Quote:
Originally posted by Bill Murray
[B]
The story behind your medal?????
Bill
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It is a rather long story - so blame yourself.
In 1990 I became a friend of Captain (Soviet Navy) Igor Amosow during a Conferense on Military History. I at that time worked as a Research Officer with Department of Military History with the General Staff College in Stockholm.
He had been Assistant Military Attaché in USA and Attaché in Algeria and on Cuba. He also made a period as "Advisor" to the Polish Navy - read real C-in-C Polish Navy.
After retiring from the Soviet Navy he became Professor with the Institute of Military History in Moscow. After the Soviet Union was dissolved there was "Glasnost" and "Perestrojka" all over the floor.
We now could start to cooperate with the Russians and they were eager to rewrite their history.
As Igor Amosow said:
"Russia - our country with an unpredictable future and an unpredictable past".
Anyhow I spent months in Russia and introduced Igor to the Swedish Naval Attaché, Captain Magnus Haglund (on the pic in civilian dress). Together we arranged that Igor could visit Sweden on several occasions and also teach at the General Staff Academy in Stockholm.
In 1999 I was Head of Division Military History and co-responsible for the Congress in Stockholm. The Institute of Military History awarded me this medal - i think on recommendations of Igor.
So that is the short version.
Stellan
P.S. In those days Russia in fact had an unpredictable history. For example Raoul Wallenberg:
For USD 50 you could see the room where Wallenberg was shot. For USD 100 you could see the guillotin with wich Wallenberg was beheaded. For USD 250 you was allowed to meet the Surgeon who gave Wallenberg the lethal injection. For USD 500 E t c, e t c.
Photo: Igor Amosow in his Moscow home wearing his old Captain´s uniform (which was just for show - his real rank in GRU was quite another one).