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Leonid Rosenberg – a legendary man, a soldier of Victory
When you look at Leonid Borisovich Rosenberg, it’s hard to believe that we are dealing with a man who is 105 years old.
Before us is an elegant, well-groomed man with a clear mind and beautiful speech. He speaks calmly, wisely, and passionately. He is a born orator. His words convey the strength of a man who has lived through an entire era.
Always impeccably dressed, neatly shaved, combed, and with a subtle scent of good cologne, he exudes a distinctive intelligence and dignity, and behind this outward elegance lies the character of a true soldier—a man of strength, courage, and indomitability.
Much of the credit for the care and love he enjoys today goes to his children, Flora and Sasha. They closely monitor their father's health, take care of his diet, and even travel to the Manhattan farmers' market to buy him fresh organic vegetables, fish, and other healthy produce.
On the 105th birthday of Leonid Borisovich Rosenberg, president of the American Association of Disabled and Veterans of World War II, the room filled with family, friends, and others who came to pay their respects and express their gratitude.
On behalf of Senator Steve Chen, Senior Advisor Ari Kagan presented Leonid Borisovich with a Senate certificate of appreciation and wished him good health and a long life. Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny presented the Assembly's certificate to the celebrant and personally congratulated him on this significant occasion.
The Association's Executive Secretary, Anna Malkina, presented Leonid Borisovich with a huge postcard signed by veterans. Then she began to sing, and the house filled with music, a wonderful gift for a man who has cherished in his heart for so many decades the feeling of touching the flagpole of the Victory Banner hoisted over the Reichstag.
But behind this festive day lay a completely different story. In 1941, Leonid Borisovich went to the front. He bravely fought the Nazis from 1941 to 1945. On the third day of the war, he was seriously wounded in the leg.
His life was saved by a horse, which literally pulled him out of mortal danger. After being wounded, he returned to the front, where he reunited with his father, who was also a soldier. Leonid Borisovich served throughout the war, reaching Berlin and marching in the front ranks of the Victory Parade.
But the war took his mother, brother, family, friends, fellow soldiers, and millions of others. Therefore, for Leonid Borisovich, Victory Day is more than just a historical date. It is the memory of those who did not live to see it.
My daughter and I were once making a film about veterans. Leonid Borisovich's grandson, Emmanuel, was asked, "What is war?"
Emmanuel was still a child. But his answer was unforgettable: "War is a boot full of my grandfather's blood and terrible pain." These words of a little boy became a symbol for us of what war is through the eyes of the next generation.
Today, Emmanuel has grown up. My daughter and he are now students at American universities. But the memory of the war must not disappear along with the last witnesses, and perhaps through my articles and videos, we are passing on the truth to the next generation. Perhaps that's why Leonid Borisovich asked me to preserve the veterans' recordings, their memories, their stories, and pass them on to others.
I heard more than just a wish in this request. I heard a mandate. Perhaps this truly is my mission as a journalist—to record the voices of those who are dwindling in number with each passing year; to preserve their memories while they can still tell us the truth about the war.
Because war today is a terrible event, and its lessons must not be forgotten. It's not a paragraph in a textbook. It's a mother waiting for her son. It's a child who will never see his father again. It's a soldier returning to battle after being wounded. It's blood, pain, fear, and irreparable loss. That's why I have always advocated for peace, and I will continue to do so.
Today, American television is broadcasting a documentary featuring Leonid Borisovich. Our newspaper has repeatedly featured him and other heroes of the war generation; you can find many of the videos on my YouTube channel, Lagunova News. Our goal is to hear, record, and preserve them.
Leonid Borisovich reached Berlin. 81 years have passed since Victory Day. And today, at 105, he continues to march forward—no longer with weapons in hand, but with his memory, his words, and his most important message: never again war.
What a blessing that the Almighty granted him so many years of life. This is 105 years of history. 105 years of memory. 105 years of courage.
And while Leonid Borisovich speaks, history continues to speak to us. And our duty is to hear it.
Marina Lagunova