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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:47:25 PM EDT
Have this vendor helping us with a job at work. He's a legal immigrant from the former Soviet Union. He immigrated in 1991 with his wife and two daughters. He says he did it for his daughters. I'd say he was both smart and lucky to get out when he did.
He served in the Soviet army from 1974-1976. Not really the height of the Cold War, but one of the red menace for sure. 
He says people always ask him if he's either former KGB or former Russian Mafia, like there's no other option for a person from the former Soviet Union. He's a really nice guy. Solidly conservative. Can't get an Obama read on him, but he's got his head together on matters of personal rights and freedoms. I just thought that it was interesting that I could sit across from a former "enemy" and have a great conversation about all kinds of issues, as if we were lifelong friends. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:48:52 PM EDT
[#1]
Pics of daughters?
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:49:13 PM EDT
[#2]
Cool!
I have had a somewhat similar conversation with someone who grew up in Kazakhstan. -K |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:49:27 PM EDT
[#3]
Quoted:
Pics of daughters? I just won a bet. 
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:49:53 PM EDT
[#4]
What branch, and what did he do?
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:51:34 PM EDT
[#5]
He's a spy!
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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:51:49 PM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
What branch, and what did he do? I think he said Army. He talked about training with AKs and NBC equipment. He seemed hesitant to really talk about the experiences, so I didn't press the issue all that much. He was stationed near the Black Sea. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:00:09 PM EDT
[#7]
I met a guy years ago that was Russian and was a helicopter pilot when they were in Afghanistan. Once I got to know him, he was a pretty nice guy just trying to make a living here. Just for fun, I invited him to the VFW Post I belonged to...when had a great time drinking and shooting pool while the old guys went nuts seeing a godless commie in their bar!
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:00:46 PM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Pics of daughters? I just won a bet.
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:08:44 PM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
He's a spy! This. Deep cover mole hiding in plain sight. I'll bet he has a secret commie flag in his basement and spends all night listening to numbers stations waiting for the "Fo-ski" signal. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:09:25 PM EDT
[#10]
Did he have any bakelite mags in his pockets?
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:11:25 PM EDT
[#11]
My dad worked with a former Soviet tanker. He came here and became a good capitalist pig. Worked as a banker on problem credit accounts!
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:18:05 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
My dad worked with a former Soviet tanker. He came here and became a good capitalist pig. Worked as a banker on problem credit accounts! This guy's a hard worker. He is an expert in rubber lined tanks. He told us about diving chemical tanks in full rubber dive suits and respirators and having to climb in and out of tanks using rope ladders. He's probably in his mid to late '50s and in good shape. He'll probably end up diving the tank we're working on in a double layer of anti-contamination clothing with a plastic suit over the top and plastic over that. I'll be in right after him to do some other work. That'll suck. 
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:19:43 PM EDT
[#13]
When I was on recruiting duty there was a little bar and grill next door. We got to know the cook pretty well. He was an ancient old fucking Croatian bastard, seemed pretty cool, would come out and talk to us about guns and various wars.
After we got to know him, and he was a little more open in his conversation, it turned out that he was a full-on, unrepentant Nazi. Not a modern day 88 trying to be cool by saying shocking things and getting socially unacceptable tattoos, but a genuine Nazi. Creepy as fuck. For some reason your story reminded me of that old guy. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 6:38:03 PM EDT
[#14]
I've met a few Russians in the past few years. I found them all to be perfectly decent, reasonable, and likable people. And, generally better informed than your average American citizen, about both world events and important events here in the States.
CJ |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 6:41:22 PM EDT
[#15]
He's a mole. Hiding in plain sight. Those Commies are clever.
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Posted: 7/22/2010 6:50:55 PM EDT
[#16]
There is about 2 million Russians in the NY/NJ/CT. Saw this number in one of news papers, but doubt the number is really that high.
Majority of man who immigrated to US at age of 20 or older served in Soviet/Russian military. Among them lots of army/navy officers. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 8:50:59 PM EDT
[#17]
There are more Russians in Alaska than you can shake a stick at. Back in the 70's it was the Old Beleivers in Ninilchick, now they are everywhere.
Some guys are fresh off the boat. We asked two 19 year olds at work about their hometown, and they immediately got very quiet and asked if WE were spies. Where the rubber meets the road, like at army live fire ranges, the warning signs around Ft. Greeley are bilingual in English and Russian, not English and Spanish. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 9:47:07 PM EDT
[#18]
One of the most staunchly conservative guys I know is a former Spetnaz guy. We skydived together and you could ask him to check our spot... he'd open the door, look out, come back in and shout "Amyerkeeka! Guuud spot!!!"
That dude is awesome. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 9:56:07 PM EDT
[#19]
My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting.
He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit. 
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Posted: 7/22/2010 9:58:34 PM EDT
[#20]
My massage therapist was a tank commander in the 80s over there. He said that at any one time up to half of their tanks wouldn't be operable due to breakdowns or other shit.
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Posted: 7/22/2010 10:02:50 PM EDT
[#21]
I worked with a US Army tanker at Ft. Knox that was a former Russian Army tank commander on T-90's...Betcha didn't think we had them guys in our army huh? Strange world.
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Posted: 7/22/2010 10:04:41 PM EDT
[#22]
Where is he from in what was the Soviet Union?
Russian? Ukrainian? Belorussian? |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 10:04:52 PM EDT
[#23]
Quoted:
My massage therapist was a tank commander in the 80s over there. He said that at any one time up to half of their tanks wouldn't be operable due to breakdowns or other shit. He should visit a American tank motor pool. I don't think he would be too surprised. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 10:20:49 PM EDT
[#24]
I work with a 100 of them daily here. Most are really decent guys, but you can see a little resentment in the eyes of some of the older ones.
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Posted: 7/22/2010 10:28:08 PM EDT
[#25]
My buddy's uncle (buddy's folks escaped when he was 3) is former USSR army...he giggled (yes, actually giggled) when he handled my HK USP, thumping the frame with his fingers. He hasn't been over here very long and doesn't speak a lick of english. Thought it was funny, dunno.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 12:40:54 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted:
Where is he from in what was the Soviet Union? Russian? Ukrainian? Belorussian? Moldava, northwest of the Black Sea. Map |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 12:44:27 PM EDT
[#27]
Quoted: Cool! I have had a somewhat similar conversation with someone who grew up in Kazakhstan. -K Borat?  |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 12:59:18 PM EDT
[#28]
My girlfriend is a former commie, although she was 9yrs old when the iron curtain fell.
Cool stories, cool pictures, cool girl, cool Russian friends. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:08:43 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted: I've met a few Russians in the past few years. I found them all to be perfectly decent, reasonable, and likable people. And, generally better informed than your average American citizen, about both world events and important events here in the States. CJ I see that they've already got you fooled. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:15:05 PM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting. He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit.
Dude, instead of yelling "Say cheese!" did you yell "I just shot your dog!" when taking that picture? |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:22:56 PM EDT
[#31]
We have more in common with our old enemies than we do with our current leadership. At least they were communists because they HAD to be. TJR
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:28:14 PM EDT
[#32]
Quoted:
Quoted:
My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting. He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/sherrick13/IMG_2971.jpg Dude, instead of yelling "Say cheese!" did you yell "I just shot your dog!" when taking that picture?
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:28:40 PM EDT
[#33]
Quoted:
Quoted:
My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting. He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/sherrick13/IMG_2971.jpg Dude, instead of yelling "Say cheese!" did you yell "I just shot your dog!" when taking that picture? Seriously. I guess that slavic melancholiness isn't just a myth. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:30:39 PM EDT
[#34]
I worked with a Russian Army soldier who was in Afganistan in the 80's..his squad would leave ammo, rations etc for the Mujaheeden(sp) and in turn they were left alone.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:31:16 PM EDT
[#35]
I had a patient awhile back that said he spent 20 years in a Siberian gulag under Stalin...all because his parents were political dissidents that were executed.
Nothing more funny and sad at the same time than a man older than my grandparents loudly proclaiming "FUCK COMMUNISTS!" in his accent. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:39:14 PM EDT
[#36]
Quoted:
Quoted:
My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting. He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit.
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/sherrick13/IMG_2971.jpg Dude, instead of yelling "Say cheese!" did you yell "I just shot your dog!" when taking that picture? Not just "I shot your dog" but "I'm serving it to you for dinner." 
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Posted: 7/23/2010 1:44:36 PM EDT
[#37]
Soviets had mandatory 2 year military service from 18-20 YO.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 3:38:43 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: Quoted: My wife's best friend's Dad is the mayor of Provadia, Bulgaria. He stayed in my house a couple of years ago when visiting. He was a hoot, very anti Commie. He was in the Bulgarian Army as an engineer in the 70's. He loved the fact that Americans are buying up all the old commie guns and ammo. He could strip down an AK faster than shit. http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb171/sherrick13/IMG_2971.jpg Dude, instead of yelling "Say cheese!" did you yell "I just shot your dog!" when taking that picture? Eastern Europeans don't always smile for the camera. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 3:45:01 PM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
Quoted:
He's a spy! This. Deep cover mole hiding in plain sight. I'll bet he has a secret commie flag in his basement and spends all night listening to numbers stations waiting for the "Fo-ski" signal. I'll bet he tears Wallace stickers off the backs of cars.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 3:50:15 PM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What branch, and what did he do? I think he said Army. He talked about training with AKs and NBC equipment. He seemed hesitant to really talk about the experiences, so I didn't press the issue all that much. He was stationed near the Black Sea. I don't doubt it. Based on what you said he was basically doing his conscript service for 2 years. They weren't exactly treated well or trained well. |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 3:51:45 PM EDT
[#41]
I had a coworker on my last job who fit that description. He was easy to get along with, until they made him a project manager.
One day he asked me to come out to his SUV in the parking lot to help with something. He'd taken his Ruger Mark II pistol apart, and was having trouble getting it back together. I fixed it.  |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 4:02:41 PM EDT
[#42]
I've had contact with several guys who served the commies in Eastern Europe. They were stand-up guys; one saw a Reagan picture I had and explained that he liked Reagan and that he has an American flag in his office.
I also used to do yard work for a Nazi paratrooper. He had some stories, but wouldn't tell "the kids." I didn't know he had fought for the Germans until after he died. My first contact with him was stopping by for water when I was out on my bike at around 10 years old. Could barely understand a word they said, but they had a hose. - BG |
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Posted: 7/23/2010 4:03:44 PM EDT
[#43]
Quoted:
I took one of those sucker apart, it took me like 2 hours to get back together.I had a coworker on my last job who fit that description. He was easy to get along with, until they made him a project manager. One day he asked me to come out to his SUV in the parking lot to help with something. He'd taken his Ruger Mark II pistol apart, and was having trouble getting it back together. I fixed it. 
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Posted: 7/23/2010 4:13:28 PM EDT
[#44]
I have met quite a few over the years, though my wife is Russian from Estonia and I have been to Russia twice.
In general, Russians are nice; To Americans. In Izhevsk, I met a Russian guy at a litttle get together that said the last time he met an American was 1972, in Hanoi. |
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