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Documentary film released on fighter pilot Jerry Yellin
Andy Hallman
Nov. 13, 2020 12:00 am
FAIRFIELD - A documentary film about former Fairfield resident and World War II fighter pilot Jerry Yellin has just been released.
The film, 'Jerry's Last Mission,” can be viewed for free for a limited time, from now through the end of the day Friday at jerryslastmission.com. The nearly hourlong film dives into Yellin's remarkable life as a fighter pilot who flew the last mission over Japan. Yellin suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for years after, plagued by survivor's guilt.
Yellin's son, Robert, moved to Japan and married the daughter of a kamikaze pilot. The documentary tells the story of how Yellin confronted the fear and hatred he harbored, and the healing process he went through.
The film was directed by Louisa Merino and produced by Ed Cunningham and Melissa Hibbard. It features interviews with Yellin's children such as Fairfield resident Steven Yellin. Steven lived with his father for the last three years of his life in Orlando, Fla, until his death in 2017 at the age of 93.
'People will be shocked when they see this documentary,” Steven said. 'They will have no idea of what my father went through over the years. They will be shocked, but in an uplifting, emotional way, not in a negative way.”
Steven said even he was taken aback by the things his father said on film.
'He thought about suicide every day for 30 years because of PTSD,” Steven said. 'I had no idea.”
Steven said the filmmakers have shopped the film around to major streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and HBO. He expects one of them to pick it up, whereupon it will be available on that platform.
The documentary is based on Yellin's 1995 autobiography 'Of War and Weddings.” Steven said the publisher is planning to rerelease the book, and changing the title so it is the same as the documentary 'Jerry's Last Mission.”
In January 2019, Yellin was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.
Jerry Yellin, who flew the last mission over Japan in World War II, is the subject of a documentary 'Jerry's Last Mission.' The documentary can be viewed for free through the end of the day Friday at jerryslastmission.com. (Photo submitted)