52 pages • 1 hour read
The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All for the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II
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Chapter 18-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 18 Summary: “Secrets and Lies”
Freeman describes Mihailovich as “one of the first casualties of the Cold War” (267). The angry US airmen have little choice but to go on with their civilian lives, telling the story of Mihailovich and the Chetniks to anyone who would listen. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme Allied commander in Europe during World War II, successfully lobbies President Truman to recognize Mihailovich’s service to the United States. On April 9, 1948, Truman posthumously awards Mihailovich the Legion of Merit, the highest possible award to a non-US citizen. The award recognizes Mihailovich “as the chief commander of Yugoslavia” (269). In one final act of betrayal, however, the US State Department convinces Truman to keep the award secret for fear of political repercussions in Europe. Not for nearly 20 years would anyone outside the State Department or the US army learn that Mihailovich had received the Legion of Merit.
In a letter dated September 8, 1979, California Governor Ronald Reagan, soon to be president of the United States, denounces the betrayal of Mihailovich and the appeasement of Communism. Freeman concludes by reminding readers that only in 1997 did the British government declassify documents proving that Soviet agent Plus, gain access to 8,550+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
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