Rank: Red Army Soldier_x000D_ Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa! What a pity we didn't meet you! How short your earthly journey was! You were drafted in the early days of the war. In the confusion your father cried: “You have built a house, but you won't have to live...” _x000D_ His wife stood in confusion with her one-year-old daughter Larisa in her arms. And then came uncertainty and long days of waiting. July, August, and September 1941 had passed. _x000D_ In September, letters began to arrive, and my grandmother found out that he was in the 899th Rifle Regiment, then was sent to the school for Junior Commanders. His letters were filled with love and longing, they are still kept in the family, just have turned yellow. His wife went to look for this Junior Commanding school. From the letters it was clear that it was located in the former Galitsino pioneer camp near Moscow. And she found it! The Commander allowed him to meet with his wife, they were sheltered by a kind woman in a neighboring village. _x000D_ On December 18, 1941, near Moscow, the Germans broke through the defenses in the Tuchkovo-Dorokhovo area. And the cadets were sent into combat. Olga accompanied him to the truck, she could not take away her hands to let him go ... Then everything calmed down, and she went back to the military unit. But her husband was not there. She began to ask the returning soldiers, and one of them said that the standard bearer was wounded in the combat, and Alexey Poroshkov picked up the banner and went into combat. The Germans were on a hillock, our troops were in the lowlands, in the field, they could be seen at a glance. Some of the soldiers saw him lying in the snow with his arms and legs torn off. _x000D_ My dear! It's scary to imagine what you were thinking in the last minutes of your life! And Olga went to look for you on the field. A lot of people were killed in that combat. The dead were lying on top of each other in several rows. But she kept looking for a long time, but could not find him. Then there was the hope that medical aid arrived in time and you were taken to the hospital. There were many requests, but in vain. The answer was missing in action. _x000D_ And then there was life, peaceful life. His daughter Larisa had grown up, your grandchildren Irina and Alexey, named after you, were born. Your great-grandchildren have already grown up, too. And May 9 is a day of great joy and great sorrow. It smells like flowers, herbs and Valerian. _x000D_ WE REMEMBER YOU, WE LOVE YOU, WE PRAY FOR YOU, and maybe after so many years, suddenly, a miracle will happen and news of your burial will come, or your medallion or some other thing will be found, warmed by your warmth, by your hands. We continue to wait and hope. Your granddaughter Irina Bylova.