HAPPY 91st BIRTHDAY TO LT. COL. MILTON FRIEND of the U.S.A.F., Halyard Mission veteran and lifelong supporter of General Mihailovich and his Chetniks!

Lt. Col. Milton Friend (USAF, Ret.) and his wife Shirley

prepare to leave for their trip to Serbia on October 25, 2010.

Photo courtesy of Milton and Shirley Friend.

Aleksandra's Note: On October 25, 2010, Lt. Col. Milton Friend (USAF, ret.) and his wife Shirley embarked on a very important trip overseas to Serbia. It would turn out to be the trip of a lifetime and the first time Milton Friend was returning to Serbia since World War Two! The main objective of the visit to Serbia was for Halyard Mission veteran Lt. Col. Milton Friend to testify at the October 29th hearing in Belgrade regarding the Rehabilitation of General Draza Mihailovich. Following this note you will find a photo essay courtesy of Milton and Shirley Friend of this very special visit to Serbia, which included a visit with the Serbian Royal Family at the White Palace in Belgrade and a trip to Ravna Gora.

On October 29, 2010, Milton Friend attended one of the first in a long series of Mihailovich Rehabilitation hearings that continue to this day, two and a half years later. Milton continues to wait patiently for the resolution, which he hopes and prays will be a resolution that satisfies the demands of justice and honor. It is my sincere hope that Lt. Col. Milton Friend lives to see the day that General Mihailovich is officially "rehabilitated" in his beloved homeland of Serbia, but regardless of what the Belgrade court decides, Milton knows exactly who General Mihailovich and his Chetniks were.

In Milton's words:

"The first meeting with the General was very brief. Two Canadians, one British airman, and myself were trying to get to the coast to find a way out of Yugoslavia. We were met by Chetnik soldiers and brought to Mihailovich's headquarters. We spoke only to the General's staff members for about half an hour. We told them we were on our way to the coast after having been in their country for over 50 days. We asked for help to get to the coast. It was then that General Mihailovich came into the room. After being briefed by his Staff, he told us that an American escape committee had been formed which was trying to reach the 15 Air Force headquarters in Bari, Italy to notify headquarters about how many airmen were stranded in Yugoslavia. If they were not successful, the General said that he would provide an escort of his soldiers to take us to the coast. That was good news, and we went back to Pranjani to await developments. I remember how warm and friendly and sincere he seemed in trying to help us.

"The second meeting was longer, lasting for about an hour. General Mihailovich described his fondness for America and his hopes for the future when the Americans would come to his aid and help his forces free Yugoslavia. He spoke in French and an aide translated his words into English for us.

"I remember that I didn't speak too much, I just listened in awe. He ended up being good to his word. I never saw General Mihailovich face to face again after those meetings in 1944, but I won't ever forget him."

Lt. Col. Milton A. Friend, USAF (Retired)

March 4, 2010

You can find the full story of the life of Milton Friend as a United States Air Force veteran and his experience with the Mihailovich Serbs in Nazi occupied Serbia in 1944 and beyond, at the following link:

http://www.generalmihailovich.com/2010/03/lt-col-milton-friend-usaf-halyard.html

There are additional links to see and learn more about Milton Friend at the end of the photo montage below and multiple links to be found here on www.generalmihailovich.com regarding Milton's visit to Serbia in 2010.

Happy Birthday, Milton! THANK YOU for your service, thank you for your friendship over the years, and God Bless You for your loyal, unwavering dedication to the truth about General Mihailovich and the Serbs. May you live many more years!

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

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