U.S., Serbia strengthen partnership at Halyard commemoration

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Stephen Ocenosak
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa
PRANJANI, Serbia --  The word “Halyard” means little to most people, but to more than 500 U.S. and allied Airmen who had been downed behind enemy lines during World War II, it meant safety, freedom, and friendship.

The Halyard Operation was the largest rescue of downed airmen ever and the largest repatriation effort of World War II. From August 1944 to February 1945, the Serbian population and the Yugoslav Armed Forces in the Homeland secretly transferred downed airmen to the central location of Pranjani, Serbia, facilitating their evacuation by Allied forces. On Sept. 22, 2018, U.S. and Serbian service members gathered to commemorate the 74th anniversary of this mission.

After listening to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band play the Serbian and U.S. national anthems and laying a wreath at the Halyard Mission memorial on top of a mountain near Pranjani, Brig. Gen. Richard G. Moore Jr., USAFE chief of staff, took a moment to reflect on the operation.

“It happened right here on this field,” Moore said. “The folks that had been downed created an airfield with the help of the local peasants and partisans who defended and sheltered them. And then several hundred of them were originally brought back so they could come back and fight again. It was one of the most monumental events of World War II.”

Going back and forth between Serbian and English, Kyle Scott, the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, expressed his perspective of the Halyard Mission on behalf of the U.S. delegation.

“So I see in this field not only a field of history and a field of heroism, but also holy ground, because here the Serbian people showed the best that humanity has to offer,” the ambassador said. “They gave everything they had of themselves. Courage in the face of evil. They gave of themselves to help an unknown stranger, and that’s what makes mankind what it is.”

“We’re thrilled with the continued good relations with the Serbian military,” the general added. “We look forward to continuing to exercise and build our military to military relationships. As we continue to get closer, we gain a better understanding of each other’s capabilities, and along with that comes not just partnership, but friendship.”