Capt. Jerry Yellin, from Fairfield, Iowa, flew the final combat mission in World War II. World War II veterans visit Iwo Jima for the 70th anniversary March 21 2015, in commemoration of the end of World War II.
In an interview on that day he said:
“I came in 2010 for the 65th anniversary but this [70th Anniversary] … may be the last time that I’ll be on Iwo Jima,” said Former Marine Capt. Jerry Yellin, one of 16 million who served their nation during WWII.
“It’s a long trip. I’m 91 years old – I don’t know how much time I have left, but it’s a day of memories for me, great memories and sad memories. In 1988, my youngest son married the daughter of a Japanese kamikaze pilot, which took me from hatred to love of family.
I have three Japanese grandchildren. I’d like their contemporaries to know that my grandchildren’s grandparents served their countries with honor; no matter what we learned about the Japanese or what they learned about us – that war is an atrocity – evil has to be wiped out.
We are all human beings. Exactly the same, and there is evil in the world today and we have to fight that evil to make sure that there is freedom for free loving people in our world.”
You can follow Captain Yellin online on his blog!
Video by Cpl. Isaac Ibarra / U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Jillian Lotti/Released