The 81st anniversary of Operation Halyard and the rescue of Allied pilots carried out by members of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland was marked today in Boljanić near Doboj.
A total of 500 Allied pilots were saved, while 60 American airmen were evacuated from an improvised airfield in Boljanić. President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik announced the construction of a memorial center at the site.
Operation Halyard, also known as the Air Bridge, was the largest rescue mission of American soldiers behind enemy lines in 1944 and 1945. Local Serbs built an improvised runway and saved the downed American pilots from certain death.
Dodik emphasized that the Serb people should be proud of Operation Halyard, underlining that they are a freedom-loving nation. He also lit a candle in memory of slain American patriot Charlie Kirk and called for correcting historical injustices.
BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović stated that the “sacred duty” of all is to ensure historical justice for the Serbs and praised the mission as a symbol of true friendship and partnership.
John Cappello, President of the Halyard Mission Foundation, noted that this was a unique operation where all pilots were saved without a single loss, stressing it as an example of how allies can function and work together.
Doboj Mayor Boris Jerinić highlighted that the mission proves the Serb people have always stood on the right side of history.
The commemoration began with wreath-laying and the national anthems of Republika Srpska, Serbia, and the United States.
The event was attended by President Dodik, RS National Assembly Speaker Nenad Stevandić, Prime Minister Savo Minić, BiH Presidency member Željka Cvijanović, Serbian State Secretary Nikola Vukelić, representatives of the U.S. Embassy, MPs, military officials including General Gojko Knežević, as well as members of the Halyard Mission Foundation and diplomats.
For his role in the operation, General Dragoljub Draža Mihailović was posthumously awarded the highest U.S. military decoration — the Legion of Merit.
Source: RTRS
