OPINION:
The week of Jan. 7 – 13 marks the celebration of Russian Orthodox Christmas and the New Year.
The world is turning another page as it enters 2025. This year is very important for the entire international community and our two nations in particular, as it marks the 80th anniversary of the great victory over Nazism in World War II.
In those hard times, Russia, then known as the USSR, and the U.S. were allies in combating German fascist invaders. That partnership was demonstrated in a memorable event now known as “Project Zebra.”
From April 1944 to October 1945, the air base at Elizabeth City, N.C., trained crews and transferred seaplanes to the Soviet navy. American specialists sent 184 aircraft to our pilots under the Lend-Lease program. The international crews included servicemen from the USSR, the U.S., and Great Britain.
Project Zebra was a mission to ferry seaplanes of the “Catalina” type (PBN-1 “Nomad” and PBU-6A “Amphibia”) for Soviet navy aviation.Tragically, on Jan. 11, 1945, during takeoff from the Pasquotank River, PBN-1 aircraft No. 2915 crashed. Out of nine people of the joint Soviet-British crew on board, five died: Four Red Army soldiers including commander (second pilot) Capt. Nikolai Mikhailovich Chikov, navigator Capt. Vladimir Moiseevich Levin, flight engineer Lt. Dmitry Mikhailovich Medvedev and flight mechanic Lt. Afanasy Ivanovich Borodin, as well as one member of the British crew, civilian radio operator Peter Nataros.
Project Zebra is one of the symbols of the allied forces who fought shoulder to shoulder against Nazism during World War II. Today, more than ever, it is important to tell the younger generation about these past events and work together to perpetuate the memory of the heroes of those years.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.