New film helps Fairfield man understand father's fighter pilot experiences in WWII
FAIRFIELD, Iowa — A Fairfield man is eagerly awaiting the official release of a new film about his late father.
The documentary, Jerry’s Last Mission, follows a celebrated World War II fighter pilot on a journey to spread peace in his final years of life.
Steven Yellin hopes the powerful story will inspire millions of viewers the way it has inspired him.
“I could watch it every day and never get tired of watching it,” he said.
Jerry Yellin, a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flew P-51s over Iwo Jima during the war.
“Those are the eyes of someone who has experienced quite a lot, to say the least,” Yellin said to KTVO Thursday while holding up a picture of his father.
Growing up, Yellin said his dad rarely spoke about his experience fighting in the war.
“We knew nothing growing up about his war experiences, myself and my three brothers,” he said.
The new documentary is giving Yellin an entirely different perspective. It offers a glimpse into the dark horrors of war, helping him understand the pain and trauma his father endured for much of his life.
“The first time I heard that he thought about suicide every week for 30 years, I heard it on this film for the first time,” Yellin said. “I was completely, completely shocked.”
Jerry Yellin flew with 32 men. Half of them died in combat.
“Things that came out in the film, I didn’t know,” Yellin said. “He never shared that he spoke to these fallen comrades of his every night. And he carried the guilt all his life ... why did I survive, and they died?”
Later in life, Jerry Yellin used meditation to heal. It helped him develop love for a country he once viewed as the enemy. And enemies became family when his youngest son, Robert, married the daughter of a Japanese kamikaze pilot.
"To go through that transformation, Hollywood could not have come up with a better movie,” Yellin said. “But the script is real. It's real life."
Capt. Yellin spent the final years of his life spreading a message of unity.
“We are all human beings,” Yellin said. "We are not Buddhist, and Muslims, and Jews or Hindus, we are all connected on the deepest of level and that really is the essence of the message.”
Jerry Yellin passed away three years ago at the age of 93. He was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
His documentary is being shared online for a limited time this Veterans Day holiday, and is still available to view HERE for free through Friday.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the film and its team of producers.
