Mission Halyard on the Gold Gondola

Representatives of the Halyard Foundation took advantage of their stay in Zlatibor to enjoy a ride on the world's longest gondola. This was an unforgettable experience for them as they had a unique opportunity to become acquainted with the nature of the Zlatibor region, and they will remember it for the extraordinary views that can only be seen from the cabins of the Gold Gondola. Their journey was made even more enjoyable by the viewpoint from the highest peak of Tornik, from which you can see the entire Zlatibor, as well as Tara, Jahorina, Durmitor and more. It was a rare opportunity for them to experience the beauty of Western Serbia.

They visited Zlatibor as part of the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of the rescue of American pilots on Serbian territory during World War II. Around 40 American pilots were saved in the Municipality of Čajetina, and their descendants had the chance to meet the families of the brave Zlatibor residents. The American guests also visited the "Dimitrije Tucović" Elementary School in Zlatibor, where a public history and English language class was held.

The Halyard Mission, also known as Operation Halyard in Serbian, is the largest rescue mission of Allied forces behind enemy lines in World War II. Allied pilots were saved by the U.S. aviation in cooperation with the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland of General Dragoljub Mihailović. At that time, the Chetniks saved over 500 Allied pilots who were shot down over Yugoslavia. The majority of pilots were evacuated from the improvised airstrip in the village of Pranjani in 1944. Operation Halyard is considered one of the most successful rescue missions behind enemy lines in the history of warfare.

Predstavnici Fondacije Halijard iskoristili su boravak na Zlatiboru da uživaju u vožnji najdužom gondolom na svetu. Za njih je ovo bilo nezaboravno iskustvo jer su se na jedinstven način upoznali sa prirodom zlatiborskog kraja, a pamtiće ga po nesvakidašnjem pogledu koji se pruža samo iz kabina Gold gondole. Njihovu vožnju još lepšom učinio je vidikovac sa najvišeg vrha Tornika odakle se vidi ceo Zlatibor, ali i Tara, Jahorina, Durmitor... To je za njih bila retka prilika da dožive lepote Zapadne Srbije.

Oni su posetili Zlatibor u okviru obeležavanja 79. godišnjice spasavanja američkih pilota na teritorije Srbije tokom Drugog svetskog rata. Na teritoriji Opštine Čajetine je spaseno oko 40 američkih pilota čiji potomci su imali priliku i da se upoznaju sa porodicama hrabrih Zlatiboraca. Američki gosti su posetili i OŠ „Dimitrije Tucović“ na Zlatiboru gde je održan javni čas istorije i engleskog jezika.

Misija Halijard, na srpskom poznata i kao Operacija vazdušni most, je najveća akcija spasavanja savezničkih snaga iza neprijateljskih linija u Drugom svetskom ratu. Savezničke pilote spasila je avijacije SAD u saradnji sa Jugoslovenskom vojskom u Otadžbini generala Dragoljuba Mihailovića. Četnici su tada spasili više od 500 savezničkih pilota, koje su Nemci oborili iznad Jugoslavije. Najveći broj pilota je evakuisan sa improvizovanog aorodroma u selu Pranjani 1944. godine. Operacija Vazdušni most smatra se za jednu od najuspešnijih spasilačkih misija iza neprijateljskih linija u istoriji ratova.