The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the GreatestRescue Mission of World War II
Sep 2008 · Sold by Penguin
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About this ebook
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.
“An amazing, riveting tale of unsung heroes who went above and beyond.”—James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers
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.
“An amazing, riveting tale of unsung heroes who went above and beyond.”—James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers
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.
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.
“An amazing, riveting tale of unsung heroes who went above and beyond.”—James Bradley, New York Times bestselling...
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Ratings and reviews
20 reviews
L N
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April 11, 2017
This book was an awesome collection of perspectives on a topic I was previously unaware of. I thought I knew most of the war until I picked this book up and saw the events and the impacts of this region. Moving towards more of the structure of the book, It was a relatively quick read with no unnecessarily large vocabulary to disrupt my pleasure. It also combined the perspectives of the all the characters well. Though there were many stories to track at once, they were all generally occurring in chronological order with smooth transitions between each character's perspective (First few words bolded). This allowed for a less choppy and broken up feel. Overall I was extremely happy to have this book recommended to me and would recommend it to all audiences. It has the information that the history buffs love as well as the positive reactions caused by the plot that readers can't get enough of.
1 person found this review helpful
behrouz yaghmaeian
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September 7, 2026
مادر هرچی ایرانیه سگ گایید تنظیمات گوشی منو عوض نکن بیناموس فیس بوک و اینستاگرام من کو من اجازه ندادم به‌گوگل به اس ام اس و کالم دسترسی داشته باشه خونه زندگی من کو کس مادرا من دارو نمیخوام‌خونه میخوام پول میخوام کارای کیریتون با صاحب کارای کیریتون و نمیخوام مادر سگ اگه آدم دوست و خونواده و وطن داشته باشه تو خیابون نمیخوابه بهش دارو بدن بیناموس تو خیابون دوای کیر و خایه بهش نمیدن موقع رانندگی بهش دارو نمیدن آدم دوست و خونواده دار یه شب بیرون میخوابه نه یه سال یه کار عوض میکنه نه صدتا
Ken Burneau
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January 4, 2020
A look at the true hidden history of war and how history was written by the victors, and how this author brought to light the forgotten chapter in the history book. Well written
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Gregory A. Freeman is an award-winning writer and a leader in the field of narrative nonfiction. Known for books that make a true story read like a gripping, fast-paced novel, his works include The Forgotten 500, The Gathering Wind, Sailors to the End, Troubled Water, and The Last Mission of the Wham Bam Boys. He lives in the Atlanta area.
Gregory A. Freeman is an award-winning writer and a leader in the field of narrative nonfiction. Known for books that make a true story read like a gripping, fast-paced novel, his works include The Forgotten 500, The Gathering Wind, Sailors to the End, Troubled Water, and The Last Mission of the ...
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