95 Year-Old Veteran Honored For Heroic Efforts in WWII
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_wwii_rescue_medal(Do notice that his Serb ancestry is conveniently concealed.)
Dr. Brennan Fan
95-year-old NYC man gets medal for WWII rescue
By VERENA DOBNIK, Associated Press Writer
– Sun Oct 17, 7:26 pm ET
NEW YORK – The U.S. government has recognized the World War II architect of a mission to rescue more than 500 U.S. bomber crew members shot down over Nazi-occupied Serbia.
It was the largest air rescue of Americans behind enemy lines in any war.
George Vujnovich (VOOY'-noh-veech) is credited with leading the so-called Halyard Mission in what was then Yugoslavia.
The 95-year-old New York City man was awarded the Bronze Star in a ceremony Sunday at Manhattan's St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral. He received a standing ovation from a crowd of several hundred.
He's long retired from his job as a salesman of aircraft parts.
Vujnovich says of the honor, "better now than never" — but he regrets most of the men on his wartime mission are no longer alive.