I called Darima and gave her Craig's phone number and told her to call him. She did, introduced herself, and made arrangements to meet him, which she eventually did. As it turned out, Darima's place of employment was right next to the business park where Craig works! They began commuting together on his motorcycle to work. On weekends, Craig started taking Darima out to interesting places. They enjoyed each other's company so much, they began dating. Craig taught Darima how to roller blade in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
When Darima finally had to leave, it was hard on Craig. They promised to maintain contact via email and telephone, and they did just that.
Before she left for home, they talked about marriage, but Darima told him that she needed some time to think things over.
Shortly afterwards, Craig decided to go visit Darima in Ulan Ude! I was flabbergasted! "I guess that means, you must really like her, huh?" I joked on the phone. "Yeah, seems like it!" Craig chuckled.
Craig was warmly received by the Socktoyev Family and shown the sights of the city. As Craig had never been to Russia before, it was a real eye opener for him. He took many digital pictures to share with all of his relatives and friends. As of now, Craig has been to Ulan Ude four times to see Darima.
Darima and Craig finally announced that they would marry on August 9th, and that they would have a traditional Buryat wedding in her home city.
In June of this year, I asked my friend Natalya Poupysheva to call Khantaev's daughter again. Even though Lyudmila Kokurina had rebuffed me, I wanted to make one last attempt to get some information from her. This time, she was very receptive! She told Natalya that she had lost her telephone number and could not contact her. She was happy to hear from her this time. She told my friend that her father's medal had disappeared when workmen came to their apartment to do some repairs. She felt so ashamed, upset, and embarrassed at the loss, she dared tell no one. Four years have passed, and she could now talk freely. In one of my last letters to her, I wrote that I had her father's Gold Star medal, and I waited patiently for her response, which never came.
During their conversation, Lyudmila told Natalya many things. "She is a very sincere and honest woman," Natalya informed me. I learned that she is a teacher for deaf children and a widow with two grown children. When I learned more about Lyudmila, I decided that her father's medal was going back home!
On August 1, I will be leaving for Russia. The medal and award booklet will be handed over to Khantaev's daughter at her father's grave in the city, by the bride and groom and I, in front of the wedding party from the US, military officials, other dignitaries, and friends.
The Khantaev Family will now have closure, Darima and Craig will be husband and wife, and I will have done the right thing. Khantaev's medal left Ulan Ude and went to Moscow, where it was smuggled out and sold to a New York medals dealer. In turn, it was bought by a collector in Texas, who sold it to John Rupp in Key West, Florida. The medal and booklet then traveled to Temple City (Los Angeles County) and took a brief rest. Now, it will be going back to Ulan Ude and finally home.
And to think, it all started on ebay!

Craig, Darima, and the author Henry Sakaida. Vasily Khantaev's Gold Star Medal for Hero of the Soviet Union, will be returned to the Khantaev family when Henry travels to Russia for Craig and Darima's wedding ceremony.