Photo Collection from Arthur 'Jibby' Jibilian

Photo Collection from Arthur 'Jibby' Jibilian, American Hero from WWII
Operation Halyard, Serbia, 1944

Above: Art Jibilian at the age of 20, during which time he voluntarily parachuted behind enemy lines in Pranjane, Serbia, 1944, to rescue more than 500 downed American airmen.

"Halyard Mission"

The information below was received from Jibby Jibilian:

August 9, 1944: 4 rescue planes from Pranjani
August 10, 1944: 14 planes from Pranjani
August 26/27, 1944: Pranjani
August 27/28 1944: Pranjani
September 5/6, 1944: Pranjani
September 17, 1944: Koceljevo
November 1, 1944: Bunar airstrip
December 27, 1944: final evacuation -----Halyard Mission came out

American hero, Art Jibilian, nominated to receive the Medal of Honor for his heroism in WWII, Operation Halyard

Above: University of Toledo's (Ohio) Homecoming Parade Honors Heroes

The American hero, Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian, is nominated to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, for his heroism in WWII, in the successful mission known as Operation Halyard. The Serbian people saved 500 American pilots in WWII. These pilots, who were involved in the bombardment of Romanian oil fields, parachuted over Serbia after their planes were shot down by Germans. Romanian oil was used by Hitler's army to attack the Soviet Union in WWII.

Tesla Memorial Society of New York and many Tesla admirers around the world support the nomination of Art Jibilian for the military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor. We ask President Barack Obama to award Art Jibilian the Medal of Honor.

Art Jibilian is one the "Forgotten 500" who deserve our recognition after so many years of silence for political reasons.

An American Hero from WWII and a member of the "Forgotten 500" received a special Congressional Award on December 7, 2008 in Toledo, Ohio

Above: Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, Secretary General, Tesla Memorial Society of New York with Art Jibilian at the award ceremony. Dr. Ljubo Vujovic is holding a photo of "The Forgotten 500". This photo was broadcasted on Ohio television.

	Remembering the Forgotten 500 It was no easy task. Arthur Jibilian of Fremont, who was a U.S.…
	Retired sailors remember Pearl Harbor As a nation on Sunday paused to commemorate the bombing of …

Art Jibilian is an American Hero

The following text was taken from WTOL:

On Sunday, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m., at the Air National Guard facility at Toledo Express Airport, Art Jibilian of Fremont received a special Congressional award.

Mr. Jibilian played a vital role in one of the last untold stories of World War II, The Forgotten 500. In a remarkable mission, more than 500 U.S. airmen were rescued from the hills of Yugoslavia. At the time, the area was controlled by the Nazis, who were hunting for the American airmen.

Brave Serbian villagers hid the Americans, even though they faced death if they were caught. Mr. Jibilian volunteered to parachute behind enemy lines and coordinate the rescue. He helped build an airstrip in the middle of the forest. He and his team organized the villagers and the downed airmen, and brought the C-4's into the makeshift airstrip. The airmen were rescued.

Mr. Jibilian's heroism is documented in a book by Gregory Freeman: "The Forgotten 500." It is a fascinating story that is all the more spectacular because it is true.

The impressive facility of the Air National Guard at Toledo Express Airport was full of people, national guardmen, commanders of the national guard, congressmen and a senators of the state of the State of Ohio. Many of the National Guardsmen and Congressmen spoke at the ceremony.

A Serbian delegation, who came from Cleveland, Ohio, also attended the event and was greeted warmly.

Photo Collection from Arthur 'Jibby' Jibilian, American Hero from WWII
Operation Halyard, Serbia, 1944

Above: American airmen together with Serbs, last day in Yugoslavia before departing to Bari, Italy. Jibilian is the second from the left standing. Captain Lalich is located in the middle of the first row (behind the machine gun). OSS agent Nick Lalich (center) with some of the last fliers to be taken out in Operation Halyard, on December 27, 1944.

Above: Americans with a nurse changing locations to hide from Germans. On the far right is a American with binoculars looking for enemy troops.

Above: Commander Musilin is located third from the left standing. Captain Lalich is standing on the far right of this photo. Jibilian is located in the middle of the first row.

Above: Serbs and American airmen together. Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army, is standing in the middle of the back row (wearing a hat and beard). Jibilian is located in the first row, third from the left (light jacket). December, 1944.

Above: Americans loading into an airplane, December 1944.

Above: Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army, gave a photo of himself to Jibby Jibilian. On the back side of the photo, General Mihailovic wrote:
"To Mr. Jibby Jibilian, Co-fighter and friend in those difficult days during the fight for Liberty
- General Draza Mihailovic (October 5, 1944)".

Above: George Vujnovich (standing, right) greets Nick Lalich (standing, center, with mustache) and the last group of downed airmen returning from Pranjane, Yugoslavia, on December 28, 1944.

Above: Doctor Mitrani and his assistant checking medical supplies. Because medical supplies were in short supply, many operations done by Doctor Mitrani at that time were performed without anesthesia.

Above: Captain Lalich and Jibilian are composing a message to send over radio to Bari, Italy.

Above: Jibby Jibilian (January, 1945) in Bari, Italy.

Above: American pilot of a C-47 plane in Pranjane, waiting to transport airmen to Bari, Italy.

Above: American planes waiting for American airmen to transport to Italy in Kochevo, Serbia. Two of this airplanes are damaged during landing because of a short landing stripe.

Above: Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army, with Serbian priests during a religious ceremony, in Pranjane, August 1944.

Above: Serbian village. Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army is located in the center of this photo.

Above:A typical Serbian village in the mountains of central Yugoslavia, with ox carts being readied for helping wounded American airmen travel to Pranjane.

Above: Doctor Mitrani treating a wounded American airman in Pranjane, 1944.

Above: Americans fliers on a C-47, on the way from Pranjane, Yugoslavia, to Bari, Italy.

Above: American airmen land in Bari, Italy, 1944.

Above: Allied airmen sleeping in Serbian homes, hiding from German patrols while awaiting rescue.

Above: Serbian field with enemy airplane in the background. Jibby Jibilian, radio operator, transmitted messages to Bari, Italy. German radio operators located Jibilian's coordinates and sent German planes to bombard him. Jibilian bearly escaped alive.

Above: George Kraigher (left) and George Vujnovich (right) celebrate with the Operation Halyard team returning on its final flight from Yugoslavia on December 28, 1944. Nick Lalich is standing in the center with mustache, and Arthur Jibilian is to the right of him.

Above: Photo of Nick Lalich, Draza Mihailovic (Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army) and Radio Tech A. Jibilian in Bosnia, 1944 hiding from Germans. This is a postcard sent from Captain Lalich to Jibilian.

Above: OSS agent Nick Lalich (standing, center), with OSS radio operator Arthur Jibilian (kneeling, left) and others in Pranjane, Yugoslavia, December 1944.

Above: American airmen on a rescue plane back to Italy, some warming their feet in canvas bags because they gave their shoes to local villagers before leaving Pranjane, Yugoslavia.

Above: American airmen loading onto an airplane, leaving for Italy.

Above:A typical Serbian village in the mountains of central Yugoslavia.

Above: Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian kneeling and holding a signaling devise (at night) to signal US airplanes to safely land on Pranjane Airfield to rescue downed American airmen. These airplanes, after landing, took the American airmen from Pranjane to Bari, Italy.

Above (from left to right): Captain Nick Lalich, Mike Rajacich and Muselin.

Above: Band of American soldiers and Serbs moving to various locations to avoid German paroles. Commander MacDowell of the US Ranger Mission is on the left riding a horse.

Above: American airmen on a C-47 on the way from Pranjane, Yugoslavia, to Bari.

Above: Koceljevo Airfield was used as a substitute airfield to rescue American airmen when Pranjane airfield was occupied, at the time, by Germans.

Above:A typical Serbian village in the mountains of central Yugoslavia, with ox carts being readied for helping wounded American airmen travel to Pranjane.

Above: General Draza Mihailovic with McDowell, Commander of the Ranger Mission and another officer. Draza points to German locations on a map.

Above: American airmen in Pranjane, Serbia. From left to right: Mike Rajacic, Commander McDowell of the US Ranger Mission, Captain Milo Dragovic and radio operator for the Ranger Mission Mike Devijac.

Above: Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army and American Commander MacDowell of the US Ranger Mission behind him inspecting the troops.

Above: Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian kneeling and holding a signaling devise (at night) to signal US airplanes to safely land on Pranjane Airfield to rescue downed American airmen. These airplanes, after landing, took the American airmen from Pranjane to Bari, Italy.
Above: American airplane damaged by landing. These damaged airplanes were still used for flying to Bari, Italy. In order to reduce weight, pilots empty the gas tanks to the minimum amount needed to get to Bari, Italy.

Above: A hospital in Bari, Italy with Jibby Jibilian(far left) and Captain Lalich(far right) visting wounded American airmen.

Above: An injured American airman leans on a cane while waiting to board a rescue plane in Pranjane, Yugoslavia. He and the other airmen are using pieces of parachute sik as scarves.

Above: Rescued American airmen arriving in Bari, Italy from Pranjane, Serbia.

Above: Draza Mihailovic, Commander of the Royal Yugoslav Army, in his homeland of Serbia reading correspondences (October, 1944).

Above: Panorama view of a Serbian village.

Above: American airmen on a C-47 on the way from Pranjane, Yugoslavia, to Bari.