World War II Honoree

George Vujnovich

Hometown

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED AS AN INTELLIGENCE AGENT AND OFFICER IN THE OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICES (OSS), THE U.S. WARTIME INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, AND THE PRECURSOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY (CIA). HE ORGANIZED A MISSION TO RESCUE MORE THAN 500 AMERICAN BOMBER CREWMEMBERS WHO HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN OVER NAZI-OCCUPIED SERBIA WHILE ON MISSIONS TO STRIKE THE OIL FIELDS IN ROMANIA IN THE SUMMER OF 1944. THE AIRMEN EVADED CAPTIVITY WITH THE HELP OF SERBIAN PARTISANS AND VILLAGERS WHO HID THEM FROM GERMAN AND ITALIAN FORCES. THE AMERICANS WOULD BE MOVED CONTINUOUSLY TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS TO AVOID BEING TAKEN CAPTIVE. HE DEVELOPED THE 'HALYARD MISSION' IN YUGOSLAVIA TO EFFECT THE LARGEST AIR RESCUE OF AMERICANS FROM BEHIND ENEMY LINES. THE PLAN WAS TO DROP OSS AGENTS IN THE AREA TO COORDINATE WITH PARTISANS TO BUILD AN AIRSTRIP CAPABLE OF HANDLING CARGO AIRCRAFT. ONCE IN PLACE, FLIGHTS WOULD BE PERIODICALLY SCHEDULED INTO THE STRIP NEAR THE VILLAGE OF PRANIANI TO PICK UP CREWMEMBERS. THE OPERATION WAS SUCCESSFUL AND PLANES FLEW IN AND OUT OF THE FIELD OVER THE COURSE OF MONTHS TO REPATRIATE THE FLYERS.