While reading the comments regarding the weapons used by other forces I was struck by the posting of Lis. I'm assuming that this person was or is in the Russian armed forces and I find this wildly ironic that as one who served during the Cold War that I can chat with someone over the mutual interest of scale models and military service and who only 20 years ago I would have considered a potential enemy. Last summer I had the honor of taking some Russian visitors on a tour of our university campus.

During this tour I was acquainted with a gentleman who served in the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces. We both served at the same time and we faced each other during the rattling of sabres. We had a great discussion regarding our roles and eventually the conversation turned to the "what ifs?". Viktor asked me how I thought we would have done if our nations would have went to war with each other. I looked at him, smiled, and said "we would of kicked your ass"
We both had a great laugh over that and I then shook his hand and said "I'm glad we never had to find out."

Lis, I salute your military, I found those who've I met to be honorable men. I'm glad that places like this make the world a smaller place and I have the chance to meet more folks fom your country.
Best Wishes

I have a similar story about WW2 . My cousin Fred Williams was in the 3rd ID he served as a .30 cal asst. gunner , after about 3 months in action he was captured . As time and the war went on he and his fellow inmates were taken out to repair the rail roads after they were damaged after carpet bomings . More than once he had to take cover as Allied bomers made touch-up runs. Now on to the 2nd part of the story , here in the southern U S there were several POW camps one of wich was just down the road from my cousins house . Well one day there is a knock at the door and there is a former german POW wanting to see the old camp- some one had sent him to see Fred thinking he knew about the old camp . Well they became good friends and about 6 months later a group from germany came over to see how much things had changed . It was a once in a life time experience to meet these men that had served , and to hear their story .

Steve:

As a former Cold Warrior, I know the feeling.

A couple years ago I went to a DoD school and one of my classmates was a Bulgarian officer. He too had served during the Cold War. We became friends after many hours of conversation in the outdoor smoking area of the BOQ.

It seems he had been a unit political officer -- his father was a political officer before him. (When young people asked him what a political officer was, he'd ask if they had seen "The Hunt for Red October." "Remember the first guy they killed?" he'd ask. "That was the political officer.") After the breakup of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact, he became an air defense officer.

When I told my Dad -- a retired Army NCO and Vietnam veteran -- about my new friend, he warned me to be careful -- "Those Bulgarians are the worst commie b------s of them all." When I told Nic about it, he told me his father had given him a similar warning about trusting Americans -- especially American civilians who knew more about the military and military history than they really should.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool to get to know him and maybe someday I can check out the resorts on the Black Sea he told me about