Operation Halyard
One of the great rescue stories of WWII
Operation Halyard was the greatest rescue mission of American airmen in our history. It was conducted by a three-man OSS (Office of Strategic Services) team dropped into Serbia that was occupied by the Germans. The OSS operatives linked up with Serbian “Chetniks” led by General Draža Mihailović in August of 1944.
This three-man Halyard team was commanded by
Lieutenant George Musulin, along with Master Sergeant Michael Rajacich,
and Specialist Arthur Jibilian, the radio operator. The team was
assigned to the United States Fifteenth Air Force and designated as the
1st Air Crew Rescue Unit.
By the time the operation was finished, the OSS had rescued 432 American
airmen and 80 other Allied personnel who were airlifted out of
Yugoslavia and back into Allied control. The story was captured in
the outstanding book “The Forgotten 500” by Douglas A. Freeman.
The following is a video about this mission -
