As more data from the United States Department of Veteran Affairs becomes available, it is impossible to ignore the hidden pain our country’s veterans are facing.
In 2020, an average of 17 veterans took their lives each day. In the last 20 years, the rate of suicide among veterans was six times higher than among non-veterans. Many of these tragic deaths can be attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
WWII survivor Jerry Yellin knows how this pain feels firsthand. During the war, Yellin lost his entire squadron of 16 men and saw hundreds of dead bodies – both American and Japanese.
WWII veteran Jerry Yellin struggled with symptoms of PTSD for decades, not letting his pain be known.
He completed the last fighter pilot mission before the war ended, but during this mission, his wingman became the last person to die in combat during the war.
Yellin was able to return home. Unfortunately, many of the horrors of war came with him. He struggled immensely to find stability again, and was unable to be the supportive husband and father he wanted to be. He was consumed by guilt, and saw himself as nothing more than a killer. He thought about ending his life daily.
That was until Yellin found Transcendental Meditation (TM).
This practice involves repeating a word, phrase or mantra in the mind while sitting or lying still with closed eyes. It is intended to be practiced twice a day for 15-20 minutes to help relieve stress and relax the mind. The practice is known to aid in mental clarity, improve decision making and even lower blood pressure.
A new mission
Like many veterans, Yellin had been suffering in silence, as he kept his war-born demons deep inside his psyche. His son, Michael Yellin, says he wasn’t even aware that his father was struggling with PTSD until later in his life.
“He never really spoke about it, but my mom would have known more and she suggested (TM) to my dad to learn and the rest is laid out in history,” Yellin's son Michael says.
To bring awareness and let other veterans who are struggling know that they are not alone, Yellin began speaking across the country about the struggles of PTSD. He worked closely with the David Lynch Foundation and even helped start the Operation Warrior Wellness program which introduced veterans to TM.
Yellin has also published six books, one of which was translated into Japanese.
Lights, camera, action
“I never had a film take a hold of me like this,” Emily Schuss, the Columbus Jewish Film Festival director says.
Filmmaker Louisa Merino first met Yellin at a lap pool in Iowa when he was 91 years old. They became fast friends, meditating together and going out to lunch. Eventually, Yellin suggested that Merino tell his life story. Merino agreed and, for the final few years of Yellin’s life, the two went everywhere together.
One of the biggest conflicts in the film, titled Jerry’s Last Mission, culminates in one of Yellin’s sons getting married to the daughter of a former training Kamikaze pilot. In the film, Yellin explains how he was able to change his mindset from seeing Japanese people as his enemies to seeing them as friends and family.
“As we grow older, we can easily become more like, ‘This is my worldview, and that’s it,’ but he constantly was open to changing,” Merino says. “He mentioned that so much of his worldview was given through his practice of Transcendental Meditation.”
Yellin passed away in 2017 at age 93. Michael says he was “sharp as a tack” up until the day he died. Because Merino was able to capture his life through her camera lens, his story of hope and humanity can live on.
“It has been so inspiring for people to see Jerry’s open heart and how they could see their families, their grandparents, in Jerry and in his story, even if they didn't have the story of transformation,” she says.
“Jerry’s Last Mission became my personal mission and if there’s one person that benefits from watching, my mission is complete,” Vicki Commeans Wasserstrom says.
Jerry’s Last Mission will be featured as the closing film of the Columbus Jewish Film Festival the evening of Nov. 19 at the Columbus Museum of Art.
Filmmaker Louisa Merino and Yellin’s son, Michael Yellin, will be present to answer questions after the showing. To learn more about the festival, which begins Nov. 2, or to purchase tickets, visit www.columbusjcc.org.
The film will also be available for large-group screenings by request. A benefit showing the film is scheduled for June 2024 at the McCoy Center. Proceeds will benefit the Columbus Jewish Film Festival and Healthy New Albany
To schedule a screening and other inquiries, contact Vicki Commeans Wasserstrom at vcommeans@gmail.com or Emily Schuss at eschuss@columbusjcc.org.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
