Alexander Ivanovich Etmanov was born on August 7, 1924 in the village Grano-Lighthouses of the Rodinsky District of the Altai Territory. In 1942, by the Rodino military commissariat was drafted into the Soviet Army and sent to the Rubtsovsk infantry school. In February 1943, he was transferred to the active army: first to Voronezh, and then to the Steppe Front in the 214th division of the 76th rifle regiment as deputy platoon commander of 82 mm mortars. After the death of the platoon commander, Alexander Ivanovich was appointed to his place. He began military operations on the defensive near Maslovka station, Voronezh region. From July 5, 1943 he took part in the offensive operation of troops on the Kursk Bulge - station