"And the sights and the sounds and the smells of that day are with me to this day." (Video interview, 11:27)

Jerome Yellin

Jerome Yellin at time of interview War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Army Air Forces/Corps Unit: 78th Fighter Squadron Service Location: Iwo Jima; Pacific Theater Rank: Captain

Jerome Yellin’s career as a fighter pilot got off to a rocky start, when he flunked the physical exam due to 20-30 vision in one eye. Not to be deterred, he obtained a copy of the eye chart from his mother, who worked for the draft board, and passed the test on his second try. Flying with the 78th Fighter Squadron, he took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima and escorted B-29s on bombing runs over Tokyo. Over the course of his time in combat, he lost 16 members of his squadron. On August 13, 1945, he completed his 19th mission over Japan, and arrived back to Iwo Jima to find out the war had been over for three hours. In his oral history interview, he speaks candidly about the sights and smells of war, and about how he overcame Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) through Transcendental Meditation.