The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All ... the GreatestRescue Mission of World War II

During a bombing campaign over Romanian oil fields, hundreds of American airmen were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. Local Serbian farmers and peasants sheltered the soldiers while awaiting rescue. In 1944, the OSS launched Operation Halyard to recover more than 500 airmen trapped behind enemy lines. The rescue presented extraordinary challenges. The starving Americans had to construct a landing strip large enough for C-47 cargo planes without tools, without alerting German forces, and without endangering the villagers. The cargo planes themselves had to navigate enemy airspace to reach the site and return safely. Classified for over fifty years for political reasons, this account of the operation remained untold until now. The Forgotten 500 presents the behind-the-scenes story of this World War II rescue mission, documenting the loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery of those involved.