Free Republic

Edward J. Derwinski Halyard Mission 50th anniversary 1994 Chicago, IL U.S.A. Photo by R. Rebic Aleksandra's Note: Americans and Serbs from all over the United States and Canada gathered together on May 31, 1994 in Chicago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 'Halyard Mission' rescue operation and pay homage to the American veterans of World War II and the Serbs under the command of General Draza Mihailovich who had saved their lives. The 'Halyard Mission' was the name given to the greatest rescue of American and Allied lives from behind enemy lines in the history of warfare. It was...

Draza Mihailovich and the Chetnik guerrillas reaffirmed their status as comic book heroes in the U.S. during World War II with their appearance in Thrilling Comics, #35, in May, 1943. They were featured in the comic story “The American Crusader Joins the Chetniks”. The eight page script and the letters were by Richard E. Hughes, the pencils and inks by Max Plaisted, who also had created the American Crusader character. The cover, featuring the character Doc Strange, was by Jack Binder, who did the inks and pencils. Thrilling Comics were published by Standard Comics in eighty issues from February, 1940...

Thank goodness for those among us who remain vigilant against the lies... Review: “Tito’s War” by John Brown, World War II History Magazine, November, 2011, Volume 10, No. 7, pp. 54-61. Review by Carl Savich In the November, 2011 issue of the military history magazine "World War II History", published in Herndon, Virginia, an article entitled “Tito’s War” by Australian author John Brown purports to chronicle the conflict in Yugoslavia between Draza Mihailovich’s Chetnik guerrillas and Josip Broz Tito’s Communist Partisans during World War II. This account is fake. It is a phony history of World War II. John Brown...

Major Richard L. Felman U.S.A.F. May 29, 1921 - November 13, 1999 Major Richard Felman and Aleksandra Rebic General Mihailovich's 100th Birthday Celebration April 23, 1993 Chicago, IL U.S.A. He never stopped. It became his mission in life. For 55 years, over half a century, Major Richard L. Felman of the United States Air Force worked ceaselessly to do one thing: to repay a debt of gratitude and to say "Thank You" in a most meaningful way. As we in America just commemorated Veteran’s Day and are getting ready to celebrate our Thanksgiving, it is our turn to remember and...

Aleksandra's Note: Today, July 17, 2011, marks the 65th anniversary of the death of General Dragoljub-Draza Mihailovich, Supreme Commander of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland during WWII. Among the many honors of distinction that can be attributed to General Mihailovich is leader of the first organized and successful resistance to the Nazis in all of occupied Europe. The anniversary of a death can be marked in an infinite number of ways. On this day I've chosen to share the words of Mihailovich himself. It is my hope that those who aren't familiar with who General Mihailovich really was will...

Draza Mihailovich as a civilian There is currently a flurry of activity surrounding the potential finding of the remains of General Draza Mihailovich in Serbia. General Mihailovich, Supreme Commander of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland (JVUO) during World War II and leader of the Ravna Gora freedom fighters against the Nazis and the Yugoslav communists, is a controversial and legendary figure in world history. Much has been written, both true and false, about his WWII military career and life. Very little is known, especially in the English language, about his pre-WWII military career and first 25 years of life....

Aleksandra's Note: Ironically, even though it was Great Britain who betrayed General Mihailovich in the Second World War, it was some of her officers, diplomats, and journalists who were fairest and most effective at pinning down and exposing the truth about what really happened in Yugoslavia during WWII and the British complicity in the consequences of what transpired during and after the war. A number of excellent and honest articles about the Mihailovich tragedy were published in independent British papers during and after his trial at the hands of Tito's Yugoslav communists in 1946. Of those, the following essay by...

General Draza Mihailovich Major Richard L. Felman, USAF ***** Aleksandra's Note: The following memoir was first published in 1964 by Major Richard L. Felman of the United States Air Force. It is his personal true story of his extraordinary experiences during World War Two. It is also the story of the great Serbian patriot and Western Ally General Draza Mihailovich and the Serbs who saved the lives of over 500 Americans who were shot down over Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia in 1944. In honor of Memorial Day 2011 it's worthwhile to revisit this moment in history. As much as his story honors...

"Real Heroes" 1942 "What Kind of Man is a Hero?"By George J. Hecht, President and Publisher "Real Heroes" Comics and Founder of "Parents Magazine""Does War make heroes? On first thought you say, 'Yes, of course, war makes heroes.' And in a way it is true. A great many famous men would never have been known as heroes if war had not brought them fame. But on the other hand, the uniform does not make the man. He has to have the stuff inside him, before he puts on that uniform....Most of the "Chetniks" in Mihailovich's growing army of guerrilla fighters...

Aleksandra' Note: The following text is from historian David Martin's excellent book "Web of Disinformation", which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand why we need court hearings, actual legal proceedings, to officially "rehabilitate" General Draza Mihailovich, a man who never should have been in need of "rehabilitating". The next court hearing is to take place in Belgrade, Serbia on January 28th of this year, 2011.General Mihailovich was executed by the communists in Belgrade, Serbia on July 17, 1946 after one of the phoniest trials in the history of mankind and officially declared "persona non grata" based on the...

Testifying at the January 28, 2011 hearing regarding the Rehabilitation of General Draza Mihailovich will be historian Slobodan Markovic, president of the Commission for finding the hidden graves of those killed by the communists after September 12, 1944 in Yugoslavia. Entered into evidence at the hearing will be recently declassified documents originating from the British Foreign Office regarding the trial and execution of General Mihailovich. To date, the remains of General Mihailovich, who was executed by the communists on July 17, 1946 in Belgrade, have not been found. "...Of all the dirt thrown at Mihailovich for more than a year,...

During World War II, the OSS liaison officer to Josip Broz Tito’s Communist Partisans was American agent Major Linn “Slim” Farish. Farish’s accounts helped decisively to switch Allied support away from Draza Mihailovich and to Tito. But who was Farish and how credible were his reports? New evidence from the Venona decrypts reveal that he may have been an agent allegedly working for Soviet intelligence. British Brigadier Fitzroy Maclean of the Special Air Services (SAS), a special forces unit of the British Army, referred to him in Eastern Approaches (1949) as “my American chief of staff”. Was Linn Farish, like...

Operation Halyard was managed by the U.S. Office of Strategic Services’ Nick Lalich (front row, third from left) and radio operator Arthur Jibilian (back row, second from left). For U.S. airmen trapped in Yugoslavia during World War II, building a secret airstrip was their only way out.On Clare Musgrove’s first mission over Ploesti, Romania, he and the crew of his U.S. Army Air Forces bomber were certain to be shot at. Romania supplied the oil the Nazi war machine desperately needed for its tanks, trucks, and aircraft. While the Germans vowed to protect the flow of oil from Romanian wells...

If it weren’t for 95-year-old George Vujnovich receiving his long-overdue Bronze Star last month — a full 66 years after he helped launch the incredible, yet thoroughly overlooked Halyard rescue mission in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia in the late summer of 1944 — then perhaps Paul Seery’s thoughts would be elsewhere this Veterans Day. Tom Connolly and his crew celebrate on Italian soil after being rescued from Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia in late December of 1944. Also pictured are OSS agents George Vujnovich and Nick Lalich.Instead, they are fixed firmly on the memory of his old friend and former coworker at Emerson and Cuming,...

The World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C. Photo above by 2009 Awesomephotograph.com World War II Memorial, Washington D.C. Photo above by Randy Santos Aleksandra's Note: Years ago, in the 1970s, a movement was born to establish a monument on the grounds of Washington, D.C. to honor General Draza Mihailovich. This movement was initiated by American WWII veterans out of gratitude for all that this Serb commander did for the Allied forces that were shot down over Nazi occupied Yugoslavia and were rescued, taken care of, and returned home without a single loss of life courtesy of General Mihailovich, his...

Aleksandra's Note: Major Felman of the USAF is a very familiar name to many of you who visit this site. Many of you knew him personally, like I did, and counted him as a valued and dear friend. In honor of Veteran's Day and the 11th anniversary of Major Felman's passing just a couple of days after that holiday in 1999, I'm sharing one of the letters he wrote and sent out far and wide in the spring of 1996 regarding U.S. Policy in the Balkans, specifically the policy towards the Serbs. Although this letter was written 14 years ago,...

Halyard Mission veterans Major Richard Felman and Lt. Col. Milton Friend of the USAF reunite at the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Halyard Mission in Chicago, IL U.S.A. May 1994. This celebration was included in the week long 50th Anniversary commemoration of D-Day. Photo by Aleksandra RebicAleksandra's Note: As the legal proceedings to historically "rehabilitate" General Draza Mihailovich and elevate him to his proper place and standing are set to resume in Belgrade, Serbia on October 29, 2010, I wanted to share a never before published photo of two great Halyard Mission veterans who reunited at the wonderful 50th anniversary...

BELGRADE, Serbia -- An American whose U.S. Air Force bomber was shot down over the Balkans during World War II is on a new mission in the region: Correct a historic injustice against a former Serb guerrilla leader. In the summer of 1944, Lt. Col. Milton Friend's B-24 Liberator was downed by German fighter planes over central Serbia. He said Gen. Draza Mihailovic saved his life - and those of 500 of his fellow airmen - in the largest air rescue of Americans behind enemy lines during a war. The former Air Force navigator, now 88 and living in Boynton...

<p>George Vujnovich at home in Jackson Heights, Queens. On Sunday, he is to receive a Bronze Star for his role in a daring rescue of more than 500 Allied forces airmen during World War II.</p> <p>For more than 50 years, George Vujnovich was a mild-mannered salesman working away at his small business in Queens and living a quiet life on a quiet block in Jackson Heights. He never spoke, even to his closest friends, about his secret role organizing one of the greatest rescue missions of World War II.</p>

Major George Vujnovich of the 1944 Halyard Mission revisits Pranjane, Serbia in September of 2004 Photo courtesy of OSS Radioman Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian FROM MR. NENAD MILINKOVIC: Dear Friends, Attached is the actual entry into the Congressional Record of the U.S. Congress submitted by Rep. Dan Burton (IN) this week on behalf of the award of THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL to Maj. George Vujnovich. Please feel free to share this wonderful news. Please also note that the formal medal award ceremony for George Vujnovich will take place at the parish hall of Saint Sava's Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in New...

Aleksandra's Note: I first met Major George Vujnovich, OSS Chief of the Halyard Mission, in Chicago in May of 1994, when the 50th Anniversary of Operation Halyard was being celebrated as part of the worldwide D-Day Commemorations. I remember being struck by what a lovely person he was. Such an important figure in Allied relations during a very critical time in 1944, yet such a humble and gentle soul he was. Thank you to those who began this initiative to officially recognize Major George Vujnovich with such a prestigious and well deserved award and kept it going for two years....

General Mihailovich at the 1946 trial that would end with his execution. The hills of Ivanjica, Serbia Photo by Z. Pejovich In America it is still September 15th. In Serbia the first hours of September 16th are passing through the night. This is an important day in the history of Serbia. This is the day when Serbia has an opportunity to redeem herself.On this day Serbia must forget blaming others. She must face her own direct accountability in putting to death one of her greatest heroes and most loyal sons and begin the journey to redemption. On this day, September...

General Draza Mihailovich On September 16, 2010, the Higher Court in Belgrade, formerly the Third Municipal Court at 15 Timocka Street, will be hearing the Case for the Rehabilitation of General Dragoljub Draza Mihailovich.It is my sincere hope that on that September day, Draza's beloved Serbia, the homeland that so many genuine Christian Serbian patriots fought and died for, finally regains her soul. The following is from my 2007 essay "Serbia's History needs to be Rewritten" and as this September hearing nears, I wanted to share a reminder of why it matters: "To wipe out all the positive traces of...

Richard L. Felman, U.S.A.F. Aleksandra's Note: The following testimony by Richard Felman of the United States Air Force, a decorated WWII veteran, was given while General Draza Mihailovich was still alive. Mihailovich had been captured by Tito's Yugoslav communist forces in March of 1946, and his trial in Belgrade began on June 10th of that year. On July 15th, after a sham trial, he was "convicted". On July 16th he appealed the verdict, and the appeal was rejected. On July 17th, 1946, General Mihailovich was executed by the communists in his beloved Belgrade. His murder had a galvanizing effect on...

General Draza Mihailovich Born April 27, 1893 Killed July 17, 1946 Ivanjica, Serbia Birthplace of Draza Mihailovich Photo by "Pejovich" on Panoramio ***** FOR YOU, DEAR GENERAL OF THE AGES:"...HEROES HAVE THE WHOLE EARTH FOR THEIR TOMB;AND IN LANDS FAR FROM THEIR OWN,WHERE THE COLUMN WITH ITS EPITAPH DECLARES IT,THERE IS ENSHRINED IN EVERY BREASTA RECORD UNWRITTEN WITH NO TABLET TO PRESERVE IT,EXCEPT THAT OF THE HEART..."Pericles*****

ON THIS DAY, 64 years ago in Serbia... General Dragoljub Draza Mihailovich was put on trial in Belgrade by Marshal Tito's Yugoslav communists beginning on June 10th, 1946 until July 15, 1946. He was charged with approximately 47 counts of war crimes and high treason, and found "guilty" on 8 counts. On this day, July 15th, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. The next day, July 16, the Presidium of the National Assembly in Belgrade rejected the clemency appeal. On July 17, 1946 the sentence was carried out. To date, as of July 15, 2010, the remains have...

Aleksandra's Note: He is one of very last of them still living. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with Curtis "Bud" Diles in Chicago, in May of 1994, when he came to participate in the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Halyard Mission Rescue Operation being celebrated that year as part of the D-Day Anniversary ceremonies being held throughout the United States. We became instant friends and have stayed in touch ever since. At 84, he continues to share his memories and gratitude for what the Serbs did for the Americans behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia in 1944....

Staff Sergeant Gus T. Brown testifying before the Commission of Inquiry in New York, May 1946. He was the first of the American Airmen who fell in Serbia in 1944 to meet General Draza Mihailovich. "Upon arriving there was no formality—there was formality, but was nothing like I would expect when meeting a general of some other army. I went in there, and this captain that went with me knocked on the General’s door, and he immediately told me to come in, and when I was about to salute he told me I did not have to salute, and he...

<p>Thank you for publishing the March 23 news obituary "Art Jibilian: Part of WWII Team That Rescued Airmen in Nazi-Occupied Yugoslavia" detailing the efforts of Art "Jibby" Jibilian and others to save American and other Allied pilots in Nazi-occupied Serbia during World War II.</p>

General Draza Mihailovich Ada Ciganlija, Belgrade / Photo by Milica Prodanovic Sept. 2007 Ada Ciganlija Promenade at Dusk / Photo by Milos Rancic April 2008 It won't be long now. In March of 2010 a group of Serbs announced that this spring they’re going to start digging on Ada Ciganlija for the Mihailovich remains. Ada Ciganlija, a sort of “river island peninsula” between the Sava River and Belgrade, used to be the notorious place where executions of “undesirable elements” were carried out. Now, “Ada” is one of the most popular recreational spots in Serbia, where hundreds of thousands of locals...

WTOL Editorial Arthur Jibillian died last week after a long battle with leukemia. His inspiring story as a hero of the World War II Forgotten 500 rescue mission of downed American pilots has received a lot of attention. I last saw Mr. Jibillian at a rotary lunch in his honor. He reminded me, one more time, to call him Jibby -- even though the lunch was about him, he didn't want to talk about that. Instead, he thanked WTOL for the attention we helped bring to this remarkable war story. Jibby was a humble man. He wanted this story told...

<p>ART “Jibby” Jibilian was a hero whose World War II exploits were buried in the mark of global politics. In recent years, details have emerged of the daring, behind-enemy-lines rescue of hundreds of downed Allied airmen in which he played a prominent role. These details make clear that Mr. Jibilian, who died this month at 86, was indeed one of the greatest of the Greatest Generation.</p>

Arthur Jibilian WTOL Toledo Aleksandra's Note: I had the great fortune, ironically due to unfortunate circumstances, of becoming acquainted with Debi Jibilian, Arthur's only daughter, in July of 2008. Early one morning, I received a voice mail message from her, where she identified who she was then proceeded to tell me that I needed to call her as soon as possible. It was one of those voice mails where you instinctively know it's not going to be "good news". I called as soon as I heard the message, and sure enough, it was bad news. Her Daddy had just been...

Arthur Jibilian January 1945 Arthur Jibilian June 2009 Today, Saturday March 27th, 2010, as the Jibilian family holds their "Celebration of Life" for Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian, I wanted to share with you some of the sentiments expressed by those that knew him over the years on hearing of his passing on March 21st, 2010 at the age of 86. Arthur Jibilian was not only respected and admired, he was loved, by people the world over, some who knew him personally and others who did not, but who knew of him and all that he did on behalf of Truth and...

Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian in 2009 FREMONT -- A local war hero and lone surviving member of 1944's Operation Halyard has died. Art Jibilian, 86, has been battling leukemia since July 2008. He died Sunday afternoon. Jibilian, a radio operator, was nominated for the military's highest honor for his actions during five months in 1944, helping to rescue hundreds of people from a German-occupied area in Serbia. Jibilian was one of three Office of Strategic Services agents who parachuted into central Serbia in August 1944 to rescue what he thought was 50 downed airmen. "We didn't find 50," Jibilian would later...

"The first meeting with the General was very brief. Two Canadians, one British airman, and myself were trying to get to the coast to find a way out of Yugoslavia. We were met by Chetnik soldiers and brought to Mihailovich's headquarters. We spoke only to the General's staff members for about half an hour. We told them we were on our way to the coast after having been in their country for over 50 days. We asked for help to get to the coast. It was then that General Mihailovich came into the room. After being briefed by his Staff,...

On a beautiful summer morning in June of 2007, I took a drive out to Libertyville, Illinois for the purpose of taking photos of the new memorial monument that had been erected and dedicated to Voyvoda Momchilo Djujich, a highly revered Chetnik commander under the command of Serbia's General Draza Mihailovich in World War II. When I arrived at St. Sava Monastery, the Serbian Orthodox Church that was home to this new memorial, I found the grounds to be even more lovely and peaceful than I had hoped they would be. The experience exceeded my expectations as the beauty of...

Frederick Heydenau In 1943, a second major novel on Draza Mihailovich and the Chetnik guerrillas was published in the United States by E.P. Dutton in New York. The novel, "The Wrath of the Eagles: A Novel of the Chetniks", was written by Austrian-born émigré author Frederick Heydenau who recounted the emergence and exploits of the guerrilla resistance movement led by Draza Mihailovich. Book Review "The Wrath of the Eagles: A Novel of the Chetniks" by Frederick Heydenau Published by E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., New York. Translated from German by Barrows Mussey. 318 pp. As more and more news accounts...

For "Vidovdan" a quarterly Serbian magazine published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. December 2009 More often than not, a war story is about killing and bloodshed. This is not one of those stories of death, but rather one of life. In fact, it’s about an incredible and unprecedented rescue in the hills of Yugoslavia during WWII. This is a story which should have been told long ago, but for political reasons was suppressed until recent years. It’s now told in a book authored by Gregory Freeman, ‘The Forgotten 500’. It is very aptly titled, and involves the heroics and sacrifices of...

General Draza Mihailovich Awaits the Verdict // Carl Savich on the Mihailovich Trial Coverage in LIFE Magazine July 15, 1946 In the July 15, 1946 issue, LIFE magazine reported on the Draza Mihailovich trial in an article entitled “Mihailovich Awaits the Verdict”. LIFE photographer John Phillips took pictures of Draza Mihailovich before the Communist military court, smoking a pipe, drinking a bottle of beer, and lying in his bed in his cell reading a book. In a photo essay entitled “Mihailovich: Chetnik leader fights for his life before open Yugoslav court-martial”, Phillips also photographed a military guard, wearing a cap...

Aleksandra's Note: The following is a terrific book review and commentary on George Sava's "The Chetniks" by Carl Savich, who captures the true spirit of what this story conveys. To all the old Chetniks, the true blue freedom fighters who continue to carry the Chetnik spirit in their hearts and have passed it along to their children and grandchildren who look upon them as real heroes, I extend best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving 2009. Those of us who came after you, and who have had the privilege to meet you and know you, will be forever grateful that you...

A Tribute to Major Richard L. Felman, of the United States Air Force, for the 10th Anniversary of his passing in honor of Veterans Day, 2009 Major Richard L. Felman U.S.A.F. May 29, 1921 - November 13, 1999 Major Felman, kneeling and saluting, as the wreath is laid at the eternal flame in Daley Plaza, Chicago, for the 50th Anniversary commemoration of "Operation Halyard", May 1994. Photo by A. Rebic. He never stopped. It became his mission in life. For 55 years, over half of the 20th Century, Major Richard L. Felman of the United States Air Force worked ceaselessly...

Testimony of Captain Walter R. Mansfield, first American Liaison Officer with General Mihailovich, before the Commission of Inquiry Captain Walter R. Mansfield, U.S. General Draza Mihailovich 1943 MR. KIENDL TO CAPTAIN MANSFIELD: You never saw any evidence of collaboration all the time you were there? CAPTAIN MANSFIELD: I never saw any evidence of collaboration between Mihailovich personally and the Germans. Q: Did you ever hear any reports from any Americans to the effect that there was such collaboration between Mihailovich and the Germans? A: I have only heard reports to the contrary, that there was none. From the first day's...

Following the successful organized uprising, the first of its kind in occupied Europe, by the Serbian resistance forces under the command of Serbia’s General Draza Mihailovich that not only threatened Germany’s southern flank in Europe and her occupation of Serbia after Yugoslavia fell to Hitler in April of 1941, but critically delayed Hitler’s planned attack on the Soviet Union that summer, the Germans retaliated. But it wasn’t in the usual way, man to man, soldier to soldier. The method of Nazi retaliation initiated against the Serbs was unprecedented, and the target was the civilian population. Hitler’s aim was to suppress...

NOTE: In an era when it's still "politically incorrect" to recognize the valuable contributions and legacy of the Serbs, most politicians still don't have the guts to support any cause or action that reflects "positively" on Serbia or the Serbians. Senator George Voinovich, Republican of Ohio, is one of the rare ones who is not concerned about "political correctness" in such matters, and for that he should be applauded. Ohio Senator George V. Voinovich has sent out congratulatory letters to the winners of "The Forgotten 500 Book Report Contest 2009" and Vasilije "Vaso" Katanic has graciously shared his letter on...

Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian, 86Forgotten WWII vets to get their due at the University of Toledo Homecoming event to fete alumni heroes The Toledo Blade By MEGHAN GILBERT-CUNNINGHAM BLADE STAFF WRITER OCTOBER 9, 2009 Arthur Jibilian, ever young, at 86 in 2009 Photo: The Toledo Blade Art Jibilian has been an American hero since 1944, but until recently he's lived his life in northwest Ohio without any recognition. The University of Toledo alumnus is now getting the kudos he deserves and is drawing attention to a misrepresented part of World War II history. Mr. Jibilian, 86, born and raised in Toledo...

REVIEW BY CARL SAVICH EIGHT BAILED OUT By Major James M. Inks, U.S.A.F. Edited by Lawrence Klingman. Illustrations by S/Sgt. Morton D. Rosenfeld and M/Sgt. John H Schuffert. NY: W.W. Norton and Company, 1954. Reprint: NY: Popular Library, 1963. On July 28, 1944, eight members of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber bailed out over German-occupied Yugoslavia after the plane sustained damaged following a bombing mission on the Ploesti oil installations in Romania. The American crew landed by parachute behind enemy lines in German-occupied Montenegro where they were rescued by Serbian Chetnik guerrillas, who hid the downed airmen from German troops....

BELGRADE -- The military intelligence services have submitted information to the State Commission that General Dragoljub Mihailovich is buried on Ada Ciganlija. According to the State Commission on Establishing the Truth about the Murder of Dragoljub Mihailovich, digging will shortly begin next to the gates of a former prison on Ada as part of the search for Mihailovich’s remains, writes daily Novosti. “This is the first time that a state body has submitted tangible knowledge of the execution and burial of General Mihailovich. The conditions have therefore been created to begin excavations at that location,“ one member of the commission...

Plaque in Pranjani dedicated to the Halyard Mission on September 12, 2004. The plaque next to it reflects the same inscription in the Serbian language. Photo courtesy of OSS Halyard Mission radioman Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian Serb soldiers in front of the Halyard Mission monument first dedicated in September of 2004,in Pranjani, Serbia August 15, 2009. Photo courtesy of Lt. Col. John Cappello Ohio National Guard troops that are in Serbia doing work on schools in South Serbia. They are working with Serb soldiers, some of which are also in the photo. The older folks are those who participated in assisting...

MAJOR RICHARD L. FELMAN OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE FEATURED SPEAKER AT THE 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE HALYARD MISSION RESCUE OPERATION CHICAGO, ILLINOIS May 31, 1994 Transcription of Major Felman's Speech by Aleksandra Rebic ***** “Distinguished guests… Very Distinguished guests… Reverend Clergy… Fellow airmen who were with me when we were shot downover Yugoslavia in 1944 and Bracho i Sestre (Brothers and Sisters)… Before I say a single word, I must first express my everlasting gratitude to the City of Chicago and the Department of Defense today, for honoring the Halyard Mission. Until now, one of the most...