Nike Ajax (about 400 feet away); C-45H Expeditor (about 400 feet away); LGM-30F Minuteman II (about 400 feet away); a different marker also named LGM-30F Minuteman II (about 400 feet away); EC-135 Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS) (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Regarding C-54D Skymaster. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
3. C-54D Skymaster and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
