82nd anniversary of Halyard Mission commemorated: A heroic story connecting Serbia and the US

The 82nd anniversary of the Halyard Mission, the largest rescue operation of Allied airmen during World War II, was commemorated today at Galovica Field in the village of Pranjani near Gornji Milanovac. US Embassy in Belgrade Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Titolo stressed that the occasion celebrated a partnership between the two peoples that had endured for many years, Politika reported.

The ceremony at the Halyard Mission Memorial Complex began with a flyover by US Air Force aircraft and a parachute jump demonstrating cooperation between US and Serbian military forces.

Milorad Veljovic, envoy of the President of the Republic, highlighted the courage and humanity of Serbian soldiers and local residents who risked their own lives to provide shelter and assistance to American airmen.

“The Serbian people have always demonstrated and proven their sense of justice and humanity, even during the most difficult moments of their glorious history. Not even a superior fascist force could deter Serbian villagers and fighters from carrying out a rescue operation that would be written about in textbooks for decades. This is a moving wartime story which, regardless of the scope and scale of the operation, speaks volumes about the character of a people capable of showing solidarity and unity even under impossible circumstances in pursuit of a higher goal—freedom and a better future for generations to come,” Veljovic stressed.

He emphasized the obligation to preserve this heroic act from oblivion and to nurture the memory of the alliance in the struggle for freedom.

Cappello and Titolo: Halyard a powerful symbol of Serbian-American partnership and trust

President of the Halyard Mission Foundation John Cappello recalled his first visit to Galovica Field, when there was no memorial at the site, and noted that today, more than two decades later, the occasion was commemorated not only as part of history but also as a foundation for the future relationship between the two peoples.

“In the United States, this process is taking place in a different way. The Halyard Mission Foundation works with more than 20 museums and two universities to help tell this story, and our goal is to do even more. We are not only working with universities and museums; we are also trying to locate all the families of those who were rescued. Two such families are here today, and our goal is to connect them with the Serbian families who helped them. In this way, we are building a relationship that goes beyond history recorded in books and becomes living history,” Cappello said.

He stressed that Halyard was an example of the selflessness, courage and honor of the Serbian people.

“They had very little at the time, yet they gave so much. That is why I believe this is a truly valuable example of how we should live,” Cappello said.

US Embassy in Belgrade Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Titolo stressed that the occasion celebrated a partnership between the two peoples that had endured for many years.

“We are building a relationship based on trust, and this event is a powerful symbol of that relationship. It is particularly significant that the Serbian Government has now designated this as an official state commemoration. This is no longer merely a private memorial, but an official Serbian memorial. That is a major step forward, but we want to do even more to tell this story,” Titolo said.

He added that although this important event had been suppressed and forgotten over the course of history, both sides had been working for years to rectify that by bringing the heroic story to greater public attention.

“A large part of our shared history has been forgotten, but that is precisely why we are here. We want to remind people of our longstanding partnership—not only to retell an extraordinary story, but also to work on building trust for the future. I think we can expect continued and enhanced cooperation with Serbia, including military cooperation. We have accomplished a great deal this year and have had a very dynamic year, both in our bilateral relations and through Serbia’s cooperation with NATO. These are concrete steps toward building trust so that we can work together and address various common challenges,” Titolo said, according to Tanjug.

Steve Smith of North Carolina, whose uncle was rescued more than eight decades ago along with approximately 500 other Allied airmen, said he had come to Galovica Field to thank the Serbian people.

“This is an opportunity for me to express my gratitude and respect to all Serbs for their courage and everything they did to care for my uncle while he was here 82 years ago,” Smith said.

He noted that very little was known about the Halyard Mission in the United States.

“We are trying to change that, while interest in Serbia is growing thanks to our visits,” he added.

Caretaker Minister for European Integration Nemanja Starovic said that this fascinating historical episode represented a solid foundation on which Serbia should build both its present and its future, as well as Serbian-American relations.

“When we speak about Operation Halyard, or the Air Bridge, we are talking about the largest rescue operation of American military personnel behind enemy lines in history. The truth about this operation was suppressed for decades in communist Yugoslavia, but it was not widely discussed in the United States either,” Starovic said.

He stressed that he was very proud that, two years ago, the Serbian Government had included the commemoration of Operation Halyard in the official state program marking significant Serbian anniversaries and dates, with strong support from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

“Year after year, we can see that this event is being commemorated at an increasingly high and significant level,” the Minister said.

He recalled that the Serbia-US Strategic Dialogue had officially begun in July, providing a comprehensive platform for cooperation extending beyond diplomacy and foreign-policy services to include various departments and ministries on the Serbian side.

According to Starovic, all of this opened the door to significant US investment in Serbia, whether in infrastructure, energy or advanced technologies, which could reach as much as USD 20 billion in the coming years.

On behalf of the Ministry of Defense and the Serbian Armed Forces, Chief of the General Staff General Milan Mojsilovic laid a wreath at the Halyard Mission memorial.

During Operation Air Bridge, also known as the Halyard Mission, more than 500 Allied airmen were evacuated by air from the occupied territory of Yugoslavia in 1944. Pranjani was at the center of the operation, where local residents constructed an improvised airstrip at Galovica Field and provided shelter and assistance to members of downed aircrews until their evacuation.

Today, the Halyard Mission is commemorated as a symbol of the suffering and rescue of Allied servicemen and as a reminder of the courage of the local population who assisted the airmen during the occupation.