I did my part.

My father used his position in the party to get me appointed to the NKVD rather than the Red Army, those bastards. Oh I know, you’re surprised to hear me call them bastards. Well let me tell you, they deserve that and more.

By the time the Germans reached Stalingrad our Motherland was almost spent. Traitors in the rear and enemies abroad had conspired to deprive us of even the most basic means of defending ourselves. We were short of everything. Everything except enemies and men. And so we used men.

We gave rifles to those we could. Barely enough for one man in two. We gave each of them five rounds, and instructions. “The one with the rifle moves toward the enemy. The one without the rifle follows. When the one with the rifle falls the other picks up the rifle and continues.”

The Germans couldn’t shoot them all. With enough courage to put some steel in their belly they would over run the enemy.

I was a party comrade for instruction. I gave them steel in their belly or lead in their back.