Eva Ryzhevskaya's commendation for the liberation of Zaporozhie

This is my commendation for the liberation of Zaporozhie, issued on 14th October 1943 Major Ryzhevskaya Eva Samoilovna By the Order of Comrade Stalin, Marshal and Supreme Commander of the Soviet Union as of 14th October 1943 commendation is declared to the entire personnel of your squad, including those who took part in the battles, for taking the city of Zaporozhie- the main transportation junction of the railroad and water routes and one of the decisive defense centers of Germans in the downstream of the Dnepr. Commander of squad (signature) In spring 1941 I was summoned to the military enlistment office. Medical officers were supposed to be drafted into the army, no matter what they were specialized in. I was sent to the operative dressing platoon of medical battalion 264 of division # 244 of the Ukrainian front as an attending surgeon. In spring 1943 we liberated Dneprodzerzhinsk, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov. Our division took Zaporozhie, then Nikolayev. Our division was conferred an Order of the Red Star for the liberation of Nikolayev. After that we liberated Odessa. We rushed into Odessa unexpectedly and had taken the enemy aback. The Germans were running around outside in underwear. Then there was Nikopol. For the liberation of the latter our entire squad, including me, was issued a commendation. I was awarded the Order of the Great Patriotic War, 2nd Class, for the liberation of Odessa.