Soviet 1968 "Operation Danube" Order of the Red Banner

[Stogieman]

Hey Doug, that would be interesting if you can find your photos and scans. Set it up as a different thread. maybe we could get a little "here's what a little uprising will get you" thread.

[Guest Rick Research]

Let's see, with today's arrival I can flesh out some more:

It's always essential to get the Awards Record Card confirming serial number for the citation.

Grigory Yaklovich Gordienko born 25 May 1927, Farbovano village, Yagotinsky Raion, Poltavskaya Oblast. Ukrainian, member of the Komsomol since 1944 and of the CPSU since 1953 # 1,178,353.

Attended 9th class for schooling. Able to read and write English with a dictionary.

called up for military service 24 November 1944 from Yagotinsky Raion Military Commissariat, Kiev Province

24.11.44 Cadet at 30th District School for Rifles Sniper Readiness, city of Piryatik

15.9.45 Cadet at Independent Instruction Battalion, 86th Rifles Division, city of Dnepro?

19.2.46 Cadet in Machine Gun Platoon, Independent Instruction Btn, 86th Rifles Division, city of Kharkov

20.8.46 Cadet at Kiev ?Red Banner? Infantry School

6.10.49 (something? parachute training?)

16.1.50 Infantry Platoon Commander, 356th Guards Parachute Regiment, 107th Guards Parachute Division

16.6.53 Deputy CO, Instructor Parachute Readiness Rifles Company, 356th GPRgt, 107th Gds Para Division

21.3.55 Rifle Company Commander in 356th Guards Parachute Regiment, 107th Guards Parachute Division

29.5.58 Rifle Company Commander in 114th Guards Parachute Regiment, 31st Guards Parachute Division

20.5.59 Rifle Company Commander in 350th Guards Parachute Regiment, 103rd Guards Parachute Division

31.3.61 Deputy Parachute Battalion Commander in 350th Gds Para Rgt, 103rd Guards parachute Division

31.7.62 Central Officer Course ?Vystrel??

26.4.66 Parachute Battalion Commander, 350th Guards Parachute Regiment, 103rd Gds Parachute Division

9.12.67 Deputy Regimental Commander, 108th Guards Parachute Regiment, 7th Guards Parachute Division

24.2.69 Regimental Commander, 350th Guards Parachute Regiment, 103rd Guards Parachute Division

retired 25 September 1974

Lieutenant 6 October 1949

Senior Lieutenant 19 December 1951

Captain 26 March 1956

Major 18 November 1961

Lieutenant Colonel 6 November 1967

Colonel 12 December 1972

Citation for Order of the Red Banner as Lieutenant Colonel/ Deputy Regimental Commander 108th Guards Parachute Regiment, 7th Guards Parachute Division:

?In the period of ?Operation Danube? 21 August 1968 at the head of the foremost detachments of the division, first to land at the ?Ruzine? airport, seized and secured it for the main landing forces of the division.

Skillfully led the sub-divisions of the foremost detachments for seizing objectives in the city {{{Prague}}}, which secured the successful realization of the tasks of the foremost forces of the regiment and the division.

Personally led the seizure of the Palace of the President {{{Hradcany Castle}}}, displayed during this courage, military resourcefulness, the highest vigilance, political maturity, and {word off page}.

By personal example and the highest exactness guaranteed firmness {word(s) off page} objectives, with skillful actions ruled out the possibility of provocation performances for outrages by thugs.

For skillful leadership of the sub-divisions, operativeness, and resourcefulness of the {word off page} combat mission, personal courage displayed in fulfillment of Government tasks, deserves to be awarded the Order ?of the Red Banner.?

Commander of the 108th Guards ?Order of the Red Star? Parachute Regiment, Guards Lieutenant Colonel ?Sokolov? 2 December 1968

For successful fulfillment of military assignments, personal bravery and efficient decisions, deserves to be decorated with the Order of the Red Banner.

Commander of the 7th Guards ?Order of Kutuzov? Parachute Division, Guards Major General ?Gore{off page}? 4 December 1968?

ORDER OF THE RED BANNER serial number 552,020 awarded on 21 February 1969, Military Merit Medal without number awarded on 26 October 1955 (for 10 years long service) entered in Orders Book # Zh 318991 issued on 25 March 1969.

December 1955 home address: 356th Gds Para Rgt, city of Krivoi Rog

December 1968 home address: House 3 Apartment 18 Kompisky Ulitsa, Kaunas, Lithuania

March 1969 home address: 350th Gds Para Rgt, Apt 19 St. Borovukha I-DOSB, Vitebsk Oblast

Wife Mariya Ivanovna Gordienko: sons Valery born 1951 and Vladimir born 1958.

Apparently NOT entitled to Victory Over Germany Medal, since the first medal shown in his records is the 1948 Jubilee. So with his service until 1974 he was later entitled to jubilees: 1958, 1965, 1968, and long service medals for 15 (in 1960) and 20 (in 1965) years service. In retirement if still alive he would have received a Veteran of the Armed Forces Medal for 25+ years (he had 29) and 1978 etc. Unknown what qualification badges he had for combined arms and parachuting, or if he received a 1970 Lenin Jubilee.

Interesting, is it not, that with 25 years in the elite arm of the Soviet military, not so much as an MMM for meritorious anything-at-all. In his entire career, nothing but the MMM for 10 years service and this Red Banner! Perhaps if he'd held on a few years, the Services to the Homeland might have started rolling in, but even so, other than ONE busy busy day in thirty years of selfless service to the Soviet State... a career, wasn't it? Whoever thought jumping out of airplanes could be BORING?

Oh, and BTW?

ORB, MMM and Orders Book from Alexei Merezhko May 11, 2001 off eBay, total including postage = $44.99. Because even then I thought such a late ORB would be interesting... "if ever it could be researched."

[Guest Rick Research]

The one and only photo in his file was apparently taken on the day he was commissioned since here he is as a Lieutenant (not wearing his 1948 Jubilee medal)

I still can't decipher the 1949 line's whatever it says about his assignment-- but he went directly from the infantry school to parachute units, so I assume that line refers to parachute training.

[Guest Rick Research]

Section of the file with promotions:

[NavyFCO]

Got a surprise coming....

[Ulsterman]

You -you @#!X!%

I can not take any more drama-what with Chris Boonzairs most excellent Adventure/ Ek mystery document-and Xmas coming on. My heart just can't this suspense.

[Guest Rick Research]

Tch tch. Lack of personal pronoun.

WHO got surprise coming? Gordienko only got the ONE decoration, and retired as a colonel from the research that already came in.

YOU got another Czech invasion award in your recent #s stuff?

[NavyFCO]

YOU got another Czech invasion award in your recent #s stuff?

Maybe.......just maybe........

It will make up for all the dozens of post-war catch up wound awards I've been getting.........

[Guest Rick Research]

Like all those Arab-Israeli "advisor" awards you've had through the Sinister Auspices of Agent "X" don't count??????

[NavyFCO]

Like all those Arab-Israeli "advisor" awards you've had through the Sinister Auspices of Agent "X" don't count??????

I guess that might be true....

I'm still stuck with a bunch of these post-war wound awards though. Agh! (I think I might be luckier winning the lotto than finding buyers for them!)

[NavyFCO]

Just got in the research today!

My Red Star was to a young lad who was a direct subordinate to our dear Gordienko during Operation Dunai. He was the commander of a parachute company in the 108th Guards Parachute Regiment. Thus, we now have a group with commander and subordinate - Rick has the Red Banner to the Deputy Commander of the Regiment, and I have a Red Star to a company commander! Nice!!!

Dave

[order_of_victory]

Very cool award

Order of Victory

Edited December 24, 2006 by order_of_victory

[Ed_Haynes]

Wow!

[Guest Rick Research]

Excellent!!! Do you want to give him his own thread or stay with this one because it was the same operation? I can alter the thread title....

[NavyFCO]

We should probably just keep it in the same thread, I think. Depends on what everyone else thinks is best, but that's my thought. I'll get some scans of the docs shortly.

Dave

[NavyFCO]

Here you go... The top half:

[NavyFCO]

And the 2nd Half...

[Guest Rick Research]

AHAAA! So Senior Lieutenant Mokrushin was the advance team leader!

"At 3:37 AM Tuesday 21 August 1968 two An-12 military transports landed (so there was no actual parachuting, these were "air landing" operations)with command staff of the 7th Gds Airborne Division, 7th Gds Aviation Transport Division, and 2nd Paratroop Assault Company of the 108th Guards Parachute Regiment. Said company (this would be Gordienko's personal action command) sealed off the airport in 15 minutes. KGB forces took over the control tower."

It then states that Mokrushin set up the defensive perimeter ("blockade") and served as the personal security guard team leader for the Army Headquarters...

"without losses."

There were, of course, "losses" elsewhere and one wonders how regimental commander Guards Colonel Sokolov dealt with THAT paperwork. (And what HE got out of the deal himself-- handled SO nicely by Gordienko and Mokrushin and Lt Seregin over at Dubcek's office.)

This is really really neat! Here are two of us here, 38 years later, with two awards from commander and subordinate for the same night's action!

And did you get Leonid Aleksandrovich Mokrushin's service record too?

[NavyFCO]

And did you get Leonid Aleksandrovich Mokrushin's service record too?

No, I never ordered that. With 30+ Red Star research requests in the hopper at any time, it gets a bit pricey to order "full research" on them all! I'll let whoever the next owner is do the "full" research on him.

Dave

[Guest Rick Research]

The NEXT owner!!!!

How could you pass up that one as a "keeper?"

After all, how much space does any given little ole Red Star take up? Not much....

it'll take forever to fill up a suitcase.

You'll be sorrrrrrrrrrry someday!

[NavyFCO]

How could you pass up that one as a "keeper?"

Is it posthumous?

Unfortunately, I just can't keep everything, no matter how cool. I wish I could, but can't.

Dave

[Ed_Haynes]

While I guess al Red Stars sort of look alike (until you know the stories behind them?), here is Leonid Mokrushin's, as discussed above.

Yes, it now dwells in my custody.

[Ed_Haynes]

And, while his Red Star has recommendation has been shown (though I still need to get it translated), here is the awards record card. I am asking about the service record.

[Ed_Haynes]

And the reverse. Can anyone help, please.

[Guest Rick Research]

Award Record Card filled out 1 March 1969.

Senior Lieutenant Leonid Aleksandrovich Mokrushin was born in Jaroslavl' in 1941 ( ) Russian, joined the army in 1960 and the CPSU in 1965. Decorated and still serving as Company Commander in Unit 02291

(so I guess we know what THAT was)

living at Apt. 3, Plyanto Ulitsa 24, Kaunas, Lithuanian SSR.

Yes, will be very very interesting to see the rest of his story!