MIKHAIL VOVCHUK

Born on November 1, 1923 in the village of Buki in the Mankovsk District of the Cherkasy Region, Ukraine. Served in the army from February 1942 until September 1943. Since March 1, 1942, Vovchuk was a cadet of the Tashkent military machine-gun and mortar school. On August 28, 1942, days before finishing the academy and receiving the commissioned rank by the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the cadets were urgently sent for to aid in the battle lines of Stalingrad. He fought in the 556th rifle regiment and in a special training battalion of the 69th rifle division of the 64th (57th) Army, which carried out their services in the bunkers, insuring the defense of important sectors of the Front. He took part in the surrounding of enemy troops near Stalingrad and other general offensive actions of the troops during January 1943. He was heavily injured in combat and was demobilized after his recovery. He was awarded an order of the first degree of the Patriotic War and medals “For the defense of Stalingrad” and “For Victory over Germany”.