Maria Borisovna Reznik
[St. Petersburg], Russian Federation [former USSR]. Witnessed siege of Leningrad [present day St. Petersburg. ] Was on active duty as a member of Soviet Armed Forces from during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 from May 1942 through June 1945. Served in Soviet Armed Forces in Air Force on 1st Ukrainian Front as follows: during May-December 1942 attended Air Force School of Junior Air Force Specialists, during December 1942 through August 1943 served as a Master Sergeant of Avionic Weaponry for the 855 Bombing Aviation Regiment, and during August 1943 through June 1945 served as a Master Sergeant of Avionic Weaponry for the 797 Bombing Aviation Regiment.
Decorated with Order of Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 – 2nd Degree, Medal for the Taking Over City of Berlin 1945, Medal for the Taking Over City of Prague 1945, Medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, Medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, 30 Year Jubilee, Hero of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, 50 year Jubilee, 70 Year Jubilee of Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, For Valor Efforts in 100 Year Jubilee of Vladimir Lenin's Birthday, 40 Year Jubilee in Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, 30 Year Jubilee in Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, 50 Year Jubilee in Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, In Honor of 50 Years of the Victory of Allied Forces in World War II, 20 Year Jubilee in Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945, Medal of Soviet Army Marshal Zhukov, 60 Year Jubilee in Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 in the name of President of Russian Federation. Attended before the war Leningrad Textile College and graduate after the war. Presently resides in Minneapolis, MN
I was a second sergeant [in the Soviet Air Force]. We serviced the air force bombers. We were responsible for pilots' lives. Not only responsible for bombing supplies, but for overall maintenance. It was a very hard job. Nobody could help us, because pilots made five combat missions a day. Each combat flight, each hour of it was equaled to 8-hour work day. And they could not possibly help us. In my unit there were me, Genka Vilyunov, of my age he was, and one elderly man. We three of us serviced three bomber-planes. We had to roll over air-bombs; each plane carried twelve bombs by 250 kilos (550 pounds) each.
