Last night I finished reading Nikolay Imchuk's One for All - Memoirs of a Boy Soldier in WW II. This was a most enjoyable and fascinating book, and I could not put it down.

I was struck by Kolya. Imchuk's experiences--not only his relatively good treatment in the two orphanages, but also the opportunities he had as a boy soldier. Evidently many more boy soldiers served during WW II (including on the Western Front); however, this book is extremely well documented, and presents a graphic view of the hardships of war on the Eastern Front--a part of WW II with which I am not very familiar.

The book had several themes that resonated with me--friendship, commitment to a mission, patriotism, innovativeness, and rugged determination. I believe his young age was a distinct advantage for his survival.

It is clear to me that God protected Kolya throughout the war, and some of the near-death experiences he had--even as people around him lost their lives.

I was reminded of my own close call with death while in Pleiku, Vietnam, when in June 1972 I chose not to accompany my commander in his helicopter to the front lines, as I needed to prepare for an inspection of my area the following day. He, his pilot, and one captain headed up to Kontum (50 km north), where the fighting was taking place. The helicopter crashed and burned in heavy fog (not from enemy fire), and all three were killed. The fourth seat was mine, and I felt very strongly that God had kept me from taking this flight. (this is part of my testimony, and a reason why I am involved in military ministry with ACCTS).

Please let Mr. Imchuk that I very much appreciated reading his book. It would be an honor for me to meet him (and you, of course) on one of my future trips to Moscow.

Thank you again, Sasha, for the book and very instructive insights into the suffering of WW II on the Eastern Front.

In His service,

Lt. Colonel (Retd.) Richard Barnes, US Army

20^th January 2020