Washington premiere of Heroes of Halyard held at Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON - The Washington premiere of the WWII-themed Serbian film The Heroes of Halyard was held at Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Serbian Ambassador to Washington Marko Djuric said the premiere, held "at the heart of American democracy", commemorated the 80th anniversary of the heroic WWII Operation Halyard, when Serbian farmers rescued close to 500 US airmen.

"The mere fact the film The Heroes of Halyard is to be screened in the US Congress is an accomplishment in itself because allowing the screening of a film glorifying the role of Serbs is a result of a political decision," Djuric said.

"This is also an opportunity to have a discussion and a debate on the role of the Serbs in WWII with Congress members from both parties - the Republican and the Democratic party - and with representatives of the Serbian caucus in Congress," Djuric said.

At a panel on the Serbia-US defence partnership, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who co-chairs the Serbian caucus, said that, historically and at present, Serbia represented a very important part of the US' relationship with Europe and a major ally and that the premiere was not only an opportunity to remember but also to tell the truth about Serbia-US relations.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, who also co-chairs the caucus, said it was his honour and pleasure to be representing the Serbian-American community in Missouri, and thanked Djuric for his partnership and cooperation in promoting and strengthening the US-Serbia relations.

Looking back on an 18-year partnership between the Serbian Armed Forces and the US state of Ohio, Ohio National Guard Commander Maj Gen John Harris said The Heroes of Halyard was a catalyst of broader dialogue on the Serbia-US partnership and an instrument of further education for Americans about the longevity and depth of Serbia-US relations.