Day Two-The Conclusion of "The Forgotten 500 Reunion-Operation Halyard Remembered-Lest we Forget"

www.generalmihailovich.com ^ | July 17, 2009 | Aleksandra Rebic

[Ravnagora]

“To brighten the future, we must illuminate the past.”

The operating principle of ‘Lest we Forget’

As I hit the road on Thursday, June 18th, to attend “Day Two” of the ‘Forgotten 500 Reunion’ at the Park Inn in St. Joseph, Michigan, I thought of the day before and was convinced it couldn’t get any better. But I was wrong. It could and it did.

This would be the day I would finally have the opportunity to meet Greg Freeman, author of ‘The Forgotten 500’, with whom I’d been corresponding for two years. I’d also have the opportunity to see my friend Slavko Panovich, the President of Serbian National Defense, who I hadn’t seen for a long while and who was driving in for the day’s events from Chicago. It was a beautiful day in southwest Michigan, and I would once again be in the company of wonderful people who had done great, important things and made immeasurable contributions to the way of life we were blessed with in America. It would turn out to be one of those singular days in one’s lifetime that leaves a permanent impression and fills the heart with good memories and illumination.

As I walked into the meeting room at the Park Inn, I had made it on time to hear the presentation given by Alexander Jefferson, a black man, a Tuskegee airman, a true blue fighter pilot, a Congressional Gold Medal recipient, and as I listened to his story there in the room full of Serbs and Americans, I quickly realized how fortunate we were to have this opportunity.

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[Ravnagora]

[MadelineZapeezda]

Great job, ‘the Aleksandra’!!!!

[Bokababe]

BTW, Barnes & Noble has the book “The Forgotten 500” on sale for $3.99 right now.

It’s an excellent addition to anyone’s understanding of WWII, the US and the Balkans.