The Forgotten 500

The astonishing, never before told story of the greatest rescue mission of World War II—when the OSS set out to recover more than 500 airmen trapped behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia... During a bombing campaign over Romanian oil fields, hundreds of American airmen were shot down in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. Local Serbian farmers and peasants risked their own lives to give refuge to the soldiers while they waited for rescue, and in 1944, Operation Halyard was born. The risks were incredible. The starving Americans in Yugoslavia had to construct a landing strip large enough for C-47 cargo planes—without tools, without alerting the Germans, and without endangering the villagers. And the cargo planes had to make it through enemy airspace and back—without getting shot down themselves. Classified for over half a century for political reasons, the full account of this unforgettable story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery is now being told for the first time ever. The Forgotten 500 is the gripping, behind-the-scenes look at the greatest escape of World War II. “Amazing [and] riveting.”—James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers

In 1944 the OSS set out to recover more than 500 airmen trapped and sheltered for months by villagers behind enemy lines in Yugoslavia. Classified for over half a century for political reasons, the full account of Operation Halyard, a story of loyalty, self-sacrifice, and bravery, is now being told for the first time.--From publisher description.

The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman - Book Summary - Abbey Beathan (Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book.) The untold story of the greatest rescue mission of World War II is finally out in the open. The amazing story of American airmen trapped in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. There is much to talk about this tale: the kindness of local Serbian farmers and peasants who put everything on the line in order to give a helping hand to the American soldiers, how they all thought their lives were over but the most amazing part of this tale, is how they were rescued. In this book, you'll read all about Operation Halyard; the legendary rescue mission. (Note: This summary is wholly written and published by Abbey Beathan. It is not affiliated with the original author in any way) "A sense of duty pursues us ever. It is omnipresent, like the Deity. If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed or duty violated is still with us, for our happiness or our misery." - Gregory A. Freeman Operation Halyard had to be executed perfectly. The starving Americans needed to construct a large strip large enough for the rescue plane without tools and without alerting the Germans or endangering the villagers. On top of that, the cargo plane had to make it through highly guarded airspace without being shot down. Due to political reasons, the story was buried but now we can read for the first time ever how these American airmen survived with all odds stacked against them. A story of loyalty, self-sacrifice and human kindness. A thrilling and touching tale that will keep you hooked until the end. P.S. The Forgotten 500 is an extremely interesting book about the most amazing rescue that happened in WWII. P.P.S. It was Albert Einstein who famously said that once you stop learning, you start dying. It was Bill Gates who said that he would want the ability to read faster if he could only have one superpower in this world. Abbey Beathan's mission is to bring across amazing golden nuggets in amazing books through our summaries. Our vision is to make reading non-fiction fun, dynamic and captivating. Ready To Be A Part Of Our Vision & Mission? Scroll Up Now and Click on the "Buy now with 1-Click" Button to Get Your Copy. Why Abbey Beathan's Summaries? How Can Abbey Beathan Serve You? Amazing Refresher if you've read the original book before Priceless Checklist in case you missed out any crucial lessons/details Perfect Choice if you're interested in the original book but never read it before Disclaimer Once Again: This book is meant for a great companionship of the original book or to simply get the gist of the original book. "One of the greatest and most powerful gift in life is the gift of knowledge. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge" - Abbey Beathan

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Clare Musgrove, an American airman, was taken to many villages in northern Yugoslavia by local Serbian people who were essentially escorting him. They would give him food and protection from German patrols, but he was apprehensive about where he was being taken. #2 One of the men in Musgrove’s crew broke his leg badly on landing in his parachute, and every time he grimaced in pain during the all-day hikes, Musgrove was grateful that all he could complain about was hunger, the occasional thirst, and being tired. #3 The villagers helping the downed American airmen were risking their lives. If caught helping the Americans, they would be executed just as the Germans had already done to thousands of Yugoslavians for resisting the Nazi invasion. #4 When the Americans arrived, they were greeted by a man on horseback who spoke perfect English. You made it. You’re here, he said. There’s going to be a rescue. There are already about two hundred Americans here. They’ve been assembling since January.

The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman | Book Summary | Abbey Beathan (Disclaimer: This is NOT the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search this link: http://amzn.to/2GvWCHP) The untold story of the greatest rescue mission of World War II is finally out in the open. The amazing story of American airmen trapped in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia. There is much to talk about this tale: the kindness of local Serbian farmers and peasants who put everything on the line in order to give a helping hand to the American soldiers, how they all thought their lives were over but the most amazing part of this tale, is how they were rescued. In this book, you'll read all about Operation Halyard; the legendary rescue mission. (Note: This summary is wholly written and published by Abbey Beathan. It is not affiliated with the original author in any way) "A sense of duty pursues us ever. It is omnipresent, like the Deity. If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed or duty violated is still with us, for our happiness or our misery." - Gregory A. Freeman Operation Halyard had to be executed perfectly. The starving Americans needed to construct a large strip large enough for the rescue plane without tools and without alerting the Germans or endangering the villagers. On top of that, the cargo plane had to make it through highly guarded airspace without being shot down. Due to political reasons, the story was buried but now we can read for the first time ever how these American airmen survived with all odds stacked against them. A story of loyalty, self-sacrifice and human kindness. A thrilling and touching tale that will keep you hooked until the end. P.S. The Forgotten 500 is an extremely interesting book about the most amazing rescue that happened in WWII. P.P.S. It was Albert Einstein who famously said that once you stop learning, you start dying. It was Bill Gates who said that he would want the ability to read faster if he could only have one superpower in this world. Abbey Beathan's mission is to bring across amazing golden nuggets in amazing books through our summaries. Our vision is to make reading non-fiction fun, dynamic and captivating. Ready To Be A Part Of Our Vision & Mission? Scroll Up Now and Click on the "Buy now with 1-Click" Button to Get Your Copy. Why Abbey Beathan's Summaries? How Can Abbey Beathan Serve You? Amazing Refresher if you've read the original book before Priceless Checklist in case you missed out any crucial lessons/details Perfect Choice if you're interested in the original book but never read it before FREE 2 Page Printable Summary BONUS for you to paste in on your office, home etc Disclaimer Once Again: This book is meant for a great companionship of the original book or to simply get the gist of the original book. If you're looking for the original book, search for this link: http://amzn.to/2GvWCHP "One of the greatest and most powerful gift in life is the gift of knowledge. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge" - Abbey Beathan

A brand-new story about World War II’s daring African-American heroes from the author of The Forgotten 500. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots in the US military, and Operation Halyard was one of the most extraordinary rescue missions of World War II, described in Gregory Freeman’s The Forgotten 500. Now a newly discovered connection between them has come to light—the “Red Tails” flew fighter cover for the mission. The remarkable story is revealed here by the author whose work James Bradley calls “amazing [and] riveting.”

"From a battered old trunk in the basement, to the crumpled scrapbook in the bookcase, to an aging envelope in an unused jewelry box, they marched to the pages of this book to join the chorus to remember. Telegrams, letters, taped interviews and voices from decades ago joined in to provide a chilling description of World War II. "Red" was a Red Cross lady, her brother lost in the confusion of war. Some were courageous soldiers, others became prominent heroes. The author weaves common lives and historic events into an emotional explanation of what war was like for everyday Americans." By Colonel Ronald Losee, US Marines (Ret.) Retired Marine Colonel Ron Losee is a graduate of the University of Illinois, School of Journalism. His 31-year career took him to the Far East, from Korea to South Vietnam and many places in between. Later, as a Marine Reservist, when on vacation found him as a newspaper city editor. "I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! This is a story about typical American families and their neighborhood friends during WWII. It brings a different perspective of not only the war front, but stateside life during the war." By Colonel Tony Baggiano, USAF (Ret.) He served 20 years in the United States Air Force and his last Air Force assignment was the Commander of the San Antonio Data Services. He was awarded numerous medals which included Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars. The best way to teach history is to tell a story and that's what this book does. This is not your normal war book as it tells a story about friends and neighbors fighting in WWII and their families at home. It tells a different story about the "War to End all Wars". By Lieutenant Colonel James O'Donnell, USA (Ret.) Infantry combat commander from Company to Battalion and to Army level and a Distinguished member of the 16th Infantry Regiment. This memoir is a collection of WWII narratives about five heroic people whose wartime stories are connected. From Richmond, Virginia are Harriet Vaden, her brother Pfc. Herbert "Herbie" Vaden Jr., 1st Lt. Jimmie Monteith, and 1st Lt. Richard "Dick" Williams; and from Emmons, Minnesota, TSgt. Donald Singlestad. Herbie and Donald end up in the 5th Army fighting in Italy during the invasion of Salerno and many battles afterwards. Donald Singlestad later became the most decorated soldier of the 34th Infantry Division. Harriet joins the Red Cross after her younger brother Herbie enlisted, and she is assigned to the 454th Bomb Group in San Giovanni and Cerignola, Italy. When Herbie becomes MIA and severely wounded, Harriet travels across war-torn Italy to find him. Meanwhile, Richard Williams, a friend of the Vadens, was a bombardier with the 454th Bomb Group and becomes a prisoner of war in Romania. Included are the stories of Jimmy Monteith, a neighbor of the Vadens in Richmond, who is assigned to the 16th Infantry of the 7th Army and earns the Medal of Honor during the Normandy invasion. Family photographs, V-mails, and other memorabilia help tell the story of these incredible heroes as they face the perils of war. The wartime experiences affected each of them in many ways, both good and bad. As they survived each experience, their reasons for serving changed in many ways; and when they returned home, they had to re-build their lives physically and emotionally if they were to achieve happy lives again. Their stories mostly in their own words are long overdue.

Grey Ghost is the story of a professional soldier’s struggle for survival and freedom during the cataclysm of war in the World War II European Theater of Operations between mid-1943 and mid-1945, as well as his continued exposure to combat in the Korean Conflict. This story carries the reader through the beginnings of war for America and onto the frontlines of aerial combat in a B-17 Flying Fortress with Sergeant Frank Grey and his crew. It delivers the reader into the hands of the enemy—Nazi Germany—and onto the long, painful journey of captivity of prisoners of war. For Sergeant Grey, the path from captivity to freedom would take numerous unpredictable twists over a period of almost two years, eventually leading him into Yugoslavia to fight with guerilla units under the leadership of General Draja Mihailovich, and finally to freedom in late May of 1945. The details of Sergeant Grey’s escape and recapture, beatings by the Gestapo, and solitary confinement— save one episode of brilliant thinking, comradery, and courage by a small group of POWs who hid Sergeant Grey within the wires of Stalag 17B for four months— have never been fully disclosed to the American public. Sergeant Grey was initially hidden in an escape tunnel while Gestapo, SS troops, and attack dogs searched for him. He became known as the Grey Ghost by the Germans. Coauthor Ned Handy chronicled this event brilliantly within the story of his own POW experience, a book titled The Flame Keepers (2004). That episode reveals the tremendous depth and significance of the human condition, conveying the face of war, during both wartime events and the aftermath as experienced by combat veterans reclaiming their personal lives. The experience of war did not end for Frank Grey on the European continent. Within a few years of the end of World War II, having continued his commitment to the service of his country, he entered into yet another perilous fight: the Korean Conflict. He flew fifty-seven missions over North Korea as a B-29 tailgunner—a commitment that was filled with constant risk and uncertainty. This true story has a deep, significant message for all readers— but especially for American veterans and their families. The strong messages of commitment, courage, and sacrifice can be reflected upon, considering the increased uncertainties of international events on our horizon.