"Not" Recommended for Awards

[Dave]

This is the first time I've seen one of these... A Lieutenant Colonel, up for his long-service Red Star, actually having the citation written and then recommending that he NOT be awarded the award! Go figure!

--Dave

AWARD CITATION

1. Last Name, First Name, Middle Name: Kravchenko, Yakov Trofimovich.

2. Military Rank : Lieutenant Colonel.

3. Place of Service: Deputy Commander of the 358th Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Guards Mechanized Division of the 1st Mechanized Army.

Recommended for: Order of Red Star.

4. Year of Birth: 1912.

5. Nationality: Ukrainian.

6. Party Membership: Member of the VKP/b/ from 1944.

7. Place of Birth: Bolshe-Pisarevka Village of the Bolshe-Pisarevsky Ares of the Sumskaya Oblast.

8. Service in the Civil War, in later Battles in Service of the USSR and in the GPW (when and where): Great Patriotic War from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945. Western Front from 22 June 1941 to 1 July 1942; Kalininsky Front from 1 July 1942 to 1 March 1943; Ukrainian and 1st Belarussian Fronts from 1 March 1943 to 9 May 1945.

9. Have any Wounds or Contusions in a) the Civil War: None.
b) Great Patriotic War: A light wound on 9 May 1944.
c) A contusion in January 1942.

10. From Which Time with the Red Army: From 18 September 1933.

11. Received Which Awards (from which order): Two Orders of Red Banner; Order of Alexander Nevsky; two Medals for Military Merit – awards book No.451251 from 13 May 1946; Medals For Liberation of Warsaw, For Capture of Berlin; For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War.

12. Home Address: Field post box 38742.

Short Concrete Description of Excellent Military Action or Service.

Politically developed. Morally stable. Has good special anti-aircraft skills and satisfactory tactical skills. Satisfactory in shooting his personal handgun, but does it infrequently. Does not show personal initiative in the matters of assistance and control in the units’ military training, and doesn’t demand discipline and order from the officers and soldiers. Shows short temper while he works, as well as criticizes senior officers. Has been drunk several times and, as a result, behaved improperly towards senior officers, including assault. On 8 July 1948, being drunk, he started a drunken debauch and beat up the Deputy Commander of Supply Colonel Mednikov, threatening to use a gun.

Conclusion: By showing poor discipline, drinking and not being demanding of his officers and soldiers, he does not deserve to be awarded the Order of Red Star for his number of years in service.

353rd Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Guards Regiment
Guards Colonel Karasyov
12 July 1948

Conclusion by senior officers:
The Regiment Commander is biased against Comrade Kravchenko because the latter was on a lengthy business trip. He deserves to be awarded the Order of Red Star.
Commander of the 8th Guards Mechanized Division
Guards Colonel V. Chizh