Mikhail Grabsky

Mikhail Isaakovich Grabsky (, ; 3 April 1923 – 3 August 2007) was a Soviet Jewish tank commander who served in the Red Army during the Second World War. He was the commander of the 52nd Tank Guards Brigade of the 6th Guards Tank Corps, and attained the rank of sergeant by the end of the war. In 1982, Grabsky emigrated to the United States for permanent residence, which was regarded by the Soviet leadership as a betrayal. On 14 April 1983, Grabsky's title of Hero of the Soviet Union was revoked, as were all of his other awards. However, on 15 August 2000, by the decision of the Court of Appeals of the Supreme Court of Russia, Grabsky's awards were reinstated.

Biography Grabsky was born on 3 April 1923 in Kyiv to a working-class Jewish family. On 25 June 1941, following the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, he volunteered for the Red Army, and originally served in the infantry. After being wounded at the Battle of Stalingrad, he was sent to join a tank crew. As commander of the 52nd Tank Guards Brigade, he distinguished himself in the autumn of 1943, during the Battle of Kiev. In late September 1943, Soviet troops established a bridgehead in the Lyutizh, on the right bank of the Dnieper. Just before dawn on 4 November 1943, the 52nd Tank Guards Brigade's tanks landed on the bridgehead, via ferry. During an attack on enemy positions, Grabsky was in the vanguard, destroying one Tiger tank and as a result, helping the 52nd Tank Guards Brigade to cross the Dnieper.

After crossing, the 52nd Guards Tank Brigade launched an offensive in the direction of Pushcha-Vodytsia. Grabsky's tank operated in the first echelon, and was hit on the starboard side during the battle. The damage turned out to be insignificant, and after 2 hours the car was repaired by the crew, later taking part in a bypass manoeuvre to Pushcha-Vodytsia. By the morning of 5 November, the town had been completely cleared of the enemy. The 52nd Tank Guards Brigade went towards Berlin, fighting in the Prague offensive.

By the declaration of the Court of Appeals of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on 15 August 2000, Grabsky was restored as a Hero of the Soviet Union, all revoked awards were returned, and he was declared to be innocent of treason. However, Grabsky never returned to Russia, and continued to spend his remaining days in Florida. He died on 3 August 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri.