Rank: Red Army _x000D_ Subdivision: 7th Guards Airborne Cherkasy Red Banner Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Division _x000D_ When the war began, my grandfather turned 16 years old. But his desire to protect his homeland from the fascist invaders was very strong. When in July 1943 he turned 17, he did not hesitate to come to the military registration and enlistment office to get to the war. Having attributed to himself an extra year, he went to defend the Motherland. _x000D_ He served in 7th Guards Airborne Cherkasy Red Banner Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky as a scout. A fragment from his memoirs:_x000D_ “It happened in Ukraine, our reconnaissance group came to a village. We were greeted there like the heroes, were fed, bathed and put to sleep. We knew from local residents that there were no fascists in the village, but we had examined vicinities before we went to rest. And suddenly in the middle of the night we heard noise outside. We were betrayed by someone. In front of me my friends were killed, only few had miraculously survived.” _x000D_ My grandfather received the “Medal for Courage”. On March 27, 1943, during the German counterattack in the village of Kolbasnaya, despite the retreat of his right neighbor, he fearlessly fired at the advancing enemy, pinned them to the ground and destroyed several dozen Germans. _x000D_ When my grandfather passed away I was very little and did not have time to learn about his years of service. I know he was wounded and treated in hospital, that one shell fragment had never been taken out of him. _x000D_ My grandfather was very modest, it seems to me even shy, he never complained about anything, knew how to endure pain, worked a lot for his family, tried first for the children, and then for the grandchildren. That was my grandfather, a War Hero, a Hero of my family, a real example for my sons.