Pilot recalls last mission, lessons of WWII

Capt. Jerry Yellin, whose wing man was the last combat casualty of WWII, told of his amazing personal odyssey at the Sept. 17 meeting of the National Press Club American Legion Post 20.

Yellin, 91, a P-51 "Mustang" fighter pilot, led a strafing attack on Aug. 14, 1945, on an airfield near Tokyo, the day Japan announced its unconditionally surrender to end the war. His wing man, Lt. Phil Schlamberg, was lost during that flight and became the last combat casualty of the war that ended during Yellin's return flight from Japan to his base on Iwo Jima.

Yellin saw half of this 32-man squadron killed during the war and suffered for 30 years from what is now called post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although drugs are commonly used to treat PTSD today, Yellin said he found peace through transcendental meditation.

He now travels the world as a spokesman for The Spirit of '45, urging friendship among persons from diverse cultures and reminding youngsters about the history, sacrifice and lessons of WWII.

The former fighter pilot, who admitted faking his eye chart test to qualify for flight school, said he did not think about Japanese casualties as human beings until after the war. But he has come to love Japan since visiting in 1983 and since his son went to live in Japan and married the daughter of a man who would have died as a kamikaze pilot had the war not ended abruptly.

He has met elderly Japanese who told him they were glad use of atomic bombs convinced the emperor to surrender rather than sacrifice countless Japanese and American lives with continued resistance, Yellin said.

Yellin lamented what he sees as the loss of commitment a common cause that Americans shared during WWII.

"We used to have commitment to a cause and comrades," Yellin said. "Lives were about 'you' and not 'me.' Now it's all about 'me.'"

Speaker portions of NPC Post 20 meetings are open to all Club members and their guests.