Steel Soviet Union

The journey from Leningrad to Moscow by plane was not that far away, it could even be said to be very close. I leaned back on the seat and felt the swaying and trembling cabin. I was so sleepy that I could no longer remember that I was there. Lavrinenko, who had not been so guarded for a long time, had an indescribable feeling in his heart.

"What would I be doing now if there was no war?"

Ordinary people living in peaceful times yearn for the magnificence and heroic epics of the war years, but the heroes in the war years pray for the arrival of peace in their hearts all the time.

Human beings have been an extremely contradictory advanced creature since the day they were born. They have remained unchanged from beginning to end, nothing more.

The Li-2 transport aircraft, which was flying with full power and speed along the way, arrived at the Moscow Airport and began to land slowly in a short time. This Soviet copy of the technology derived from the American Douglas transport aircraft is currently the best transport aircraft in the entire Soviet Union. There is no one among them. The feeling of stability during landing is simply not comparable to those "silly, big, black and thick" Soviet self-developed transport aircraft in the past.

As the Li-2 transport aircraft decelerated all the way to the braking gear, it finally stopped gently in the center of the long and narrow airport runway. Feeling the shaking and trembling sensation beside me that had been accompanying me all the way gradually disappear, I got up and walked to the door of the cabin to turn around. And Lavrinenko, who reached out and opened the cabin door, was immediately messed up by the howling wind.

Looking at the familiar sight of his hometown at the airport, which he had not seen for several years, Lavrinenko, who lives in the same village outside Moscow as Malashenko, couldn't help but feel a long-lost feeling.

"No matter what, the iron hooves of the Nazi fascists will never set foot in Moscow! Even if I die, I will die in my tank and drag those damn fascists with me to another world."

Lavrinenko, who was overcome with emotion after witnessing the scene in front of him, had just made up his mind to die to prove his ambition. Before he could jump out of the cabin, a tall figure strode from the blind corner of his field of vision, but Lavrinenko was caught off guard and almost hit him. Fell to the ground.

"you"

Without any warning, he was given an excited bear hug. He almost became unsteady and swayed. The soldier subconsciously wanted to push away the person in front of him. Before he could put his hands into action, a soldier who had been away for a long time suddenly realized. The familiar words suddenly rang in Lavrinenko's ears.

"I almost thought I would never see you again in this life, my brother. Fortunately, you didn't die in Leningrad! I knew we would be alive to see you again!"

Hearing the familiar tone echoing in his ears and mind, Lavrinenko felt that his nose was sore, and his heart felt like a spice box had been knocked over. The reunion between comrades after a long absence is even more exciting.

"You too, Malashenko. Every night in Leningrad I prayed that you would be safe and sound. I firmly believe that the tank heroes who can't even kill those fascists will never be defeated by a little malaria. Now look It’s not my wishful thinking to come here!”

After loosening his arms around Lavrinenko's back, he turned to face the long-lost face in front of him, who climbed out of purgatory alive from the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood with him, and there were a thousand words in his heart that he wanted to say. At the moment, Malashenko, who is exhausted, really can't find the words to use to describe it perfectly and completely.

Reading the indescribable complex expression from Malashenko's deep blue eyes, Lavrinenko, who knew that everything was unspeakable, also didn't know what to say, and burst into tears. The forced face with eyes rolling around finally had to squeeze out a smile that was uglier than crying and slowly spoke.

"Wipe the two drops of cat urine out of your eyes! Just look like this and I'll take away your title of tank hero!"

Looking at the wet corners of Lavrinenko's eyes in front of him, who couldn't even pretend to be a pussy, Lavrinenko turned around and smiled. Malashenko, who raised his right hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, was naturally not to be outdone.

"You guys have the nerve to accuse me. Look in the mirror and see what your own eyes are like. You look like a little girl who had her baby taken away. I think you are incompetent as the deputy battalion commander. You should Send you to the grassroots level as a loader to carry artillery shells!”

The joking words that were quarreling with each other but not taken seriously had not completely dissipated. The following figures who followed Lavrinenko from the cabin suddenly appeared in front of Malashenko.

Seeing that Malashenko, who was still wet and red, turned his head and looked at his group, the four of them were filled with emotions that were also indescribable. They immediately raised their heads at the same time without hesitation. With his right arm, he waved his fingertips together above his ear.

"Loader Kirill reports to you, Comrade Commander, congratulations on your recovery and discharge!"

"Driver Seryozha is reporting to you. Comrade commander, I wish you good health!"

"Electromechanical officer Nikolai is reporting to you, Comrade Commander, I have always believed and been waiting for this moment to come!"

Three words that sounded in unison echoed in Malashenko's ears. The last person at the end of the four people was so choked that he could hardly speak. He had personally saved himself from the hell of death. The significance of Malashenko, who was dragged back from the army, to Iushkin has long surpassed the ordinary relationship between commander and comrades and is far above this.

"Comrade Commander, I'm sorry. I really don't know what to say right now. I'm so useless!"

After hearing this, Malashenko, who had become accustomed to it and was not too surprised, stepped forward, stretched out his right arm and gently put his arm around Iushkin's shoulder, and stood in the turret as commander and gunner. The days of tacit cooperation and fighting side by side are also unforgettable for Malashenko.

"Do you need me to wipe away your tears like a father coaxing his children? Hold your chest high, Iushkin! Write me a report before tonight and let me know how you destroyed yourself during my absence. How many Nazi tanks have you built? Tell me you can do it!"

The slightly sad but exciting atmosphere of reunion after a long separation gradually subsided as the propellers of the transport plane beside me gradually subsided. Unintentionally, I glanced at a familiar face that was slightly abrupt but still resolute. I turned around in response. Among them, he saw the slightly shocked look on Kirill's face who was in a daze. Malashenko, who was not alone at the airport to greet him, then smiled slightly and reached out to pat Kirill's shoulder.

"Go ahead, he hasn't slept well all night waiting for you."