History 15/02/20 Willy stubby: how the red army fought against Hitler in the US army
Vladimir Terentyevich Kuts – the only living person who participated in the Second world war as the Soviet and an American soldier. Has numerous military awards, including Purple heart (USA).
Born in 1927 in Poltava. After the village, where he lived, was occupied by the Germans in 1941, led the clandestine anti-fascist activities, for which he was arrested in 1942 and sent to work in Nazi Germany. Attempted to escape in Brest, but it was unsuccessful. In the book of A. Khokhlova “Two fronts, one life. Vladimir Kuts — the honored veteran of two armies: American and Soviet” captive worked the hardest work, which seriously undermined his health. According to the memoirs of Vladimir, when he worked together with French prisoners of war on the radio and learned that at Stalingrad the Soviet troops defeated the Germans “…the French shook his hands as if he were in that battle” (Khokhlov ” Two fronts, one life. Vladimir Kuts — the honored veteran of two armies: American and Soviet”).
During the liberation of Baden-württemberg in March 1945 stubby met Mellie Eugene, Sergeant of the 4th infantry division of the U.S. army, and was told known to him from the owner, on which he worked, valuable evidence that the Germans are preparing for an ambush at an important stretch of highway in the black forest. The information was useful, and soon the death, which the Americans called Willy, was appointed a gunner in a jeep “Willys MB”, American shooter who was killed and the driver was wounded.
the next day after the appointment of Willie Kutz showed himself in battle, to prevent undermining of the bridge. Seeing enemies who put explosives under a bridge support, he began to shoot at them with their Browning 50-caliber. The Germans rushed to the motorcycle, and at this point, one of them was shot in hand. The limb could not bear the hit of this caliber, and the hand pulled away with a shovel. Kutz recalled that even saw a pulsing light German. By inertia he fell on his colleague, and both the Germans together with the motorcycle fell into a ditch. Wounded in seconds bled to death, and the second a fascist surrendered. Subsequently, stubby went on to serve in the us army, but as a scout. Command thought highly of him, saying that “Kutz was born to be a scout”.
At the end of the war Vladimir Kuts decided to return home, especially as the American part was relocated and went to Italy. On the way he was captured by the Germans, but on 5 may 1945, still made it to the 5-th guards airborne division in Linz, where it reported to major General Afonin, who sent scanty, as the knower of languages, part of the 16th guards regiment of SMERSH. In the autumn of 1945 Vladimir was discharged as under age 18.
for a Long time, Vladimir was hiding that he was a soldier in the American army, for fear of exposure and persecution, especially that soon after the great Patriotic war began the cold war already by the States. However, in 1988, when the era of glasnost, it is through the American Committee for “Veterans for peace” found their American friends, fellow soldiers and sent letters to their addresses. They also helped Willy to restore the truth.
In 2015, Vladimir Terentyevich became a member of the Victory Parade in Moscow in honor of the 70th anniversary of the end of world war II. About his adventures during the war he told in the book “Duel with destiny”.
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© Russian Seven
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