{"id":15666,"date":"2018-01-03T23:47:44","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T23:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:18:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:18:43","slug":"fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/","title":{"rendered":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fighter pilot known for flying the last combat mission of World War II has died at the age of 93.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jerry Yellin, a captain in the 78th Fighter Squadron of the Army Air Corps, died on Dec. 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During World War II, Yellin flew his P-51 Mustang from Iwo Jima to attack Japanese airfields near Tokyo, according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.historynet.com\/letter-from-aviation-history-september-2014.htm\">HistoryNet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yellin and his wingman, 2nd Lt. Philip Schlamberg, took off on Aug. 14, 1945, hoping their mission would be called off if Japan surrendered. Yellin and Schlamberg never received word of the surrender, so they continued their bombing mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we got back to Iwo Jima from Japan, we found out that the war had been over for three hours while we were strafing,\u201d Yellin said in an <a href=\"https:\/\/memory.loc.gov\/diglib\/vhp-stories\/loc.natlib.afc2001001.95409\/transcript?ID=mv0001\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">oral history<\/a> documented by the Library of Congress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schlamberg, who had told Yellin he had a bad feeling about surviving the mission, disappeared and was presumed dead. Schlamberg is considered one of the last casualties of World War II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yellin, who had lung cancer, died at his son Steven\u2019s home in Orlando, the Washington Post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/obituaries\/jerry-yellin-fighter-pilot-in-last-combat-mission-of-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/2017\/12\/21\/cab156be-e6a3-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html?utm_term=.1fa5c01acf98\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\" data-original-title=\"\" aria-describedby=\"popover669840\">reported<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"851\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin1.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin1.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin1.JPG.jpg?resize=300,213 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin1.JPG.jpg?resize=768,545 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin1.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,726 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Capt. Jerry Yellin, a World War II P-51 pilot, renders honors during a Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony in 2014. (Jim Varhegyi\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Yellin was working at a steel mill to save money for college when Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps two months later \u2014 on his 18th birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sixteen of the airmen Yellin flew with were killed, including Schlamberg, but Yellin found a temporary way to cope with the loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI never thought that these guys were killed, [just] transferred to another squadron and that we\u2019d meet again one day,\u201d he told the <a href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2017\/aug\/8\/jerry-yellin-details-his-military-experience-in-th\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">Washington Times<\/a> in August. \u201cThat\u2019s the way I got through the war. The seriousness of the loss wasn\u2019t felt until after the war when I came home, and then it was very difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He recalled to the Washington Times how horrific it was to land on war-torn Iwo Jima for the first time, where \u201cthere wasn\u2019t a blade of grass and there were 28,000 bodies rotting in the sun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe sights and the sounds and the smells of dead bodies and the sights of Japanese being bulldozed into mass graves absolutely never went away,\u201d he told the newspaper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the war, Yellin became an advocate of veterans with post-traumatic stress as he dealt with his own inner demons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yellin said he struggled for decades after the war ended. It was difficult for him to keep a steady job, and he and his family moved a dozen times in the United States, as well as to Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEverybody knows today what post-traumatic stress disorder is,\u201d he told the Washington Times. \u201cI spoke to \u2018the guys\u2019 at night. I thought about suicide. I couldn\u2019t hold a job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said only his wife and four children kept him from taking his own life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"720\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin3.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin3.JPG.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin3.JPG.jpg?resize=300,180 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin3.JPG.jpg?resize=768,461 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin3.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,614 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jerry Yellin, a former fighter pilot, walks on the flight line after an orientation flight on a T-6A Texan II at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Yellin flew the final combat mission of World War II on the day the war ended. (Senior Airman Ariel D. Partlow\/Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yellin\u2019s wife introduced him to Transcendental Meditation, and the twice-daily technique of silent concentration helped him find solace. In 2010, Yellin co-founded Operation Warrior Wellness, a division of the David Lynch Foundation that helps vets learn Transcendental Meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, Yellin helped author Don Brown write \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Last-Fighter-Pilot-Combat-Mission\/dp\/1621575063\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">The Last Fighter Pilot<\/a>,\u201d which recounts Yellin\u2019s World War II service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Besides advocating for veterans, Yellin also became a national spokesman for Keep the Spirit of \u201945 Alive, a nonprofit that promotes the legacy of WWII veterans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":34448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[2954],"class_list":["post-15666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"N4MALPCVBBHM7AXEMP6KYOF3GE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93 - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Charlsy Panzino\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Charlsy Panzino\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 636,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/yellin2.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Your Air Force\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93 - Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/yellin2.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/yellin2.JPG.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/yellin2.JPG.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2018\\\/01\\\/03\\\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"News\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"news\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Air Force\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-air-force\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93 - Air Force TImes","description":"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93","og_description":"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00","author":"Charlsy Panzino","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Charlsy Panzino","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93","datePublished":"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/"},"wordCount":636,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin2.JPG.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","News","Newsletters","Your Air Force"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/","name":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93 - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin2.JPG.jpg","datePublished":"2018-01-03T23:47:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-07T20:18:43+00:00","description":"WWII veteran Jerry Yellin became an advocate for vets with post-traumatic stress.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin2.JPG.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin2.JPG.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/01\/03\/fighter-pilot-who-flew-last-combat-mission-in-world-war-ii-dies-at-93\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/","ad_zone":"news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Your Air Force","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/","ad_zone":"your-air-force"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Fighter pilot who flew last combat mission in World War II dies at 93"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/yellin2.JPG.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15666"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15666\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15678,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15666\/revisions\/15678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15666"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=15666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}