as we were downstairs getting ready to start the ceremony, captain yellin was asking me, do i stand for the army or do i stand for the air force, because he was in the army air forces. i said, sir, you re 93 years old. you can stand for anybody you want to. [ applause ] captain jerry yellin is an army air forces veteran who served in world war ii between 1941 and 1945. he enlisted on his 18th birthday just two months after the bombing of pearl harbor. after graduating from luke army air field as a fighter pilot in august of 1943 at the ripe old age of 19, he spent the remainder of the war flying p-40, p-47 and p-51 combat missions in the pacific with a 78 fighter jawsquadron. he participated in the first fire mission over japan in 1945 and has the distinct admission of fighting in 1945 the day combat ended. his pilot mate was killed on the last day. ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to our platform recipient of the distinguished flying cross, the air medal
[ applause ] as we were downstairs getting ready to start the ceremony, captain yellin was asking me, do i stand for the army or do i stand for the air force, because he was in the army air forces. i said, sir, you re 93 years old. you can stand for anybody you want to. [ applause ] captain jerry yellin is an army air forces veteran who served in world war ii between 1941 and 1945. he enlisted on his 18th birthday just two months after the bombing of pearl harbor. after graduating from luke army air field as a fighter pilot in august of 1943 at the ripe old age of 19, he spent the remainder of the war flying p-40, p-47 and p-51 combat missions in the pacific with a 78 fighter squadron. he participated in the first fire mission over japan in 1945 and has the distinct admission of fighting in 1945 the day combat ended. on that day, his wingman was the last man willed in a combat mission of world war ii. his experiences are captured in the book the last
[applause] plaws [applause] as we were downstairs getting ready to start, captain yellin was asking me, do i stand for the army? or do i stand for the air force? because he was in the army air forces. i said, sir, you re 93 years old, you can stand for anybody you want to. [applause] captain jerry yellin is an army air forces veteran who served in world war ii between 1941 and 1945. he enlisted on his 18th birthday, just two months after the bombing of pearl harbor. after graduating from the air field as a fighter pilot in august of 1943, at the ripe old age of 19, he spent the remainder of the war flying p-40, p-47, and p-51 combat missions in the pacific with the 78th fighter squadron. he participated in the first land-based fighter mission over japan on 7 april, 1945, and has the unique distinction of having flown the final combat mission of world war ii on 14 august, 1945, the day combat ended. on that mission, his wing man was the last man killed in a combat miss
. [applause] . [applause] . [applause] . [applause] . [applause] as you were downstairs getting ready to start the ceremony, captain yellin was asking me, do i stand for the army or do i stand for the air force? because he was in the army air forces. and i said, sir, you re 93 years old, you can stand for anybody you want to. [applause] captain jerry yellin is an army air forces veteran who served in world war ii between 1941 and 1945. he enlisted on his 18th birthday just two months after the bombing of pearl harbor. after graduating from luke army airfield as a fighter pilot in august of 1943, at the ripe old age of 19. he spent the remainder of the war flying p-40 s, p-51 combat missions in the pacific with the 78th fighter squadron. he participated in the first land-based fighter mission in japan in 1945 and has the unique distinction of having flown the final combat mission of world war ii on 14 august of 1945, the day combat ended. on t
[applause] break singing military music [ [singing military music [singing military music ] [choir singing military music ] [choir singing military music] [choir singing military songs] [choir singing military songs] [applause] as we were getting ready to start the ceremony, captain yellin was asking me, die stand nor army? or die stand for the air force? he was in the army air force. i said, sir, you re 93 years old. you can stand for anybody you want to. [applause] captain jerry yellin is an armia air forces veteran who served in world war ii between 1941 and 1945. he enlisted on his 18th 18th birthday. just two months after the bombing of pearl harbor. after graduating from luke army airfield as a fighter pilot in august of 1943, at the ripe old age of 19, he spent the remainder of the war flying p-40, p-43 and 5-51 combat myths in the pacific with the 78th 78th fighter squadron. par tis pated in the land based fighter mission over japan in 1945 and has the eunuch dist