4686 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 3, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS TRIBUTE TO WILLIE J. FULTON munity to believe in strong and worthy values, saving the lives of American servicemen in even in the hardship of a sometimes reluctant World War II. Again, the State Department has HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR. society. For what he has chosen to give to his proven to be a major force of opposition. OF OHIO community in the way of guidance and patient Hopefully, someday the State Department will leadership for so many years, I join the many IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES officially recognize the role General Mihailo­ grateful people of Warren in appreciating Mr. vich played and allow these American service­ Tuesday, March 3, 1987 Fulton's dedication. I wish Willie and Barbara men to finally honor the man who saved their Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, it is with the best in his retirement and look forward to lives. Until then, however, all Americans can great pleasure that I rise today to honor Willie his further contributions in making Warren, remember ·with gratitude the service that Lt. J. Fulton, retired councilman of the sixth ward OH, an even better place to live. Col. George Musulin gave to his country, and in Warren, OH. Tonight he will be honored, his part in bringing these former MIA's home. and his distinguished career recognized, by TRIBUTE TO LT. COL. GEORGE I have included an article from the Washing­ the Black Elected Officials of Ohio. MUSULIN ton Times that summarizes the accomplish­ Mr. Fulton has chosen as a life-long pursuit ments of Colonel Musulin. The article follows: to come to the aid of his community and HON. PHILIP M. CRANE GEORGE MUSULIN, 72, FREED 400 TRAPPED fellow man at every opportunity. He is a man GI's to be respected for his efforts at seeing to it OF ILLINOIS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. George S. Mu­ that blacks in his area, and everywhere, are sulin, 72, a World War II officer who com­ able to seek out better jobs and equal em­ Tuesday, March 3, 1987 manded an operation to rescue American ployment. As an involved member of his com­ Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, Feb­ soldiers trapped behind enemy lines in munity in numerous capacities, he has dili­ ruary 21, a great American patriot and World Yugoslavia, died Saturday from diabetes gently set out to make Warren a better place War II hero, Lt. Col. George Musulin, passed and kidney failure in Bethesda Naval Hospi­ tal. He lived in McLean. to live, not only for blacks, but for all its citi­ away in the Bethesda Naval Hospital. Colonel zens. Col. Musulin commanded "Operation Hal­ Musulin is probably best remembered for yard," responsible for airlifting more than Willie served in the U.S. Army for nearly 4 spearheading "Operation Halyard," a daring 400 American soldiers from Nazi-occupied years before being honorably discharged. He and dramatic rescue of some 500 American Yugoslavia in August 1944. The central worked for the Republic Steel Corp. before servicemen from Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia in facts about the operation and its success becoming the first black letter carrier in the 1944. based on the cooperation of Gen. Draja Mi­ Warren Post Office in 1948. He worked for As the leader of an OSS mission to rescue hailovich, leader of the Yugoslav National­ better jobs and opportunities for blacks during American airmen that had been shot down ist Resistance Forces, were not made public this time before retiring his post in 1971. over Yugoslavia on the way back from raids until 20 years later. As a member of the NAACP for many David Martin, author of "Patriot or Trai­ on Axis oil installations and communications in tor: The Case of General Mihailovich," years, serving in the capacity of treasurer and Romania, Colonel Musulin and his team para­ called the mission "probably the most executive board member, and as chairman of chuted into Yugoslavia to set up the "Oper­ daring operation of its kind anywhere in the housing committee, he has led many bat­ ation Halyard" rescue. On August 9, 1944, the Axis-occupied Europe during the whole of tles against racial discrimination. After leading first group of American airmen were evacuat­ World War IL" several lawsuits and boycotts, he was suc­ ed by three waves of C-47's from a makeshift According to Mr. Martin, the events that cessful in winning election to become council­ airfield only 80 miles from Belgrade. Through led to Col. Musulin's participation in the op­ man of the sixth ward in Warren in 1975. His subsequent evacuations from secret airfields eration started in mid-October 1943, when retirement as councilman will end a career in in the heart of Axis-controlled Yugoslavia, the he parachuted into Yugoslavia as a member of the American mission at the headquar­ this position for six terms. Halyard mission brought its total of rescued ters of Gen. Mihailovich. Toward the end of Mr. Fulton is chairman of the public utilities airmen evacuated and returned to combat 1943, reports that Gen. Mihailovich had col­ · committee for the city of Warren, vice chair­ duty to 432. laborated with the Germans spurred the man of the traffic committee, member of the The airmen who were evacuated to safety British and Americans to move toward Mar­ traffic commission for Warren, member of the by Colonel Musulin had been rescued and shal Josep Tito. On May 31, 1944, Col. Mu­ board of directors for the Alliance for Commu­ protected by the Chetnik forces of Gen. Draza sulin and about 100 British and American nity Understanding. He is also a former direc­ Mihailovich, the Yugoslav resistance leader officers were evacuated by American forces, tor and stockholder of the black weekly news­ who called upon his people to fight back leaving Gen. Mihailovich abandoned. Col. Musulin supervised the first evacu­ paper, the Mahoning Valley Challenger, a against the German occupation. Despite an ation. Afterward, he was reassigned to Bari, member of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Street offer to be evacuated to safety in Italy with Italy, which served as headquarters of the Improvement Club, a member of Club the last group of Americans, General Mihailo­ American Office of Strategic Services and Yazoo-a national class club, a member of vich elected to stay and lead his people in the the British Secret Operations Executive in­ the National Association of Letter Carriers, the fateful fight against General Tito's Communist telligence agencies. There, he suggested or­ United Steelworkers, the Alliance for Postal aggressors. Ironically, even though Mihailo­ ganizing a more ambitious effort to evacu­ Employees Union, a member of King Solomon vich's forces rescued and smuggled out Amer­ ate the Americans who had missed the first Lodge No. 87 A.F. A.M., and is a past wor­ ican flyers downed in Yugoslavia during the evacuation. & Col. Musulin encountered heavy resist­ shipful master. war, Mihailovich, a victim of Communist propa­ ance to this idea because of the pro-Tito at­ Mr. Fulton has been recognized for his con­ ganda, was executed as a war criminal by titudes of both Britian and the United tributions to society on numerous occasions. Tito's forces. States, according to Mr. Martin. By mid­ He has received the Trumbull County Branch Colonel Musulin and the American airmen July 1944, Col. Musulin succeeded in per­ NAACP Service Award, the United Negro Col­ rescued in the Halyard operation appealed to suading superiors to rescue a growing lege Fund Meritorious Service Award, and a the State Department to intervene on behalf number of Americans still in Gen. Mihailo­ special award from his own high school class of General Mihailovich's defense. Unfortunate­ vich's territory. Col. Musulin was appointed given in 1977. ly, little was done, and, as a result, America commanding officer of the three-man mis­ sion. Mr. Fulton belongs to Friendship Baptist has to live with this injustice. More recently, On Aug. 4, 1944, Col. Musulin parachuted Church and he and his wife, Barbara have Musulin and the airmen have lobbied Con­ into supposedly friendly territory in Yugo­ three sons. I join Willie's family in their P[ide gress to get a modest sized memorial built to slavia near the town of Pranjani, where he for this man. He has led his family and com- commemorate General Mihailovich's role for found about 250 Americans and gradually • This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. March 3, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 4687 led them to a secret air strip where they from ethnic stock and that my immigrant be forced to live with it at work, at school or boarded rescue planes. parents were tougher on me than my Eng­ at our government buildings. By the end of the mission, more than 400 lish teachers at the Cary School in Old We can start by curtailing the forced use American soldiers had been rescued, Mr. Delray. of foreign languages in some of our public Martin said. "You listen to your teachers so you don't schools because someone thinks the student After the war, Col. Musulin joined first have to work in the foundry when you grow can only make it in America by learning in the Office of Naval Intelligence and then up," my father lectured.