Soviet Happy Victory Day!

[Ed_Haynes]

Maybe it is too early to start celebrating, maybe it isn't. Not sure we want to remind our cousins over on all the Third Reich forums, but:

"Let no one forget, let nothing be forgotten."

[order_of_victory]

Very true Ed.

Heres my contribution the Soviet Flag Being Raised on Reichstag

Edited May 7, 2006 by order_of_victory

[Riley1965]

Here's to Victory...

Doc

[Ed_Haynes]

See also: http://www.russtv.portal24.ru/video1/russ_..._color_2000.mpg

[kimj]

Victory Day in Russia today! Slava Geroyam!

[Dolf]

"Let no one forget, let nothing be forgotten."

Absolutely!

Happy Victory Day, with eternal gratitude to all those who gave their blood to liberate the World from the "hitlerites"!!!

Dolf

[Chuck In Oregon]

Gentlemen

I went to Tbilisi's Vake National Park Victory Day celebration today. I got a lot of pictures of bemedalled veterans (I'll share after I get back home) and I met a bunch of old WW II veteran friends I had made at previous Victory Days. I am just one of the guys there now to them. We even managed to give out a few of the pictures where we hadn't been able to find the people before. I met and chatted up an ex-Soviet WW II major general and a lot of other old vets. My Russian is at a level that I can communicate reasonably comfortably without feeling too much like a fool, as long as I have someone to bail me out when I get stumped, which happens often.

I got within 5-6 feet of president Saakashvili and I got a few pictures of him and speaker Burjanadze. There was a large Ukrainian delegation there this year, presumably as a show of revolutionary brotherhood, Rose and Orange Revolutions. The Russian ambassador was there but he was extremely low key, stayed in the shadows, literally, and said nothing in public. Things here are extremely tense these days.

So it's getting a little late, shortly after noon, and Sopo sees this older Soviet Air Force vet walking up the steps to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where we were standing. She asked him if I could take his picture and he said sure. So I took a couple of pictures and I was chatting him up as best I could in Russian and I asked him if he was a pilot. (Duh.) He said, quite proudly, that he was and he started telling me what his medals were for.

I told him that I had been an Army pilot in Vietnam. He says "Really? Me, too." Turns out, he flew for the NVAF for six freakin' years as a transport pilot and advisor. He asked me if I had ever heard of a place called Khe Sanh. Well, yeah, maybe the biggest battle of the war, certainly one of the biggest. Well, he hauled troops, artillery and, at the end, paratroopers into Khe Sanh before and during the battle. BTW, I didn't even know the NVA had paratroopers, but I guess I'll have to believe him. He oughta know.

I am standing there chatting with a guy who fought on the other side. It was unreal, one of the strangest experiences of my life. I knew there were such guys around here but this is the first one I have ever met. And we were laughing and hugging each other like the best of old friends. Now Sopo and I are going to meet him and his wife on Saturday here at the hotel. I am going to try to get his story and write it up. He was a military pilot for 31 years. He's going to bring along some photo albums for me to look at, too. I wish I could do the same. I am really looking forward to it.

That's how my Victory Day has gone so far. I hope yours was equally rewarding and meaningful.

Chuck

[Dolf]

Wonderful story Chuck!

Thanks for sharing!

Please let us see your pictures when you'll be able to post them.

Dolf

[Ed_Haynes]

Great post, Chuck. We anxiously await photos!

[Ed_Haynes]

Some Victory Day photos are up over on this thread. Not sure how many read out of their familiar "turf" so take a look at:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8152

[Guest Rick Research]

Will look forward to hearing about your amicable meeting with your "opposite number!"

Makes me confident that even This Too Shall Pass, if I am allowed that HOPEFUL comment on today.

I hope you got full name and patronymic of the WW2 General for Steen Ammentorp's website-- and a good portrait photo!!! Must be 90-something, now.

Do you know what keeps striking me about the ancient bewhiskered veterans? They look exactly like-- and are the same age-- as the Old Warriors from the CRIMEAN WAR at the time of the RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

The more things change, the more they are the same.

[Ed_Haynes]

Do you know what keeps striking me about the ancient bewhiskered veterans? They look exactly like-- and are the same age-- as the Old Warriors from the CRIMEAN WAR at the time of the RUSSIAN REVOLUTION.

THAT is a powerful and sobering thought.

[Guest Rick Research]

Made all the more poignant when you consider that the palaces we see in the background have seen them ALL come and go.

The actors change but the stage remains...

and we are seeing yet another curtain call before THIS performance ends forever.