The Rechitsa Regional State Archives presents a document – a letter from a WWII veteran to his father in the Bragin District

The archives of the Department of Labor, Employment, and Social Protection of the Bragin District Executive Committee hold a letter from WWII veteran Vladimir Aleksandrovich Ermoolenko to his father, Aleksandr Stepanovich Ermoolenko, dated November 26, 1943 (F.186,Op.3,D.92,L.469-469ob) in the village of Yaseni, Bragin District. The letter contains the following lines:

«Hello, dear parents, dad, mom. Greetings from your son Volodya. For a long time, I haven’t seen or heard anything about your situation, where you are, or what’s wrong with you. During this time, I have fought in many battles, was awarded the Order of the Red Star, and during all this time, I have never forgotten you, not for a moment. I had to face the Germans many times, fight them, and was in great danger many times, but I’m still alive today. True, I suffered a concussion, but it all recovered, with the exception of a small part.

To this day, I still keep your postcard, Dad, which you wrote on August 7, 1941. It was the last postcard I received from you. After that, the village of Yaseni was occupied by the Germans. I’ve kept this postcard as my most precious document to this day. I’ve reread it hundreds of times, and it made me go into battle against the enemy with even greater anger. I repeat, I always read it before battle. And now I’ve read it and written you a letter».

The website «Memory of the People» indicates that Vladimir Ermoolenko was born in 1919 or 1920 in the village of Yaseni. He was drafted into the Red Army in October 1940. He fought in the tank forces during the Great Patriotic War. On August 11, 1943, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star. On January 5, 1944, Guards Sergeant Ermoolenko went missing in action near the village of Borovlyany, Vitebsk District, Vitebsk Region.

1-2. ZGARech. F. 186. Op. 3. D. 92. L. 469-469ob