Ed Derwinski: Difference between revisions

A [[Polish American]], Derwinski was noted for his efforts on behalf of [[Eastern Europe]] throughout his career. Notably, he aided in the rehabilitation of the [[Serbia]]n Royalist general [[Draža Mihailović]]. Mihailović had received the [[Legion of Merit]] for his resistance efforts against the Axis&mdash;but this information was marked "[[Security clearance#Secret|secret]]" at the behest of the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] so as not to harm relations with Marshal [[Josip Tito|Tito]], the current ruler of [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] in 1967. Tito was Mihailović's rival in World War II, and after Tito's forces emerged triumphant, Mihailović was accused of collaboration with the Nazis and executed. At the urging of airmen involved in [[Operation Halyard]] who had been saved by Mihailović's forces and had heard rumors of the award to him, Derwinski insisted that the State Department make the text of President Truman's citation public, confirming that Mihailović had not collaborated.<ref>{{cite book|last=Freeman|first=Gregory A.|title=The Forgotten 500|date=September 2007|publisher=Penguin Books|location=80 Strand, London|isbn=978-0-451-22212-1|page=271}}</ref> Derwinski served as head of "Ethnic Americans for [[Bob Dole|Dole]]/[[Jack Kemp|Kemp]]" during the [[1996 United States presidential election, 1996|1996 presidential election]].