My great-grandfather Alexey Smirnov was born in the village of Krasniy Kust of the 2nd Berezovskiy selsoviet of the Muchkapskiy District of the Tambov Region. Participant of the Great Patriotic War. He finished only five classes - his mother died, and his father could not raise children, because he worked hard. My great-grandfather went to live with his older sister in the city of Balashov. After some time there, he entered the Tractor operators school. Before the war, he served in the 3rd Separate Tank Company as a driver from November 1936. In October 1939, he was dismissed to the reserve. He was mobilized by the Kursinskiy District Military Commissariat in the Chita Region. He was the Chief of the military record-keeping Desk. After that, he was transferred to military unit #527, to the 3rd company, then was called up to the 206th Special Training Company of Scouts. Then transferred to the 328th Artillery Regiment. My great-grandfather was an ordinary soldier. He did not have a high rank, but did everything possible and impossible during the war. He was a brave and courageous man with a strong character. After that, he was assigned to the 2nd Belorussian Front. These war years were hard. Under the bursts of shells in rain and snow, heat and cold, the Soviet soldiers confidently approached Victory. My great-grandfather remembered their commander-in-chief, Konstantin Rokossovsky, a Soviet military commander and statesman, one of the most outstanding military leaders. Great-grandfather went through the war. He fought bravely for the world we now live in. My great-grandfather received Medals For the Defense of Leningrad, For the Victory over Germany, letters of thanks. After the war, my he participated in the restoration of the war-torn city of Voronezh. My great-grandfather died on April 27, 1980. I am very proud of my great-grandfather! 3rd grade student MAOU "Lyceum #29" Tambov Ksenia Lopukhova.