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 in the Great Patriotic War.
Biography
Vladimir Ivanovich was born at the end of 1922. He was a rural hardened guy from a peasant family. Now his native village of Pogorelovo belongs to the Oryol region. Vladimir studied and finished 8 classes, received a secondary education. Then he was drafted into the army. There he studied at the same time and eventually graduated from the aviation school of pilots in the city of Armavir.
Vladimir Merkulov was called to the war in the spring of 1943. Then he was already awarded the rank of second lieutenant. He flew on different models of Yak aircraft, fought on different fronts. In the spring of 1944, the pilot was appointed deputy squadron commander. For courage and heroism in the autumn of 1944, V. I. Merkulov was awarded the high rank of Hero of the USSR.
Vladimir Ivanovich also remained a pilot after the war. He is a graduate of the Air Force Academy, honored military pilot. In 1979, V. I. Merkulov was promoted to lieutenant general. The pilot was awarded with medals and orders.
Pilot career
As Vladimir Ivanovich himself said, his young years passed in Orel. At that time, aviation was booming in the USSR.
The salvation of the Chelyuskintsev in the Arctic, the skill of V.P. Chkalov, had a great influence on the then-young man. The long flight of girl and male 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 the flight school in Armavir, after which he was sent to the Far East.
Here, the best pilots taught the art of flight of 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 will perfectly fight enemies, defeating enemies.
