Even though his flying career was short, Capt. Jerry Yellin saw more turmoil than anyone should ever have to see in their lifetime
On January 15 at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia, Capt. Jerry Yellin, a World War II fighter pilot who flew the final combat mission in August 1945, was buried with full military honors.
Yellin, who turned 18 two months after Pearl Harbor, enlisted. He completed his fighter pilot training at Arizona’s Luke Air Field in August 1943, and he spent the rest of the war flying combat flights in the Pacific with the 78th Fighter Squadron in the P-40, P-47, and P-51 aircraft. On April 7, 1945, he took part in the first land-based fighter mission over Japan, and on August 14, 1945, he served as the lead.
He received the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters in addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross, according to a News release from the U.S. Air Force.
Even though his flying career was short, he saw more turmoil than anyone should ever have. Before it was acknowledged as such, Yellin had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when he was discharged in December 1945.
His wife introduced him to the idea of transcendental meditation after thirty years of suffering, and it proved to be the secret to a better life. Yellin worked relentlessly to assist other servicemen suffering from PTSD and spoke at motivational events about his great experience with transcendental meditation.
He also wrote two books about his wartime experiences, and in volume 5 of “Veterans in Blue,” he was recognized for his contributions to the Air Force’s legacy.
On December 21, 2017, Yellin passed away at the age of 93. The former Helene Schulman, his wife of 65 years, was buried next to him. At Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, four A-10 aircraft from the 23rd Wing performed a flyover to pay him their final tribute.
Photo by U.S. Air Force