Ukrainians in WW II

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

There was a time when I was in Ukraine and really could not go anywhere.i googled Ukrainians in WWII. Interesting results.  Yes tens of millions of Ukrainians served in the Red Army. They were put into the front lines because Stalin’s hidden agenda was to have Russians move into their homes making it less likely that Ukraine would seek independence from USSR.

 

BUT besides that between 40000 and 50000 Ukrainians served in the Canadian Army on D day and beyond.  As far as I am concerned if someone served in the US Army, they were American but Ukrainians are proud to point out the many Ukrainian names in our military cemeteries. The only one that I always remember is Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Strank, a flag raiser at Iwo Jimo, who also died at Iwo Jima. More than 100,000 men of Ukrainian descent served in the US Armed Forces.

[Subdeacon Joe]

5 hours ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said:

 Yes tens of millions of Ukrainians served in the Red Army.

 

It is somewhat ironic that many Ukrainians initially welcomed the Germans as liberators from the Soviets only to find that they had traded one brutal dictatorship for another.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

After the war Stalin accused the Crimean Tatars of collaboration with the Germans and exiled them to Uzbekistan and encouraged Russians to move in to fill the void.  After the dissolution of USSR and privatization of land those Russians could claim ownership.  In recent years the Tatars have returned to Crimea.