Ivan Ivanovich Patuk took his first battle as a commander of a rifle platoon in the south of Ukraine.
During the liberation of Sevastopol, as the head of regimental intelligence, Ivan Ivanovich and his group took up positions and disguised themselves in the Mount Sapun area – they needed to reveal the key points in the German defense.
On May 7, 1944, Ivan Ivanovich participated in the historic assault of Mount Sapun. His feat is captured on the canvas of the diorama "The Assault of Mount Sapun".
After the liberation of Sevastopol, Ivan Ivanovich participated in the liberation of Belarus and the Baltic States with the 32nd Guards Taman Rifle Division. He greeted the victory in Königsberg.
Awards:
Order of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st class, Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd class, two Orders of the Red Star, medal "For Battle Merit", medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus", medal
"For the Liberation of Sevastopol", the badge of honor "Merit for Sevastopol" and others
Memories of the liberation of Sevastopol:
"It's not easy to squeeze a tear out of a reconnaissance officer. But when we reached the outskirts of Sevastopol, the surviving residents of the city ran towards us. A 7-8 years old girl came up to me and gave me a home-grown flower, which she tore out of the pot – you could see the roots and the earth on it. And then I couldn't hold it, a tear run down my cheek"
