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alexanderrekeda1 · 3 months ago

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Narratives of Resistance: Stories from Ukrainian Soldiers

In the heart of Eastern Europe, a conflict has been raging that has profoundly impacted millions of lives. The war in Ukraine, which began in 2014 and escalated in 2022, is not just a geopolitical struggle; it's a fight for national identity, sovereignty, and survival. The Ukrainian soldiers who stand on the front lines of this battle represent more than a military force—they are symbols of resilience, defiance, and hope. Their stories of courage and resistance have captured the world's attention, providing a human perspective on a war that often feels distant and abstract. Through their narratives, we gain insight into the profound sacrifices and unwavering spirit of those fighting to defend their homeland.

From Ordinary Lives to Extraordinary Valor

Many Ukrainian soldiers fighting today were not professional soldiers before the war. They were teachers, farmers, students, and business owners—ordinary people living ordinary lives. When the war escalated in 2022 with Russia's full-scale invasion, many civilians found themselves thrust into a new role: defender of the nation.

Serhiy, a 35-year-old accountant from Kyiv, never thought he would be holding a rifle, defending his city from advancing troops. "Before the war, my life was spreadsheets and numbers," he recalls. "Now, I'm part of a team defending our streets and homes. It's surreal, but it feels like what I was meant to do. This is my home, my country. I couldn't just stand by."

Brotherhood on the Battlefield

As in all wars, camaraderie plays a vital role in the survival of soldiers. On the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers have formed deep bonds that transcend the horror and chaos of combat. These relationships, built on trust and shared experiences, become a source of strength for many soldiers facing unimaginable challenges.

This sense of brotherhood provides emotional and psychological support in the face of relentless hardship. Many soldiers describe how their comrades help them cope with the fear, exhaustion, and loss that have become daily realities on the battlefield. The relationships formed in the heat of war offer a lifeline to soldiers, reminding them of the humanity they are fighting to preserve.

The Heavy Psychological Toll

The war in Ukraine has exacted a heavy psychological toll on its soldiers. The trauma of combat, the loss of friends, and the destruction of homes and communities leave deep emotional scars. For many soldiers, the mental battles they face are as daunting as the physical ones.

Viktor, a 29-year-old soldier from Mariupol, shares the psychological toll that the war has taken on him. "The fighting is intense, but what haunts me is the silence afterward. The memories of those who didn't make it. The destruction. It's hard to escape those thoughts.

Stories of Heroism and Sacrifice

In the midst of destruction, Ukrainian soldiers have emerged with stories of incredible heroism. These acts of bravery, often performed under extreme duress, have inspired not only their comrades but also people around the world.

One such story is that of Dmytro, a young lieutenant who led his unit in a fierce battle to defend a small town in the Donetsk region. Despite being outnumbered and low on supplies, Dmytro's unit held its ground for over 48 hours, allowing civilians to evacuate to safety. "We knew what was at stake," Dmytro recalls. It wasn't just about holding a position—it was about protecting people.

The Fight for Ukraine's Future

For Ukrainian soldiers, this war is not just about the present—it's about securing a future for the generations to come. The fight for Ukraine's sovereignty is deeply intertwined with the fight for its cultural identity, its democracy, and its place in the world. Soldiers understand that their resistance is part of a larger struggle for Ukraine's right to determine its destiny.

Kateryna, a soldier from Odesa, speaks about the war's broader implications. "This is about more than just borders. It's about our future as a free people. We're fighting for the right to exist as Ukrainians, to speak our language, and to live in peace. That's why we won't give up.

A Legacy of Resistance

The narratives of Ukrainian soldiers are stories of extraordinary resilience, sacrifice, and hope. They offer a human perspective on a war that has brought devastation but also revealed the strength of the Ukrainian people. These soldiers, many of whom were once civilians, have become symbols of a nation's determination to resist aggression and defend its right to exist.

As the war continues, the stories of these soldiers will endure as a testament to the power of resistance in the face of overwhelming odds. Their courage, sacrifices, and unyielding spirit will be remembered as part of the legacy of Ukraine's fight for freedom, a fight that has captured the attention and admiration of the world.

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davidshawnsown · 8 years ago

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COMMEMORATIVE MESSAGE IN HONOR OF THE 72ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE HISTORIC BATTLE OF IWO JIMA

Ladies and gentlemen, to all the people of the United States of America, to all our living veterans of the Second World War of 1939-1945 and of all conflicts past and present and their families, to our veterans, active servicemen and women and reservists of the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and of the entire United States Armed Forces, to all the immediate families, relatives, children and grandchildren of the deceased veterans, fallen service personnel and wounded personnel of our military services and civil uniformed security and civil defense services, to all our workers, farmers and intellectuals, to our youth and personnel serving in youth uniformed and cadet organizations and all our athletes, coaches, judges, sports trainers and sports officials, and to all our sports fans, to all our workers of culture, music, traditional arts and the theatrical arts, radio, television, digital media and social media, cinema, heavy and light industry, business and the press, and to all our people of the free world:

As the whole world remembers among others the formation of the modern Mexican Army in 1913, the Russian emancipation reforms of 1861, and the death on this day of the great father of Bulgarian Independence, Vasil Levski, in 1873, as well as the 1879 invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison, the Enigma tornado outbreak of 1884, the commencement of the naval segment of the Dardanelles Campaign in 1915, the signing of the controversial Executive Order 9066 and the Bombing of Darwin, Australia, in 1942 the beginning of the Battle of Kasserine Pass in 1943 and on this day in 1985 the national premiere in the UK of the BBC’s premier primetime drama EastEnders, today, just as in past years, and in these changing times in our world of today, as one united people of the United States of America and of our free world, we mark on this very day the seventy second anniversary of the beginning of the historic battle of Iwo Jima, which began on this day in 1945, and which would be one of the biggest battles ever to be fought by the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific Theater of Operations of the Second World War.

It was at around 9am on this very important day in our history 72 years ago when, after months of hard work and preparation by the Allied forces, one of the great Allied battles of the Pacific Theater of Operations began with the landing of V Amphibious Corps under the command of General Holland Smith and composed of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions, United States Marine Corps, and so began what would be without a doubt one of the bloodiest and biggest battles fought in the Pacific Theater of Operations, the very battle that will forever change the face of the USMC for generations to come. Wave after wave of Marines from that formation, supported by naval gunfire and air attacks, began to pound the Japanese forces garrisoned in the island. An hour after the guns began to fire, just as V Corps was fighting its way towards the island, at around 1030h on that day the 1st Battalion, 27th Marine Regt., under the wings of the 5th Marine Division, in the midst of the fighting to capture a Japanese built airfield for use by the then US Army Air Forces and in fighting the Japanese soldiers stationed, saw the unthinkable - the final and ultimate sacrifice of one of the greatest Allied heroes of the Second World War and of the United States Marine Corps, no less than Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, who was by then assigned as a machine gunner with Charlie Company 1/27 under the 5th Marine Division. It has been over a century since the birth of this man in Raritan, New Jersey, within miles from the Big Apple to a Italian American family, who served his country with distinction and pride as an Italian American in the 31st Infantry Regiment of the United States Army in Manila, Philippines in the middle of the 1930s and would in 1940 changed his service branch to that of the United States Marine Corps, and later on served as a machine gunner of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, during the actions of the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942-43 and therefore committed heroic deeds to his country on October 24-26 of the same year, during the battles for the defense of Henderson Field, the 75th diamond jubilee anniversary of which we will mark this coming October, thus as a result of this heroic action it would be giving him the highest medal of valor of the United States Armed Forces, the Congressional Medal of Honor, because of being a target of Japanese mortar fire on his position near the runway, gave his life for the defense of his country the United States of America, and for the liberation of all the peoples of the Asia-Pacific from the military forces of the Empire of Japan, who suffered heavily from years of Japanese rule and at the cost of so many deaths in Japanese administered areas in the region, in view of his two fellow Marines, machine gunner Private First Class Charles “Chuck” Tatum and Private First Class Steve Evanson from Baker Company 1/27, and as a result of his sacrifice and the American capture of the air base would reward him with a posthumous award of the Navy Cross – becoming in the process the very first time ever in the more than 242 year history of the Corps that an enlisted Marine had earned two of the highest awards of heroism in battle in this service branch of the United States Armed Forces. (This scene was reenacted in episode 8 of the 2010 HBO miniseries The Pacific, with the roles of the men being played by Jon Seda, Ben Esler and Dwight Braswell).

The following events that will be celebrating as one nation and one united people of the free world this Thursday, February 23, four days after the anniversary of the beginning of this battle, will now be in clear light of the recent revelation of the United States Marine Corps which was made public on June 23 this past year thanks to efforts made by historians and historic experts, ending years of speculation and mystery surrounding the events of this this battle that is, for all generations, part of the history of not just the Corps, but of the entire United States Armed Forces.

Within 4 days after the start of the battle, an historic instruction was given by the then Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, who was there at the island to oversee the operations, to GEN Smith that V Amphibious Corps will be charged with the historic responsibility of carrying and later hoisting on the top of Mount Suribachi after its capture by this formation the national flag of the United States of America to ensure to all Americans and to the people of the free world that a “United States Marine Corps lasting for the next 500 years” will be the defender of the American nation it helped to build and the free world it has always pledged to defend and protect at all costs, and thus upon receiving this historic decision, gave the historic order to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Marine Regiment of the 5th Marine Division, under battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Chandler Johnson. And thus, on the very morning of February 23, 1945, 72 years to that very important day in the history not just of the Marine Corps and of the Armed Forces, but of the entire United States of America, assigned a company under the battalion to shoulder this historic responsibility of carrying and raising the national colours, and that assignment fell on Easy Company 2/28 and its commander Captain Dave Severance, its 3rd Platoon under the leadership of its company XO and the new platoon commander 1Lt Harold G. Schrier (who took over command of the platoon as its past commander was pulled out due to wounds sustained in the battle) being ordered to form a 40-man team to secure the mountain top which has just been captured and to raise the national standard on that peak. The 2/28 battalion adjutant 1LT George G. Wells (in other versions it was LTCOL Johnson himself) then went down and towards the battalion’s LST, the USS Missoula, to obtain the small national standard to be used for the historic event. The flag was then given to Schrier with some words of advice from the battalion commander and the order to raise it at once, alongside a medium former Japanese water pipe as a flagpole. And later on that morning, that very 40-man team, together with Marine combat photographer SSGT Louis R. Lowery, secured the summit perimeter around Suribachi and this would be followed by the raising of that first flag, which was done by Schrier together with SSGT Henry “Hank” Hansen, assisted by PHM2C James Bradley, PSGT Ernest I. Thomas Jr., CPLs Charles Lindberg and Harold Schultz, PFCs James Robertson and Raymond Jacobs and PVT Phil Ward, with Lowery providing the photograph for that event and the rest of the 40-man team eliminating all possible Japanese resistance on the slopes. (Schrier would later be awarded the Navy Cross for this act.) The flag was raised to the cheers of all the Marines present and the naval personnel on board their vessels offshore, which made the Japanese all the more upset. Later on that morning, SECNAV Forrestal, upon seeing that the flag had been hoisted, informed LTCOL Johnson that he would take the flag back home and to his Pentagon office, but since according the battalion CO it was owned and will be maintained by the battalion, the offer was refused.

Later on, right that same morning at around 11AM, LTCOL Johnson assigned several Easy Company, 2/28 Marines to lay the telegraph lines on Mt. Suribachi and to get the needed walkie-talkies for the battalion CP on the foothills of Suribachi. These Marines, all from 2nd Platoon of the same company, were SGT Michael Strank, CPL Harlon Block, and PFCs Ira Hayes and Franklin Sousley, who installed the lines, and PFC Rene Gagnon, who obtained the necessary walkie-talkies for the command post. It then dawned on him that one of his men had recommended that a more larger Stars and Stripes would be flown on the top on the mountain instead of the one that was unfurled earlier in the morning, so within minutes the order was given from the battalion command post for a replacement for the small flag that had been hoisted before. 1LT Alfred Turtle, the then battalion assistant commander for operations, was, per the official USMC records, the Marine assigned to obtain the larger national flag that the battalion command needed. Within minutes he found the said flag, which was sourced from a supply post what is now today Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (then Navy Station Pearl Harbor), on the US Navy LST, LST 779, which was docked within distance from the beaches, and was given to him by US Navy Ensign Alan Wood who was with the ship’s crew. Upon receiving it, he rushed off to the CP, informing the commander that it was a mission accomplished. After the flag was given to LTCOL Johnson, Gagnon was then handed with the national colors and a longer former Japanese water pipe, informing him of his role in replacing the flag earlier hoisted. However, due to a recent Historian’s Office of the US Coast Guard discovery, per a 1991 New York Times interview by 2LT Wells, Gagnon himself received the replacement order, and with the advice of his CO went down into the beaches to find one among the ships that had docked on the shore. Many ships of the Navy and Coast Guard had indeed been docked on the Iwo Jima shore that day. It was later on when he arrived at one of these ships, the LST USS Duval County that the right flag was found. The said flag, which was woven by Mabel Sauvageau, a Mare Island Naval Shipyard worker, was given to him by no less than USCG Quartermaster Robert Resnick, after he had to permission of the LST CO, LT Frank Molenda, to obtain the needed flag. That very flag received from that ship’s crew was indeed what the commander recommended as the replacement national flag. After obtaining the colors, Gagnon then hurried to the battalion CP and informed LTCOL Johnson that he now had the flag that was requested by the battalion command. With the flag now in his hands, he was granted the longer water pipe and headed off. Right before noon, E Company secured the summit for a second time. A 40 man-platoon, together with Bradley and his fellow corpsmen, ascended the mountain and with no Japanese military presence found, the first flag was later lowered down as a bombing operation against the Japanese was underway in the slopes and around the mountain. That second combat team had photographers Joe Rosenthal and Bob Campbell and cameraman Bill Genaust (the latter two Marine combat photographers) with them climbing the mountain with Hayes, Sousley, Strank, Schultz, Gagnon and Block, which carried both the larger flag and the water pipe, with the platoon guarding the formation. With both items in place and the first flag now removed, the Marine squad of 6 raised the second flag to even more cheers, with Rosenthal taking the picture and Genaust the film of this important moment that would become in due time become part of the 242 year long history of the United States Marine Corps, the 70 year history of the United States Armed Forces and of the 241 year history of the entire United States of America. (This historic event in the history of the Corps was recreated with great detail in the 2006 film Flags of Our Fathers with Adam Beach, John Michael Cross, Barry Pepper, Ryan Philippe, Jesse Bradford and Benjamin Walker playing the flagbearers, and the late Paul Walker, Tom McCarthy and Alessandro Mastrobuono playing the men who raised the first flag, plus Jamie Bell, Neal McDonough and Robert Patrick, and the film Letters from Iwo Jima, made that same year, tells of the heroic Japanese defense of the island that took many Japanese lives in the process as against so many American Marines that had died and injured.) When the victory was declared later that March, only Tatum, Bradley, Schultz, Gagnon and Hayes were among the hundreds who went back to their homeland as victors to the very people they swore to defend at the cost of their very own lives. Many Marines of all ranks had indeed shed their blood in the defense of the homeland during this historic battle that forever changed this service branch of the United States Armed Forces.

As the great FADM Chester Nimitz had put it in his words, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue” among the hundred thousand Marines of V Amphibious Corps who served there in this, one of the bloodiest battles that the United States Marine Corps faced in the Second World War in the Pacific Theater of Operations and one of the biggest victories of the Allies in this part of the world. His words are forever recorded in the Arlington National Cemetery’s Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, the very monument made on the basis of the historic photograph of the Iwo Jima flag raising that today, after 63 years since its historic inauguration, proudly stands over the Arlington fields and the graves of so many Marines over the centuries who even at the cost of their lives, served faithfully always to their country and people, and honoring the 242 years of long and faithful service of the United States Marine to the people and government of the United States of America and to all the people of the free world. In these changing times, by recalling what has happened 72 years ago on this very day, we never forget to remember the heroic actons done during the days of the Iwo Jima Campaign and most especially the thousands who perished in this tiny island for the sake of the freedoms, dreams and aspirations not just of the people of the United States of America but also of all the people of the free world.

Today, 72 years on to the very day of the beginning of one of the biggest battles of the Second World War in the Pacific Theater of Operations and the day of the ultimate sacrifice of one of the greatest men of the United States Marine Corps, with profound gratitude, humble respect and our deepest thanks for the efforts made for the victory won in this island and for the sacrifices made by the hundreds of Marines and sailors who died liberating this island from the Japanese and whose heroism and courage made them a part of the long military history of the United States of America, as one united people, we today mark the historic beginning of one of the greatest battles ever fought by United States Marines in the over 242 years since the founding of the Corps, and today remember the heroes, veterans and fallen of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the very battle that changed forever the entire United States Marine Corps, and the entire American people, armed forces, and nation, a battle that will forever be remembered by all generations of Americans and people all over the world. This immortal battle, one of many Allied victories in the Pacific Theater of Operations, shall be remembered as the one very battle that showed the world the bravery, courage and determination of the United States Marine for the defense of the American nation and all the free people of the world, and for the preservation of the values of freedom and liberty on which the United States was formed, thanks in part of the courage and gallantry shown by the US Marines in the early years of the nation that it helped to build thanks to the efforts of the Second Continental Congress 242 years past. Today, the eternal memory of the heroes of this great battle to remains alive in the hearts and minds of the American people and the people of the free world, especially for active and reserve servicemen and women and veterans of the United States Marine Corps who today mark this historic battle that has become part of our history.

For it is by what they have done 72 years ago in the sands and soils of Iwo Jima that we today enjoy the fruits of freedom, independence and liberty, these very values that are worth defending and fighting for, especially for the sake of our future generations. Their memory will forever remain a part of our history and patrimony and in these changing times shall always be part of the memory of the world’s Greatest Generation – part of the millions of Allied men and women, military, police, EMS and civilian alike, who brought the Second World War into its victorious conclusion, the anniversaries of which we anticpate with profound joy and in deep gratitude for all they have done for the sake of all of us and of the generations to come!

As one united people, may we today and every day honor and remember for all time the eternal memory of all those who fought in the battle of Iwo Jima who made their mark in the history of both the United States Marine Corps and of the entire United States of America!

And may we today uphold the legacy of these brave Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen of Iwo Jima who paved the way towards the future we hope for our generations to come!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ONE OF THE GREAT HEROES OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, THE GREAT HERO OF THE BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL, GUNNERY SERGEANT JOHN BASILONE!

ETERNAL GLORY AND MEMORY TO THE HEROES, MARTYRS AND VETERANS OF THE GREAT BATTLE OF IWO JIMA!

ETERNAL GLORY TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THE ALLIED HEROES AND FALLEN OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS!

LONG LIVE THE 72ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE HISTORIC BATTLE OF IWO JIMA!

LONG LIVE THE GLORIOUS, INVINCIBLE AND LEGENDARY UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, ALWAYS FAITHFUL TILL THE END FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND OF THE FREE WORLD!

GLORY TO THE VICTORIOUS PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND HER UNIFORMED SERVICES!

GLORY TO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, DEFENDERS OF OUR FREEDOM AND LIBERTY AND GUARANTEE OF A FUTURE WORTHY OF OUR GENERATIONS TO COME!

Semper Fidelis! Oorah!

1700h, February 19, 2017, the 241st year of the United States of America, the 242nd year of the United States Army, Navy and Marine Corps, the 123rd of the International Olympic Committee, the 121st of the Olympic Games, the 76th since the beginning of the Second World War in the Eastern Front and in the Pacific Theater, the 72nd since the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and the victories in Europe and the Pacific, the 5th since the attacks on Benghazi, the 12th of Operation Red Wings, and the 70th of the United States Armed Forces.

Semper Fortis

John Emmanuel Ramos

Makati City, Philippines

Grandson of Philippine Navy veteran PO2 Paterno Cueno, PN (Ret.)

(Honor by Hans Zimmer) (Platoon Swims) (Rendering Honors)

#the pacific #hbo war fandom #hbo war #john basilone #battle of iwo jima #flags of our fathers

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