“This story does not describe heroic deeds, but I think there are a lot of such in our country. Branch of the service: ground forces, air force (except naval aviation), coastal service, NKVD troops, border troops. Khafizov M.Z. is my great-grandfather, he went to the front, wrote several letters, and disappeared in 1942. There was no information about him to this day, but thanks to the Memorial WBS we managed to find out that he fought and was taken prisoner on 07/09/1942 near the village of Kantimirovka, then sent to the transit camp Stalag VI K (326) , and later - to the work camp Stalag XI-B Fallingbostel, where he died on 02/23/1943. His wife, Hafizova Hafiz, died, but all her life she did not believe in his death and tried to find him. But here is his daughter, Akhmetshina (Khafizova) Gulsum Miniakhmetovna (my grandmother), in good health, and there was no limit to her joy from the news she received - any news, albeit sad, still “warms the soul”. An interesting fact is that my grandmother was the last person who saw, remembered my father alive, since she, with her younger brother, ran furtively before being sent to the front to the place of gathering of soldiers, to the school of junior sergeants, my father went out to them, talked, showed the rifle youngest son. And decades later, she became the only one who received the news of his death (the wife and son had died by this time). And, thanks to the pedantry of the Germans, we also have a photograph of the grandfather from his prisoner of war card, the date of his birth (no one remembered it anymore), the date of death and the place of burial. Now, on February 23, we celebrate not only the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland, but also honor the memory of our great-grandfather, grandfather, father - Private Khafizov Miniahmed Zaripovich, who gave his life for our Motherland. " Remember and Proud !!!