Nothing was more important to Yellin than “sharing his story and helping to bring healing and hope to a new generation of veterans who are battling post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Jerome (Jerry) Yellin, a World War II combat fighter pilot and advocate for veterans, died on December 21, 2017 at the age of 93.
Yellin is known for flying the last combat mission in World War II, recounted in the book The Last Fighter Pilot: The True Story of the Final Combat Mission of World War II by Don Brown.
Flying a P-51 Mustang aircraft, Yellin’s flight was the last combat mission of World War II, occurring on the same day as Japan’s surrender.
Combat flights
Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Yellin was only eighteen years old when he enlisted in 1941. He trained at Luke Air Field and flew combat missions with the 78th Fighter Squadron.
He flew the P-40, P-47, and P-51 aircraft throughout the war. His most historically significant flight took place on August 14, 1945. Flying a P-51 Mustang aircraft, Yellin’s flight was the last combat mission of World War II, occurring on the same day as Japan’s surrender. This is also the day the war ended.
Yellin’s wingman during his flight on August 14, Phillip Schlamberg, disappeared during the mission. He is believed to be the last person killed in a combat mission during the war.
Personal struggle
When he returned home in 1945, Yellin faced his own personal demons. Many of his fellow servicemembers were killed during the war. According to his website, “he always wondered why he survived, while so many of his comrades died during the war.”
“Life, as it was for me from 1945 to 1975 was empty. The highs I had experienced in combat became the lows of daily living,” Yellin shared on his website.
Yellin struggled with the loss of so many fellow pilots, sixteen from his own unit. His experiences in the war led to an undiagnosed case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“Life, as it was for me from 1945 to 1975 was empty. The highs I had experienced in combat became the lows of daily living,” he shared on his website.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has been known to the military as long as individuals have been fighting each other. It was not until the Civil War in the United States and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe that these known symptoms received medical attention. PTSD has been called soldier’s heart, shell shock in World War I, or Combat Stress Reaction or battle fatigue in World War II.
PTSD was officially added to the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980. Today, PTSD awareness and treatment is a focus of both ongoing healthcare of actively serving military personnel and veteran care.
A legacy of service
Capt. Jerry Yellin, who flew the last combat mission against the Japanese has flown West. He was with us last year for the 75th Pearl Harbor Commemoration. Peace and reconciliation were his messages, after the War. RIP, Sir. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/0ezk2ijN3E
— Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (@PearlHarborAvi) December 22, 2017
Yellin eventually turned to Transcendental Meditation at the urging of his wife. He was able to find peace through silent meditation.
His personal mission became one of outreach and healing. He traveled to speak to veterans and other groups, bringing attention to the struggle of those with PTSD. Nothing was more important to Yellin than “sharing his story and helping to bring healing and hope to a new generation of veterans who are battling post-traumatic stress disorder.”
He decided to share both his struggle and his growth with other veterans. He co-founded Operation Warrior Wellness. OWW’s Resilient Warrior program brings a “simple, easy-to-learn, evidence-based approach to relieving symptoms of PTSD and major depression and developing greater resilience to stress.” It incorporates Transcendental Meditation and has helped veterans coping with stress-related conditions and anxiety.
“When I came back from Afghanistan, I was angry, depressed, and suicidal. Transcendental Meditation has lifted my depression, eased my pain and given me my life back,” an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran attests. Yellin’s legacy is being lived out in the healing exercises practiced by today’s veterans.
Yellin also collaborated with author Don Brown to share his experiences in World War II. Brown published The Last Fighter Pilot, an account of Yellin’s famous last flight.
Yellin’s military decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal. He was also instrumental in the development of the nonprofit Spirit of ’45, promoting “the legacy of World War II veterans” and acting as a national spokesman.
