The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman Summary

The Forgotten 500 chronicles the WWII rescue of 512 American airmen stranded in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, aided by Serbian villagers and General Draža Mihailović’s Chetnik forces. Gregory A. Freeman reveals Operation Halyard, a covert 1944 mission where airmen built a makeshift airstrip for daring daylight evacuations. The story highlights Mihailović’s heroism, Cold War-era secrecy, and the villagers’ sacrifices.

Gregory A. Freeman is an award-winning narrative nonfiction author known for transforming historical events into gripping stories. His works, including Sailors to the End and Lay This Body Down, emphasize untold heroism. A Sigma Delta Chi Award winner, Freeman blends investigative rigor with novelistic pacing to spotlight forgotten chapters of history.

WWII history enthusiasts, military strategy readers, and fans of untold heroism stories will find this book compelling. It appeals to those interested in covert operations, Yugoslavian resistance movements, or Cold War political intrigue. Freeman’s accessible style also suits general nonfiction readers seeking adrenaline-driven narratives.

Yes—Freeman’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling resurrect a pivotal WWII rescue erased by Cold War politics. Critics praise its balance of individual airmen’s accounts, geopolitical context, and edge-of-your-seat rescue logistics. Ideal for readers seeking lesser-known wartime episodes with lasting historical implications.

Operation Halyard was the largest Allied aircrew rescue of WWII, evacuating 512 airmen from Serbia in 1944. OSS agents and Chetniks orchestrated a clandestine airstrip construction under Nazi surveillance. C-47 transport planes executed high-risk daylight extractions, succeeding without casualties—a feat overshadowed by post-war political tensions.

Despite Allied mistrust, General Mihailović’s Chetniks protected stranded airmen from Nazi forces, mobilizing Serbian villages to shelter and feed them. Their intelligence networks and knowledge of terrain enabled the airmen’s evasion and the airstrip’s construction. Freeman challenges Cold War-era narratives that falsely labeled Mihailović a collaborator.

Post-war, the U.S. backed Communist leader Tito, who executed Mihailović as a “traitor.” Operation Halyard’s records were classified to avoid exposing Allied coordination with anti-Communist Chetniks. Freeman uses declassified documents to reveal this suppression, rehabilitating Mihailović’s legacy decades later.

Villagers faced execution by Nazis for aiding airmen, yet provided food, medical care, and hiding spots. Many sacrificed their homes as temporary shelters, while others diverted German patrols. Freeman emphasizes their moral conviction and shared anti-fascist goals.

The book interweaves airmen’s personal stories—like Clare Musgrove and Tony Orsini—with geopolitical analysis. Early chapters detail crashes and survival, later shifting to rescue planning and post-war fallout. This structure humanizes the mission while underscoring its historical significance.

Some historians note Freeman prioritizes narrative flair over granular military analysis, which may oversimplify Yugoslavian resistance complexities. However, most praise his emphasis on firsthand accounts and declassified insights, calling it essential for understanding Mihailović’s overlooked role.

Like Sailors to the End (USS Forrestal disaster) and Lay This Body Down (1921 slavery murders), The Forgotten 500 highlights marginalized courage. Freeman’s signature blend of oral histories and archival research unites his works, though this book uniquely tackles geopolitical cover-ups.

The book underscores how political agendas reshape history, urging scrutiny of “official” narratives. Its themes of cross-cultural solidarity and bureaucratic secrecy resonate in modern conflicts. Freeman’s revival of Mihailović’s legacy also sparks debates about historical justice.