Author Topic: American servicemen restoring a monument to Soviet pilots (Read 292 times)

Boroda · « **on:** September 21, 2006, 05:27:20 PM »

Link in Russian: http://forum.airforce.ru/viewtopic.php?t=718

Short summary: one American airborn trooper, his name is David, stationed on Bagram airfield in Afghanistan, wrote an e-mail to airforce.ru portal administration in Russian (!!!), saying that they discovered what is left of a memorial to Su-25 pilots who were killed in action. He says they really wants to restore the memorial and asked for help, so people who served there in late-80s wrote how they built the monument and other details. I find it amazing, my hat off for American brothers in arms.

How it was in 1987:

How it is now:

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #1 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:32:43 PM »

That is really cool, I applaud his effort.

However, what will the civilian Afghan population think of this?

soda72 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:36:39 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
That is really cool, I applaud his effort.

However, what will the civilian Afghan population think of this?

The monument should be returned to Russia...

Boroda · « **Reply #3 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:45:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AquaShrimp
That is really cool, I applaud his effort.

However, what will the civilian Afghan population think of this?

Many of them still remember Soviets as the good guys, traitionaly "Shuravi" were their only friends.

Anyway, it's a monument inside an airbase, BTW - officially it's on a mine-field...

nirvana · « **Reply #4 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:47:27 PM »

That's cool, what did it say originally?

Boroda · « **Reply #5 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:48:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by soda72
The monument should be returned to Russia...

Portraits of pilots were taken to the Union in 1989, a shturmovik model, made of wood (the only material availible) was probably used as a firewood by locals... Now people speak about e-mailing photos of that pilots to David and his friends.

Boroda · « **Reply #6 on:** September 21, 2006, 05:53:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
That's cool, what did it say originally?

Your name was Internationalist, your heroism is immortal.

Pilots:

Senior Lt. I.V.Aleshin, died 20.11.1986
Senior Lt. K.G.Pavlyukov, 21.01.1987
Cpt. Ya.S.Burak, 8.02.1987
Senior Lt. V.A.Paltusov, 20.07.1987
Senior Lt. V.N.Zemlyakov, 13.09.1987

Choocha · « **Reply #7 on:** September 22, 2006, 10:36:43 AM »

Ironic....they were probably killed by Stinger missles.

eagl · « **Reply #8 on:** September 22, 2006, 10:39:12 AM »

Restoring that monument is a lost cause, but the US specializes in lost causes. It's almost our defining characteristic. The second we leave, it will be torn down and desecrated. Envy breeds resentment and the US has long been the source of much envy, and that taints every good thing the US has done in the last 200 years.