Title: Senior Sergeant. _x000D_ “I, Serovatov Matvey Dmitrievich, was born on November 26, 1925 in the Chkalovsk Region. Perevolotsky district, Donetsk. When I turned 17 years and 2 months old, I volunteered for the front, decided that I must defend my homeland and my people. In 1943, on January 20, I was sent to the front, where I underwent training. _x000D_ At first I served in Koltubanovka, then we were transferred to Bashkiria, to Alkino, where I was enrolled as a machine gunner. I finished my studies with excellent marks and I was awarded the rank of Senior Sergeant. At the end of the year we were sent to the front, we ended up in the Poltava Region. There they gave me an easel machine gun, I was number 1. _x000D_ Then we were sent to the front line, where we defended our Motherland, here shots and explosions were already heard. When we crossed the Dnieper, it was already forced. Here we received the first baptism of fire, came under the bombing. The battle continued throughout the night. Many of my comrades were killed in that battle, this was our first battle. By morning we were not far from the Germans, their Reconnaissance bypassed our defenses, and we were surrounded. Suddenly 17 German tanks appeared, our regiment had been crushed almost completely, miraculously, several people remained alive, including myself... It was scary, even now its scary to remember, we had to go through horror. A whole book is not enough to describe everything. _x000D_ I went my way from the Dnieper to Berlin. In these battles I was slightly wounded, both legs were frostbitten. As a result, I was taken to the hospital, after treatment I ended up in the 173rd Tank Brigade, where I received a Degtyarev machine gun, and fought there. From the front line we were taken to form in Kharkov. We walked 70 kilometers to the village. Robin. Here we already received American equipment, our unit became known as the 6th Separate Motorcycle Reconnaissance Regiment. I was given a heavy machine gun. Our machine-gun company consisted of 110 people. Fighting, I went through the cities of Lodz, Warsaw, Regenwald, Berlin. After the capture of Berlin and the celebration of Victory Day, the service began for me in Dresden, where I served for 6 years and 2 months._x000D_ After demobilization, I returned to my hometown, to the Orenburg station, got married, got a job at the station. I worked for 30 years and 4 months, then retired and took up farming, I am satisfied with my life. In 2000, the veterans of our city were invited to Germany, where we stayed for 6 days. We were received just fine, I and my fellow soldiers were very pleased. First of all, we visited the cemeteries where our friends are buried, they have 317 monuments and 528 graves with our soldiers, cleanliness and order, a sea of flowers. People treat our heroes with respect, take care, honor. All this will always remain in my memory. " _x000D_ On January 11, 2006, our beloved grandfather passed away. We we miss him very much. He was a very good, cheerful, good-natured and sympathetic person. We loved him very much. We will never forget him. Thanks to him and to all the heroes, living and fallen, for our bright future, for this wonderful World, a deep bow for everything that they have done for us.