Posted on 11/23/2016 1:05:21 PM PST by Ravnagora
PRANJANI, Serbia -- The sky was black with the billowing smoke of the downed B-17 bombers and the canopies of Allied Airmen parachuting to an unknown fate behind Nazi lines in German-occupied Serbia.
This is the sight the villagers of Pranjani remember from the late summer of 1944.
Operation Halyard was an Office of Strategic Services mission to rescue more than 500 Allied Airmen who were scattered around a mountainous region in Serbia after their bombers were shot down by the Germans in WWII. It remains the largest rescue operation of American Airmen in history.
The U.S. State Department, U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, Serbian armed forces, and local government officials attended a commemoration event in the town of Pranjani, Serbia Nov. 18, which honored the villagers who welcomed the downed Airmen with open arms.
“As an Airman myself, I can only imagine the fear they felt as they escaped from a mortally wounded bomber and parachuted into a land they knew nothing about,” Brig. Gen. Randy Huston, 3rd Air Force mobilization assistant, said during a speech where he addressed an audience at the historic makeshift airfield.
(Excerpt) Read more at usafe.af.mil ...
Ping!
As a proud half-Serb thanks for posting!
Memory Eternal to the airmen of Operation Halyard, and the brave Serbs who rescued them!!!! Vjecnaja pamjat!!!!
I hope that the incoming Trump administration will work to undo the damage that the clintons and their cronies did to Serbia and her people!!!!
And these are the people Bill “BJ’’ Clinton bombed the piss out of in the ‘90s.
My Serbian Grandmother had 4 sons who served, 2 in Europe(1 in the Battle of the Bulge), 2 in the South Pacific. They have all since passed. All hard-workers, good family men, proud Americans.
When Bill Clinton ordered our military to enter the war in Yugoslavia our military did an excellent and successful operation of disposing of the supposed enemy. There was only one problem, Bill Clinton directed our military to fight for the wrong side.
Obama has done the same in Syria. Syria was a stable dictatorship. Bashar Assad is not a nice guy. However, a Jew, a Muslim or a Christian could live in peace and worship in their church, temple or mosque with safety. They could live side by side with others not of their faith.
Their are few Jews and Christians left in Syria. Most fled for their lives due to Isis. It must be noted the few that are left are fighting on the side of Bashar Assad.
Clinton and Obama destabilized Syria by design and forethought. Clinton and Obama are the creators of this mass tragedy in Syria. They broke multiple international laws doing this. Syria was a recognized nation, when Clinton and Obama armed the rebels, actually Isis, the broke international law, and US law. They are war criminals.
Syria was no threat to us. Syria was a minor threat to Israel but she could take care of Syria in a couple of months of conventional warfare or 15 minutes if nuclear.
Iraq was stable as was Afghanistan when we pulled out too early. We pulled out against all advice from our military. The informed us and the administration what would happen. It did happen.
The Mideast is on fire because of the actions of Obama and Hillary. They only thing in question was this done by ignorance or design? I suspect it was by design.
Soros, et.al., work their magic once again. Our Govt. leaders are highly paid pawns and are always on the wrong side for the wrong reasons. Destabilizing the world generates a lot of money for the select FEW, who have our soldiers dying for their selfish causes. If Trump does nothing else than stop this Mayhem, which actually is his constitutional duty, and defend our Homeland here, secure our Borders, and leave other sovereign nations the alone, I will be content. Screw the EU/NATO/UN.
My 4 grandparents - paternal both Serb and maternal both Polish, all came through Ellis Island. Serb grandfather fought in WWI, they had 9 kids, 3 boys all served, navy, army , coast guard and daughter, army sergeant, all in WWII. One uncle I never met died at Anzio. Military service was big in our family and they were proud and happy to fight for our country. Serb grandfather as a private in WWI was singled out to teach his platoon bayonet skills after they saw how he went after the dummy in training. He also survived the influenza epidemic and was studied by many doctors who couldn’t figure out why he was the only one who did not get sick and die. He told them it was because he ate garlic. RIP all of them.
They made it work, even during very hard times, my mom said her brothers never got in trouble, always worked hard(whatever work there was)...though they occasionally received help from the local church they worked in fields, did maintenance work...whatever they could to give back.
None of them were educated much past the 8th grade, they didn't bitch/demand gov. handouts/protest...they were working class people who were grateful to a nation that took them in, and they were proud to serve her when called upon to do so.
A different generation, based in faith/principled/dedicated.
...in so many ways, I don't think they would recognize America today.
I know what you mean, I’m glad my parents were spared having Obama for a president and seeing what has happened in this country.
Bttt
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