Draft:Michael Rajacich
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Last edited by 2001:1970:49DE:8C00:F090:C160:BF94:4816 (talk | contribs) 113 seconds ago. (Update) |
Michael Rajacich | |
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Michael M. Rajacich (Serbian Cyrillic: Мајкл Рајачић; Hibbing, Minnesota, United States, 26 October 1913 - Los Angeles, California, United States, 22 December 1992) was an American second lieutenant of Serbian origin, a member of the Office of Strategic Services and a pivotal participant in Operation Halyard.
Biography
[edit]Early life and education
[edit]Michael Rajacich's parents were of Serbian origin from Lika, and his father Marko "Mike" Rajačić (1880-1932) emigrated in 1896 to the United States where he settled in Minnesota.[1]There, he met his future wife, Dora Kosovich (1888-1964), of Serbian Montenegrin roots.
In parallel with his studies in Hibbing, Rajacich worked as a miner. Thanks to a scholarship from Serbian emigrants, he studied at the University of Belgrade from 1934 to 1938.
From 1940, he worked for the United States Department of War.
World War II
[edit]Rajacich joined the U.S. Army on 22 July 1943. From the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), he was transferred to the 15th Air Corps under General Nathan Twining in Italy, where he joined Colonel Robert McDowell's "Ranger Group", which was tasked with organizing the rescue of United States Air Force personnel shot down over Yugoslavia.[2]
At midnight 2 August 1944, Master Sargeant Michael Rajacich jumped out of a plane and parachuted into Pranjani, next to the headquarters of General Dragoljub Mihailovich, together with Lieutenant Colonel George Musulin, and radio operator Specialist Arthur Jibilian [3]. The team was detailed to the United States Fifteenth Air Force and designated as the 1st Air Crew Rescue Unit.[4] It was the largest rescue operation of American Airmen in history.[5] Allied airmen who had been downed over occupied Yugoslavia were rescued by Mihailović's Chetniks,[6] and airlifted out by the Fifteenth Air Force.[7]
Together with Colonel Robert McDowell during the autumn of 1944, Rajacich trekked to Bosnia[8]. He was evacuated on 1 November 1944 from the airport in Boljanić near Doboj, together with Colonel Robert McDowell.[9]
Michael M. Rajacich died on 22 December 1992 and is buried at the Mountain View Memorial Park in Bastow, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.
Ranks
[edit]- Sergeant (July 22, 1943)
- Second Lieutenant (September 1944)
See also
[edit]- General Dragoljub Mihailovich
- Nick Lalich
- George Musulin
- George Vujnovich
- Eli Popovich
- Arthur Jibilian
- Zvonimir Vučković
- Charles Armstrong (British Army officer)
- Robert H. McDowell
- John R. Milodragovich
- Michael Devyak
- Joseph Veselinovich
- Živko Topalović
References
[edit]- Translated and adapted from Serbian Wikipedia: https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%98%D0%BA%D0%BB_%D0%A0%D0%B0%D1%98%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B8%D1%9B
- ^ Babac, Dusan (2017). Serbs - American War Heroes. Belgrade: Media Center Defense. pp. 282. ISBN 978-86-335-0577-2.
- ^ Lulishi, Albert. Donovan's Devils: OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines - Europe, World War II.
- ^ https://www.dvidshub.net/news/482057/10th-special-forces-group-airborne-green-berets-and-serbian-counterparts-conduct-airborne-jump-honor-operation-halyard-anniversary
- ^ name="Ford 1992 p. 100">Ford (1992), p. 100
- ^ "US commemorates Serbian support during WWII". 21 November 2016.
- ^ name="Leary 1995 p. 32">Leary (1995), p. 32
- ^ name="Leary 1995 p. 30">Leary (1995), p. 30
- ^ http://www.generalmihailovich.com/2011/05/declassified-oss-report-of-msgt-michael.html
- ^ Babac, Dušan (2017). Serbs - American War Heroes. Belgrade: Media Center Defense. pp. 283. ISBN 978-86-335-0577-2.