Title: Senior Sergeant Troops: Artillery Division: 365 Rifle Red Banner Division. I, like all citizens of our country, have many relatives who fought. I want to tell a little about my grandfather, whose courage I am amazed with. Ivan Vasilievich Zheltov was called to defend his Homeland in September 1941, when he was 19 years old. He began serving in the rank of junior sergeant, went through the entire war, received the post of commander of the intelligence department of the 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade. On June 22, 1942, near Sevastopol, he received a shrapnel wound to the chest, but stayed in the ranks and for three days continued to destroy the enemy with a cannon and mortar and commanded the gun. From July 3, 1942, he was reported missing, but at that time Ivan Vasilyevich was in hospital with a shrapnel wound. Found him! He is alive! During the war he participated in the Battle of Sevastopol (1942), in the liberation of the Brest Fortress (1944), in the breakthrough of the fortified enemy defense on the bank of the Oder River in the Neu-Hlitzen area (April, 1945, Germany). "'Just before the offensive in Crimea, we were suddenly taken off and thrown to Western Ukraine (Gomel, Kovel) for Kiev. We were transferred from Western Ukraine to Belarus. Before Pinsk, June 18, 1944 68th Guards Cannon Artillery Regiment merged with 67th Guards Cannon Artillery Regiment, and formed a 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade. The brigade participated in the operation to liberate Belarus (Pinsk and Brest) from German invaders. We were sent from Brest by rail to the north. For what purpose? Where to? And only when everyone was given the finkas (a Finnish knife), we realized that we were going to Finland. At the station Bologoye the train was driven to a dead end. Day, second, third. Silence. On the fourth day, the news that Finland had surrendered". After that news, the 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade was transferred to the west, and was involved in the liberation of the Baltic States (Riga, Vilnius). To the west of Vilnius, it was surrounded by the Kurland German group. Its fate was decided. Even before its complete destruction, the 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade was removed and moved to the southwest, to Warsaw. The operation to take Warsaw was planned at the Sandomierz bridgehead (an operational bridgehead for Soviet troops on the left bank of the Vistula River). Warsaw was taken on January 17, 1945. Then, on the way of 38th Guards Kalinkovichi, twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov II degree cannon artillery brigade were Stuttgart, Stecken. The glorious city of Altengrabs has no less glorious suburb of Rosenkrug, where, apart from TP, Rembat, etc., the honored 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade was stationed, and then it was renamed the 303rd Guards Kalinkovich Double Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov and the 2nd Class Kutuzov Self-Propelled Cannon Artillery Brigade (50432) 34 Artillery Division (Potsdam). The 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade participated in the battles to capture the northern outskirts of Berlin. Victory was welcomed on the east coast of the Elbe near the city of Gleben. The 38th Guards Cannon Artillery Brigade, part of the Soviet occupation forces, remained in Germany. Retained archival documents on Ivan's awards - these are award lists with descriptions of his feats, orders and decrees of awards. Grandfather was assigned to many awards, has numerous Orders - the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of Patriotic War II degree, the Order of Lenin, Medals "For Military Merit" and many others: January 20, 1944 Order of the Red Banner August 13, 1944 2 Medals "For Military Merit. Dates of heroic deeds: July 4, 1944, July 26, 1944 August 29, 1944 Medal "For the Defense of Moscow" November 21, 1944 Medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol" April 28, 1945 Order of Patriotic War, II degree Date of feat: March 15, 1945 May 16, 1945 Medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus" May 31, 1945 Order of Lenin. Date of heroic deed: April 16, 1945.