Rank: Chief_x000D_ Branch of troops: Artillery_x000D_ Division: 129th Infantry Division (1st Formation). _x000D_ My father began his military career in 1943 in the 381st Reserve Rifle Regiment as a cadet, then he fought in the 129 Mortar Regiment as the Sergeant Major of the 120 mm mortar battery. Throughout the war he went as a Mortarman, spoke very little about the hardships of the war and about wounds. I didn't like to discuss this war period of his life. But I know that he was shell-shocked, but continued to fight for the Motherland and my family. Our great-grandfather Poturaev Ignat Ivanovich fought in the First World War in the 41st Seleginsky Regiment. To defend this country from the enemies was in the blood of men of our kind. After the liberation of this country, he liberated Europe from the Nazis, but he had not reached the Berlin ... _x000D_ There were very strong battles in the Czech Republic and he ended the Second World War near Prague. After defeating Germany, he was transferred to fight in Japan. He recalled that after the Nazis, Japanese soldiers seemed like just children ... After the victory over Japan, he had served in the Armed Forces until 1947. Then he returned to a peaceful life and left to work at the manganese ore mines in the town of Ordzhonikidze, then worked as a driver of fierce dump trucks at the Mining and Processing Plant (MPP). He has many labor awards and is a Veteran of Labor. He did not watch films about the war, he did not like that. After 10 minutes, he usually said: "It is not true, it was not at all like that ..." and left. He was very fond of the songs "At Nameless Height" and "Cranes" performed by the Soviet singer Mark Bernes. Dad was very fond of mom and us, two daughters and our older brother. It was always very safe and warm with him. His disarming childish smile was with him until his last day! For us, he is the best dad in the world! Dad died on an early sunny morning on June 5, 1993 after a short illness ... Eternal glory and memory to dad and all the veterans, the winners in this terrible war! From the memoirs of Vasily Ignatievich Poturayev: "In the fall of 1944, there were fierce combats and terrible losses. A very young soldier from Moscow, just a boy, was sent to his battery ... He brought shells and was hit by a shrapnel. Dad dragged him into the trench, but he died. Dad remembered his hands, they were very beautiful and thin. He studied at the conservatory before the war. Dad talked about him so excitedly, very clearly remembered him. There were many lethalities to follow, but the death of this boy was left in his memory. _x000D_ My father’s hands were very strong and reliable! Dad fought with the husband of his sister Lena Mikhail Kravchenko, they went through the whole war together and both returned home. After the war he came to his brother-soldier Ivan Ivanovich Bout, where he met our mother Stadnik Maria Mironovna and they had a good marriage for 39 years!