Friday, February 26, 2010

"Halyard Mission" Forgotten 500 Reunion / "Lest We Forget" Michigan 2009 Now on "YouTube" and "Flickr"







The Halyard Mission "Forgotten 500 Reunion" was part of the "Lest We Forget" WWII Re-Enactment celebration and commemoration in Michigan in June of 2009. This photo slide show video is comprised of photos taken on June 17th and June 18th, 2009 of Americans and Serbs that came together to honor the "Halyard Mission" operation of WWII, one of the greatest rescue missions in the history of warfare. All photos and slide show created by Aleksandra Rebic. This video is dedicated to Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian of Halyard, who, as of this date, February 26, 2010, 66 years later, continues to work tirelessly to honor the legacy of General Draza Mihailovich and the Chetniks for saving the lives of over 500 American airmen in 1944.




ON "YOUTUBE"

Halyard Mission "Forgotten 500 Reunion" Lest We Forget 2009





To go directly to "YouTube" you can click on the URL link below:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a8-FQxElBU





You can find a slide show of the same photos (without music) on "Flickr" as well as view each of the photos individually at the following links:






PHOTO SLIDESHOW ON FLICKR:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623383740665/show/



INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS ON FLICKR:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623383740665/



TO READ THE TWO PART ACCOUNT OF "THE FORGOTTEN 500 REUNION" YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE ON THIS WEBSITE:


"Part 1 of 2 Halyard Mission Forgotten 500 Reunion - Lest We Forget Michigan 2009"


"Part 2 of 2 Halyard Mission Forgotten 500 Reunion - Lest We Forget Michigan 2009"


ENJOY!

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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com



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Friday, February 19, 2010

A Christian Treasure in the heart of the Midwest - A visit to St. Sava Monastery in Libertyville, Illinois on an early summer morning



On a beautiful summer morning in June of 2007, I took a drive out to Libertyville, Illinois for the purpose of taking photos of the new memorial monument that had been erected and dedicated to Voyvoda Momchilo Djujich, a highly revered Chetnik commander under the command of Serbia's General Draza Mihailovich in World War II. When I arrived at St. Sava Monastery, the Serbian Orthodox Church that was home to this new memorial, I found the grounds to be even more lovely and peaceful than I had hoped they would be. The experience exceeded my expectations as the beauty of the early morning only served to enhance the serenity and nobility of this special place. There was General Draza Mihailovich, Voyvoda Pavle Djurisich, and now Voyvoda Momchilo Djujich standing guard over the church and the burial grounds of the various people for whom this was their final resting place, including King Peter II of the Karageorgevich royal family.

Inside, there was the familiar gorgeous handcarved woodwork meticulously done by my Uncle many years ago. There, too, were the vivid, striking colors that make every Serbian Orthodox Church a true work of art. And there were the silent candles with their bright flames gently glowing in memorium of departed loved ones.

God and his Holy Son, Jesus Christ, were omnipresent in that lovely place, and I couldn't help but feel like I was being blessed by the Holy Spirit as I enjoyed the moments of solitude and peace that being there at St. Sava Monastery afforded me on a beautiful summer morning. 

Below you will find a slide show that features a collection of photographs I took that morning, and I hope you will get a sense of what a special place this is.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic





To go directly to "YouTube" to view the above slide show, please go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_8_fr5R7js

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Monastery, Libertyville IL U.S.A.


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The following is found on "Flickr".





The first link below will take you directly to a larger version of the same slide show of photos on "Flickr" that is featured above and the second link will allow you to look at each photo individually if you wish.





http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623229531377/show/

 


http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623229531377/






Enjoy, and thanks for visiting!


*****

If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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"Shadows on the Mountain: The Allies, The Resistance, and the Rivalries that Doomed WWII Yugoslavia" by Marcia Kurapovna

ANNOUNCING A BRAND NEW BOOK ON THE MIHAILOVICH STORY!








Product Details

Pub. Date: December 2009
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Format: Hardcover, 336pp
ISBN-13: 9780470084564
ISBN: 0470084561


From the Publisher



An in-depth look at a crucial, little-known World War II episode—the failed Allied policy in Yugoslavia and its ramifications in the Balkans and beyond


Winston Churchill called it one of his biggest wartime failures—the shift of British and U.S. support from Yugoslavia's Draža Mihailović and his royalist resistance movement to Tito and his communist Partisans. This book illuminates the complex reasons behind that failure through the incredible story of what has been called the greatest rescue of Allied airmen from behind enemy lines in World War II history, a rescue executed, incredibly, with minimal official support from the United States and none such support from Great Britain.


Recounts an unknown chapter of World War II history and the single largest rescue operation of the war


Starting with Serbia's tragedy and triumph in World War II through civil war in Yugoslavia during World War I, focuses on the history of the Balkans, a tragically misunderstood part of the world


Sheds new light on the OSS-SOE relationship and manipulations of intelligence that profoundly altered policy decision making


Reveals how failed Allied policy set the stage for Yugoslavia's breakup in the 1990s


Details the wartime camaraderie of unlikely warriors who became fast friends, outcasts, and heroes in executing the rescue


Written with the drama of a novel and the insight of serious history, Shadows on the Mountain is essential reading for anyone interested in World War II, European history, and the Balkans.




Synopsis


In Shadows on the Mountain, former Balkan reporter Marcia Kurapovna reveals the unknown, unheralded, and misunderstood story of what Winston Churchill called one of his biggest wartime failures—the shift of British and U.S. support from Yugoslavia's Dra?a Mihailoviç and his royalist resistance movement to Communist Partisans under the command of Josip Broz Tito. This book illuminates the complex reasons behind that failure through the incredible story of what has come to be considered the greatest rescue of Allied airmen from behind enemy lines in World War II, a rescue executed, incredibly, with minimal official support from the United States and no such support from Great Britain.


At the same time, Kurapovna takes into account all sides of this civil war conflict, including the heroism of the Yugoslav Partisans, the origins of the Croat nationalists, the unsung, outstanding sacrifices of the British "SOE" in Yugoslavia, Serb against Serb intrigue, as well as the German point of view. Among the unforgettable figures you'll meet in this thrilling, fast-paced history is Major Linn M. "Slim" Farish, known to his OSS compatriots, with both awe and humor, as "Lawrence of Yugoslavia." Spending months at a time criss-crossing Yugoslavia's rugged and treacherous mountain ranges on foot and horseback, he slipped behind enemy lines and back again in search of downed Allied airmen, hundreds of whom he led back to safety, aided by Macedonian Partisans. Even Farish's boss, legendary daredevil "Wild Bill" Donovan, worried that Farish might be taking too many risks.


It was Mihailovich, however, who accomplished the central achievement in this amazing true story. While resistingthe Nazis and fighting brutal civil wars against Tito and the Croatian Ustashe, he organized and executed the rescue of more than five hundred Allied airmen from behind enemy lines.


Marcia Kurapovna presents a fascinating account of the highly complicated and bitterly successful campaign to undermine Mihailovich's standing with the British and the Americans, a campaign that was part Communist infiltration of and influence on British intelligence, part the renegade attitudes of the Serbian Chetniks themselves, and part gross misinformation, deliberate or accidental—all of it leading to devastatingly tragic consequences. She also tells the heartbreaking story of Mihailovich's post-war trial and execution by firing squad and reveals why the United States, after awarding him the Legion of Merit posthumously in 1948, declared the award classified information. The award was made public in 1967 through the efforts of a U.S. congressman, and was presented to Mihailovich's seventy-four-year-old daughter.


You may never have heard of any of the heroes you'll discover in Shadows on the Mountain, but once you meet them, you'll never forget their courage, ingenuity, and devotion to duty.


Biography

Marcia Christoff Kurapovna is a former international affairs correspondent with an academic background in East European history. She has lived in and reported from southeastern Europe, Cairo, London, New York, and Washington, D.C. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal Europe, the International Herald Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, the Economist, and Foreign Affairs. She is now a full-time writer and lives in Vienna, Austria, with her fiancé, Dr. Johannes Eltz.


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Aleksandra's Note:

This book is available at both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

A review will be forthcoming...




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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Serbian National Defense Council of America "Vidovdan" Celebration June 28, 2009

On Sunday, June 28, 2009, the Serbian National Defense Council of America held its annual "Vidovdan" commemoration at New Gracanica Monastery in Third Lake, Illinois. Newly re-elected SND President Slavko Panovich hosted the event which was well attended and well organized. It was a beautiful day and a memorable one. Below you will find a flier in both the English and Serbian languages that was issued prior to the event and which described the scheduled highlights and special guests.

Below the fliers you will find a slide show of photographs taken by Aleksandra Rebic on that day for your enjoyment. You will also find a link that will take you to the website where you can view a larger version of the slide show and a link where you can look at the individual still photographs on their own.

No photographs were allowed to be taken of the very special film presentation of the trial of General Draza Mihailovich, which was the supreme highlight of the "Vidovdan" event. No one who was there that day will forget that film and being given the opportunity to watch actual live footage of Mihailovich that many have never seen before. I know I will never forget it.

My sincere thanks to the Serbian National Defense organization for allowing me to photograph the event and for making it the very special, meaningful and memorable day that it was.

Aleksandra Rebic











The first link below will take you directly to a larger version of the same slide show of photos that is featured above and the second link will allow you to look at each photo individually if you wish.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623368443716/show/



http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleksandra-rebic/sets/72157623368443716/






Enjoy, and thanks for visiting!







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To get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com

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