General Mihailovich medals

31/03/2013

Legion of Merit – “General Dragoljub Draza Mihailovic distinguished himself in an outstanding manner as Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslavian Army Forces and later as Minister of War by organizing and leading important resistance forces against the enemy which occupied Yugoslavia, from December 1941 to December 1944. Through the undaunted efforts of his troops, many United States airmen were rescued and returned safely to friendly control. General Mihailovich and his forces, although lacking adequate supplies, and fighting under extreme hardships, contributed materially to the Allied cause, and were instrumental in obtaining a final Allied victory.” March 29, 1948, Harry S. Truman.

Cross of War – Commandant of French Resistance Movement, General De Gaulle awarded General Drazha Mihailovich with “Crox de Guerre” (Cross of War). With this decoration he issued a commendable command, which was red to all French Units on February 2nd 1942: “General of the Army Drazha Mihailovich, Legendary hero, symbol of the purest patriotism and the highest Yugoslav military virtues, never ceased to fight on the soil of his occupied homeland. With the help of his patriots, he constantly fought occupying army, preparing this way the final assault that will bring the liberation of his country and whole World side by side with those who never have accepted that one large country can submit itself to a brutal invader.”

0023 Orden Virtuti Militari, poljski, dobio Draza 1943

Virtuti Militari – Prime Minister of Polish Government in exile (in London), General Wladislaw Sikorski, decorated General Drazha Mihailovich with Poland’s highest military decoration – Virtuti Militari. Polish officer Michael Jakubowski Lewandowski brought personal letter of General Sikorski for Drazha, with the decoration, who parachuted on HomoljeMountain on June 16th 1943. After the fight near village Tanda in Homolje, on December 11th 1943, Germans captured the letter and decoration. This time Captain Lewandowski and three Chetniks were killed while Captain Edgar Hargreaves, two Greeks and one Serb were captured.