YELLIN, Jerome 'Jerry' 1924 - 2017

YELLIN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:28

"The Fairfield Ledger"
Friday, December 22, 2017
Front Page

Jerry YELLIN, WWII pilot, dies at 93

By Andy Hallman,
Ledger news editor

Longtime Fairfield resident and Army Air Corps Capt. (Ret.) Jerry YELLIN died Thursday at age 93.

The Washington Post announced YELLIN's passing, which was confirmed on his official website captainjerryyellin.com.

YELLIN's Facebook page posted the following message Thursday: "Today, our dear Captain Jerry YELLIN completed his 20th mission, as he called it. Two months shy of his 94th birthday and after a long, powerful and inspiring life, he was ready to leave his body. He will be dearly missed by so many of us. May you rest in peace, dear friend."

YELLIN held the distinction of flying the final combat mission of World War II on Aug. 14, 1945.

According to his website, YELLIN was born and raised in New Jersey. He enlisted in the military two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He flew P-40, P-47 and P-51 combat missions in the Pacific theater with the 78th Fighter Squadron.

YELLIN participated in the first land-based fighter mission over Japan a few months earlier April 7, 1945. On the last mission of the war, YELLIN's wingman Phillip Schlamberg was killed, making him the last man killed in a combat mission during World War II.

His website states he struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, wondering why he survived when so many of his fellow soldiers died.

"Then it was over. One day, a fighter pilot, the next a civilian. No buddies, no airplane, nothing to hold on to, and no one to talk to," YELLIN wrote on his website. "The Army Air Corps had trained me and prepared me to fly combat missions, but there was no training on how to fit into society when the war was over and I stopped flying."

YELLIN wrote that the feeling of hopelessness and restlessness lasted until 1975, when he began practicing Transcendental Meditation. Helping others overcome PTSD became his life's work. He traveled the globe sharing his story and helping a new generation of veterans overcome their symptoms.

In 1988, his youngest son married the daughter of a Japanese Kamikaze pilot, which YELLIN said "took me from hatred to love."

"I have three Japanese grandchildren," he said. "I'd like their contemporaries to know that my grandchildren's grandparents served their countries with honor. No matter what we learned about the Japanese, or what they learned about us, we are not what we believe. We are all human beings."

YELLIN wrote four books, "Of War and Weddings," "The Blackened Canteen," "The Resilient Warrior," and "The Letter." He was the subject of the 2016 documentary "Last Man Standing," by director Louisa Merino. That same year, YELLIN received the Silver Service Medallion from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Page 4

Jerry YELLIN
Orlando, FL

Jerry YELLIN passed away on December 21st, surrounded by his family.

Jerry few 19 missions over Japan in his P-51 from Iwo Jima during WW11 (sic - WWII). Coming home from the war, he suffered from PTSD until he learned Transcendental Meditation in 1975.

Then he went on his 20th mission; traveling and talking all over the country about how TM can help Vets overcome the debilitating effects of war. He was as passionate about that mission as he was when he flew in the war.

He spoke at the Air Force Academy, at the Reagan library and other prestigious venues around the country.

His message was always the same; we are not the color of our skin, the religion we belong to or the political party we vote for. We are all human beings and we are all connected. And we must try to avert war at all costs.

Jerry wrote four books; Of War and Weddings. The Blackened Canteen, The Letter and The Resilient Warrior. This is quite remarkable, as he never attended college.

He had a full academic scholarship to Rider College, but then December 7th happened and on his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. Wanting to be a fighter pilot, he took the eye test and failed it and then Jerry being Jerry, sought out the commanding officer and asked for an exemption.

The officer told him that any one with b***s to seek him out was fighter pilot material and the rest is history.

He landed on Iwo Jima in March of 1945 and all he saw was death around him. Author Don Brown wrote a book about Jerry's experience on Iwo Jima, called The Last Fighter Pilot. Jerry flew the last mission in the war.

Jerry will be sorely missed by his family and all his dear friends from Fairfield. A celebration of his life will be held on January 13 th at 2:00PM at Sondheim.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Jerry married Helene Doris SCHULMAN, who died in 2015; her obituary is linked below his photo.

In the picture linked here: http://iagenweb.org/jefferson/Obit_Pictures/2017/YELLIN-Jerry2.jpg , Jerry YELLIN salutes the memorial at Iwo Jima during his visit to the Japanese island March 21, 2015. "I started to cry during the second salute," YELLIN said at the time. "I shed tears from the memories of the 16 guys that I flew with in WWII. Three of them were my wingmen. It was a very emotional day for me."

Helene D. SCHULMAN YELLIN's obituary - click here
 

Jefferson Obituaries maintained by Joey Stark.
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