Michael Rajacich

Michael M. Rajacich
Native name
Мајкл Рајачић
Born(1913-10-26)October 26, 1913
Hibbing, Minnesota, United States
Died(1992-12-22)December 22, 1992
Los Angeles, California, United States
Buried
Mountain View Memorial Park, Bastow, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.
Allegiance United States
Branch United States United States Army
Service years1943–1944
RankSergeant (1943); Second Lieutenant (1944)
UnitOffice of Strategic Services (OSS)
Fifteenth Air Force
ConflictsWorld War II
Operation Halyard
RelationsMarko "Mike" Rajačić (father)
Dora Kosovich (mother)

Michael M. Rajacich (Serbian Cyrillic: Мајкл Рајачић; 26 October 1913 — 22 December 1992) was an American second lieutenant. Born to a Serb family, he was a member of the Office of Strategic Services and a pivotal participant in Operation Halyard.

Biography

Early life and education

Michael Rajacich's parents were of Serb origin from Lika, and his father Marko "Mike" Rajačić (1880-1932) emigrated in 1896 to the United States where he settled in Minnesota.[1] There, he met his future wife, Dora Kosovich (1888-1964), of Serbian Montenegrin roots. Rajacich was born in Hibbing, Minnesota.

In parallel with his studies in Hibbing, Rajacich worked as a miner. Thanks to a scholarship from Serb emigrants, he studied at the University of Belgrade from 1934 to 1938.

From 1940, he worked for the United States Department of War.

World War II

Rajacich joined the U.S. Army on 22 July 1943. From the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), he was transferred to the 15th Air Corps under General Nathan Twining in Italy, where he joined Colonel Robert McDowell's "Ranger Group", which was tasked with organizing the rescue of United States Air Force personnel shot down over Yugoslavia.[2]

At midnight 2 August 1944, Master Sargeant Michael Rajacich jumped out of a plane and parachuted into Pranjani, next to the headquarters of General Dragoljub Mihailovich, together with Lieutenant Colonel George Musulin, and radio operator Specialist Arthur Jibilian[3]. The team was detailed to the United States Fifteenth Air Force and designated as the 1st Air Crew Rescue Unit.[4] It was the largest rescue operation of American Airmen in history.[5] Allied airmen who had been downed over occupied Yugoslavia were rescued by Mihailović's Chetniks,[6] and airlifted out by the Fifteenth Air Force.[7]

Together with Colonel Robert McDowell during the autumn of 1944, Rajacich trekked to Bosnia[8]. He was evacuated on 1 November 1944 from the airport in Boljanić near Doboj, together with Colonel Robert McDowell.[9]

He died in Los Angeles. Michael M. Rajacich died on 22 December 1992 and is buried at the Mountain View Memorial Park in Bastow, San Bernardino County, California, U.S.A.

Legacy

A recently-produced film entitled Heroes of Halyard is featured on Tubi.

Ranks

  • Sergeant (July 22, 1943)
  • Second Lieutenant (September 1944)

See also

References

  1. ^ Babac, Dusan (2017). Serbs - American War Heroes. Belgrade: Media Center Defense. pp. 282. ISBN 978-86-335-0577-2.
  2. ^ Lulishi, Albert. Donovan's Devils: OSS Commandos Behind Enemy Lines - Europe, World War II.
  3. ^ "10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Green Berets and Serbian Counterparts Conduct Airborne Jump to Honor Operation Halyard Anniversary".
  4. ^ name="Ford 1992 p. 100">Ford (1992), p. 100
  5. ^ "US commemorates Serbian support during WWII". U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa. 21 November 2016.
  6. ^ name="Leary 1995 p. 32">Leary (1995), p. 32
  7. ^ name="Leary 1995 p. 30">Leary (1995), p. 30
  8. ^ "The Declassified OSS Report of M/SGT Michael Rajacich of the HALYARD and RANGER MISSIONS in WWII Yugoslavia with the Mihailovich forces".
  9. ^ Babac, Dušan (2017). Serbs - American War Heroes. Belgrade: Media Center Defense. pp. 283. ISBN 978-86-335-0577-2.
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