Troops: Ground Forces, Air Force (except marine aviation), Coast Guard, NKVD troops, Border Guard My grandfather, Alexander Mikhailovich Kalinchev is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. He was born on November 28, 1923, in the village of Lopotok, Cheplyginsky district, Ryazan region. The family had 8 children (5 sisters and 3 brothers). In early childhood, he learned from his grandfather how to make very beautiful boots, carve wood and make furniture with his own hands. After finishing school, he learned to be a chauffeur. In 1939, he was drafted into the Red Army and sent to serve in the Far East in the city of Bikin. He served in the 88th regiment of the 226th Rifle Reconnaissance Battalion of the First Red Banner of the Far East Army. Since my grandfather was a chauffeur, he was entrusted with a special machine on which were installed location, radar and reconnaissance devices, including teletype and radio. This car was serviced by 4 radio operators, each was responsible for a specific installation. In June 1941, the grandfather was to be demobilized, but since there was no specialist to replace him, he was asked to stay until a replacement was found and he agreed. And when the Great Patriotic War began, their regiment was moved to the border with China, because Japan, which fought on the side of Nazi Germany, landed its troops in the Far East (Mongolia, China). With his regiment grandfather liberated China from the Japanese invaders, participated in a major battle near the city of Mudazian. Before the offensive, their war machine was sent with a reconnaissance purpose - to find out the number and location of enemy troops. When they completed the task, they were ordered to return. And when they were going to their unit, they were chased by a Japanese pilot, who began to fire a machine gun at the car, because most likely he ran out of shells. To get away from the pursuit and to keep the crew and equipment, our grandfather chose this tactic: at first, he was going at a high speed, and then he was sharply braking and the plane could not adjust to the car and fired past it. And when the pilot ran out of ammunition, he went to the next round and flew in the direction of the car to scare our soldiers, the soldiers did not get confused and opened fire from submachine guns and rifles at the plane. The plane was flying very low, so the bullets hit the fuel tank and the plane exploded. But while the crew tried to escape from the pursuit, they did not see how they ran off the road and got into the swamp, the car with the front wheels stuck in a bog. It was decided to dismantle the equipment and the soldiers took off everything they could and carried it to the unit. And the grandfather was responsible for the car and could not leave it, he had to destroy the machine if the Japanese tried to capture it. For 3 days, he guarded the car and cut the reeds and tree branches to get the car out of the swamp. And he succeeded, he was able to lift the machine and slip everything he had prepared under the wheels, and the machine drove out of the swamp. When he arrived at the location of his unit, they were not waiting for him there because they thought that he had died along with those people who went to his aid and died under the bombing of Japanese planes. For the fact that Grandpa was able to save the machine, he was awarded the Order of World War I degree. After this incident, our grandfather became, among his colleagues, a talisman. When the group went on a difficult and dangerous task, they always asked that Alexander Kalinchev was driving the car. It was as if he was guarded by an invisible force and only he knew what kind of force it was - leaving to serve, his mother secretly gave him a cross, as if she had guarded him - for the whole war, Grandfather was not injured and everyone who was with him in the car, remained safe and sound, getting out of the battle or the most terrible bombings. 1945 - Victory, he welcomed on September 2 in the Chinese city of Handekend. Their regiment returned to the city of Bikin. He already dreamed of returning home, but one day he was summoned by the commander and asked to stay in the service as an experienced installer, he agreed and served for another 2 years. He was demobilized in 1947. He was awarded the Medal of Courage and the Medal for Victory over Japan. He returned to the town of Elektrastal, Moscow region, where his family lived by then. And he was immediately taken to a secret military plant. Working at this factory, he met his future wife - Praskovia Feodorovna, who worked in the security of the plant. Soon they got married and had 4 sons and 1 daughter - my mother, Lyudmila Alexandrovna. My grandfather worked at the plant till 1955 and quit for health reasons. With his large family, following the recommendation of doctors, he moved to a village called Elinarkhovo. He worked at the collective farm as a driver and my grandmother was a milkmaid. In this village he lived until 2013. There was a fire in December, the house burned down completely, my grandfather was very worried, because he lost not only his belongings and furniture, but also the battle awards won by such hard work. Now, my grandfather lives in Shakhovskaya settlement, Moscow region. After the fire, he was given a one-room apartment. And on May 9, 2015, our grandfather was invited to the Celebration Parade in Moscow. Our family is proud of our grandfather and we want to wish him health, to say thank you very much for the Victory!!!