Soviet Where'd the Quality Go? General Officer IDs Past and Present

[NavyFCO]

I just got in my first 1990s General Officer ID booklet today. I was shocked by the poor quality of it. It's not BAD (I'd bet the ones to generals in some Eastern Block countries were worse) but it just ain't like the old school ones.

Here are some scans of the new one (top) compared to an old-timer (bottom).

Enjoy!

Dave

[NavyFCO]

Here's the inside of the first page. Rick R will be the first to point out the different serial number series.

[NavyFCO]

And finally, the last page. At least the newer one has fancier handwriting.

[Guest Rick Research]

Not ONLY that, but the quite elderly before his time Major General Chumachenko "finds himself in retirement" whereas the vigorous (if ill-mustachio'd) Colonel General Lyudnikov's barks "status: in retirement."

Sooo....

did General Chumachenko drag his weary bones into the office one morning, only to "find" the locks changed and somebody else's name on the door? (What is Russian for Gomer Pyle's "Surpriiise Surpriiise Surpriiise!" ?) or

in the kinder, gentler Post-Cold War Era,

HAS General Chumachenko indeed now got the OPPORTUNITY of his lifetime TO "find himself?" Like, fershure, doods! How many of us have yet to "find" ourselves? (I am still waiting to have a "lifestyle" to "maintain," me.)

M.A.D.-- it's NOT just how you destroy life on the planet, it's how you word Elderly Dinosaur, Out To Pasture.

[NavyFCO]

Here's another one from my collection (well, just got shipped off, but it was in my collection for a long time...) for a general while on active duty...

Dave