22.09.2014.

Seven decades of Halyard Mission celebrated

On the occasion of seventieth anniversary of Halyard Mission when several hundreds of American airmen and other Allied personnel from Great Britain, Russia, France, Italy and Bulgaria were evacuated thanks to the help of the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland led by Dragoljub Mihailovic and US military intelligence service (OSS – Office of Strategic Services), delegations laid wreaths at the memorial at Galovica meadow of Pranjane near Cacak, today.

At the ceremony organized by the Halyard Foundation in Washington, under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Serbia and the United States Embassy, a tribute to the heroes of the rescue mission, in the former improvised airport, was paid by the special envoy of the President of the Republic of Serbia Oliver Antic, US Deputy Ambassador in Belgrade Gordon Duguid, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Serbian Orthodox Church, local government and the Halyard Foundation.

Welcoming the guests, the envoy of the President of the Republic said that the gathering in Pranjani was dedicated to humanity and bravery, generosity and loyalty, gratitude and integrity and other virtues that Serbian people keep and cherish, and many times they showed it to their allies.

- With the Serbs the alliance is not temporary relationship between interests and forces, but the sanctity and freedom for which the life is given with unsullied honour – Antic said.

Addressing the gathering on behalf of President Obama, conveying the greetings of the American people, the US Deputy Ambassador in Belgrade Gordon Duguid said that they have gathered today to evoke the memory of those who are called "the forgotten five hundred", the brave representatives of the Serbian people who devotedly defended the American pilots.

After laying the wreaths the guests visited the wooden church in Pranjani, and elementary school 'Ivo Andric', whose reconstruction was helped by the United States Embassy in Belgrade.