A Communist Held My Rifle

[BritChaser]

I had a friend who grew up under communism in Russia. She was a city girl who attended a ballet high school. She and her late husband immigrated here in the early '90s when things began falling apart over there. Her upbringing under commie rule included sub-basic military training in the summer after her sophomore year of high school. It was mandatory, not JROTC. She learned to break down, reassemble, and shoot an AK-47, engaged in infantry maneuvers, and took an orientation ride in a tank. During her teens she was also required to spend time on a collective farm in the summer.

When I showed her my scoped 30-06, she said "Mm-hmm. Sniper rifle." Her mother came from Russia to visit her and her daughter. Her mother had been a commie in order to get ahead in her career as an oil and gas geologist. At my place for dinner, I showed babushka the 30-06. She took it from me and shouldered it with familiarity. "Sniper rifle," she said.

 

[mlmich@pldi.net]

Povezlo tebe.
Ona mozhet strelyat?

 

[BritChaser]

Povezlo tebe.
Ona mozhet strelyat?

I learned much from her about life in Russia under communist government. I assume she could shoot because she was trained on the AK-47 that summer between her sophomore and junior years. She loved going bird hunting with me but never asked to shoot.

 

[Birdman2]

I learned much from her about life in Russia under communist government. I assume she could shoot because she was trained on the AK-47 that summer between her sophomore and junior years. I took her bird hunting which she loved but she never asked to shoot.

Brit, Good story. What happened to her?

 

[mlmich@pldi.net]

Gde ona seychas

 

[BritChaser]

Brit, Good story. What happened to her?

She and her daughter became U.S. citizens. She was a good citizen. She told me that when some Russian friends were complaining about the U.S., she told them they should kiss the ground beneath their feet in gratitude. We parted ways years ago.

 

[Birdman2]

Cool...