Jerry Yellin, 93, Dies; Flew the Last World War II Combat Mission

NY Times ^ | 24 December 2017 | RICHARD GOLDSTEIN

[Joe 6-pack]

"Many strange happenings at the end of the war."

Not the least of which was the death of John Birch.

[oh8eleven]

Fighter pilots at 19 years old. I had no idea.
Today's 19 year old boys are still in mommy's basement.
The ranks of WWII soldiers were filled with teenagers - some as young as 14.

[oh8eleven]

I met Jerry two years ago on a one day tour of Iwo Jima.
Wow, what an honor ... must have been a hell of a trip.
Thanks for your service Colonel and Semper Fi ...

[AFret.]

Yes. These men of that generation...it brings to mind one of my favorite quotes, yet bittersweet and sad from Tales of The South Pacific by James Michener:

“...They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge...”

It applies to all these men, not just those of the South Pacific. You could substitute “Schweinfurt” for “Guadalcanal”, and “European Theater” for “South Pacific” and it would mean just the same.

Every time one of them passes, I hear this passage. My dad was one of those men. How I miss him.

---

I read your post a dozen times. Couldn’t agree more. Our country is truly blessed to have such gallant men stand and be counted. My Father was a B-29 pilot flying from Saipan. I miss him more every day...

[rlmorel]

My dad had a stroke, and lived for about five months before he died. Conscious, but unable to speak or move 2/3 of his body. There was so much I wanted to talk to him about, and I talked to him, but if I had known the evening at a family dinner get together when he had his stroke that was the last time I would hear his voice...

Like your dads, probably, my dad was not a big talker, but...he did speak every year at the Memorial Day services in his hometown...just a few months ago, I stumbled across an old video recording someone made of his Memorial Day speech back in 1995...it was pretty stunning to hear. My dad was not a great speech giver, but...just to hear his voice again was very moving.

My dad went out to the Pacific in July 1945, so that wasn't really his war, but...he served in destroyers in WWII, Korea, and the Cuban Missile Crisis before he took shore duty to spend time with us.

Those men...our dads...there was a commonality to them that is apparent to us in some way. And with this gentleman Jerry Yellin...same thing. I think that is why that passage from Michener moves me as it does, and probably moved those men as well. There was a generational bond between all of them.

[rlmorel]

I wish they had been able to preserve the USS Enterprise (CV-6).

So much history.

[Terry Mross]

There are some teenagers fighting today. God bless them.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[BatGuano]

Interesting...I learned deflection shooting TRYING to hit Mourning Doves flying over a peanut field in Florida. Many boxes of shells expended, a few birds. Maybe a 30% average, if that, because they are strong fliers and don’t fly in straight lines like a quail.
If you have the target at your 12, you don’t need to lead him.

[Strac6]

There is so much more.

After the war, entire SS units joined the FFL intact. One particular battalion did incredible work in Tay Ninh area of Vietnam.

Other former SS and Wehrmacht soldiers joined the US Army. The 10th SF Group was full of them. Think about it; where else were you going to get native German-speaking US Army soldiers who were trained for deep infil and stay-behind missions in case the big balloon went us and the Sovs came west through the Fulda Gap?

It went on very sub-rosa for a whole, then the Lodge Act made it all legal.

In 1969, at a beer night at Bragg I met a retired E-8, all sorts of Real Deal stuff on his DD 214. He had been awarded the SS that day for something classified he had done somewhere (the citation was very non-specific) in 1962.

When the night wore on, some of the old guys started singing the “alte Kameraden lieder.” I congratulated the old MSG on his SS. He said “ja,ja,ja. Das ist gut, young Sir, but let me show you a Real Man’s Medal!!!!!”

It got very quiet. The old guys knew what was coming. Hans reached into his wallet and pulled out an Iron Cross with Oak Leaves! I asked (wonderingly) “An Iron Cross.... with Oak Leaves... Where in the hell did you get that, Hans!

He pulled his old body off the bar stool, grew about 6 inches, clicked his heels and announced in a loud command voice; “Stalingrad, Mein Kapitän!”

It was a great night!

[oh8eleven]

Those men...our dads...there was a commonality to them ...
I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge my WWII mom as well. She was a Navy nurse and although she never left the states, I always think her contribution to ending the war was almost as important as the men.

[rlmorel]

Your point is very well taken...

On a related note, I work in healthcare, and have the privilege of interacting with many of these men, easily recognizable to me in some way I can’t describe, if not in demeanor, at least in the dark blue military veteran ball caps they wear!

When I see these men, I make it a point to stop and talk to them, shake their hand, and strike up a short conversation with them.

Invariably, they are accompanied by their wife, and I make a point of recognizing that being married to a veteran (particularly a combat veteran and/or a career military vet) that being a military wife and running a household is no cakewalk in the woods. It can be hard and stressful, and any marriages that last are usually pretty good ones.

[bert]

We visited the MNA sometime back and there was a new building in process. We returned a year or so ago and it was complete. The new building contains Vietnam era and newer and coast guard planes and Helicopters.

Regarding the Enterprise....... one Jack C. Taylor the founder and owner of Enterprise car rental put up $11 million for the new museum building. He named his company for the WW II enterprise on which he served

What a fantastic man

[rlmorel]

I didn’t know that...very cool! I went there many years ago when I was in the USN and went on a weekend trip home with a AD1 Hammond from Pensacola (on Space A!) but I have a suspicion it is nothing now like it was then!

That looks like it is to Naval Aviation what Dayton Ohio is to Air Force Aviation...:)

[bert]

-—That looks like it is to Naval Aviation what Dayton Ohio is to Air Force Aviation..-—

No, Wright patterson is big and boring and dusty.

Pensacola is bright and shining and better.

Plus, when they closed NAS Cubi Point at Subic, they disassembled the O club and made the museum restaurant from all the stuff at Cubi Point

[rlmorel]

Very cool! Did they bring over the carrier landing approach thingamabob that people sat in and made the trap with? (I think that was in the Cubi O-Club, but I might be getting it mixed up)

[rlmorel]

Good God! Look at that greenhouse on the side of the fuselage! That is a fugly plane too, but I sure like those windows!