Feats have no statute of limitations. And the people who committed them must not be forgotten. Vladimir Merkulov - Hero of the Soviet Union, fearless fighter pilot, Honored Military Pilot of the USSR, participant of the Great Patriotic War.
Biography
Vladimir Ivanovich was born at the end of 1922. He was a guy of rural training, from a family of peasants. Now his native village Pogorelovo belongs to the Oryol region. Vladimir studied and finished 8 classes, received his secondary education. Then he was drafted into the army. There he studied in parallel and eventually graduated from the aviation school of pilots in the city of Armavir.
Vladimir Merkulov was drafted to the war in the spring of 1943. Then he was already awarded the rank of junior lieutenant. He flew on different Yak aircraft models, fought on different fronts. In the spring of 1944, the pilot was appointed deputy squadron commander. For courage and heroism in the fall of 1944, V. I. Merkulov was awarded the high title of Hero of the USSR.
Vladimir Ivanovich remained a pilot after the war. He is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, an honored military pilot. In 1979, V. I. Merkulov was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. The pilot was awarded medals and orders.
Pilot career
As Vladimir Ivanovich himself said, his youth were spent in Orel. At that time, aviation was developing rapidly in the USSR.
A great influence on the then young man was made by the rescue of the Chelyuskintsev in the Arctic, the skill of V. P. Chkalov. The long flight of male and female crews also did not leave Vladimir indifferent. He became even more convinced of his calling to fly!
Following his dream, Vladimir graduated from pilot courses in Orel, then a flight school in Armavir, after which he was sent to the Far East.
Here, the best pilots taught the art of flying to young pilots, for example, Commander Captain Shepel S. R. He congratulated the young generation on the fact that the guys went through a good school and would be excellent at fighting enemies, defeating enemies.
Pilot heroism
When the young pilots flew in brand new fighters, the engine of Merkulov's plane failed. In order not to endanger himself, Vladimir could jump with a parachute. But he decided to save the plane as well. Thanks to his skill and ability to fly an airplane, the large car landed successfully at the airfield. Then their commander Shepel proudly said that Volodya would be a pilot. The senior comrade's forecasts were fully justified.
Merkulov was both a loyal friend and a fearless pilot. When his wounded comrade Fedorov jumped out of another plane by parachute, Vladimir distracted the attention of the Nazis, and they stopped firing at Fedorov with machine guns. He also saved Major General Savitsky E. Ya., Covering his plane in the air with his combat vehicle.
The famous hero Vladimir Ivanovich performed many more courageous deeds, made an invaluable contribution to the salvation of his homeland from the fascist invaders.
