Climbing

In America, Glory remained independent and purposeful. Definitely, at a young age he was a man whose reliability could be relied on in difficult times.
Continued. Start at #390
Parents could do little for his studies here, but Marilyn Rofsky, who taught Anna English, undertook to help the boy with classes and with a general adaptation to a new life. Nevertheless, Anna, who believed that in America people should rely on themselves, along with her son took up the delivery of newspapers in the morning, although she already worked at the university. Slavik was not very pleased, but obediently got up a little light and distributed newspapers. But when he began to deliver pizza, his parents were against it. But Slavik did everything in his own way. After all, you could buy different electronics for tips. They wanted to arrange a bar mitzvah, but he refused - it seemed to him uncomfortable. He was shy. But, without saying anything to his parents, he enrolled in the Jewish Family Service on a trip to Israel by birth and returned from there in complete admiration. In general, he became aware of himself as a Jew. In Kiev, he was Sokolov, Miroslav Sokolov, and in America he began to bear the name of his father - Zilberman.
He made friends with other Jewish boys from Russia, who, like him, knew nothing about the traditions of their people, nor about their history. Now they absorbed everything that was missing, like a dry sponge dipped in water. When it became known that a certain Mohel came to Columbus to perform the Brit Mil rite, this group of young Jews came to the hospital and they were circumcised. Looking ahead, let's say that he gave the biblical names of Daniel and Sarah to his children, and was happy and proud that the five-year-old Daniel reads biblical texts in Hebrew better than he does.
As a teenager, Glory could be thoughtless and mischievous, like many other guys of his age. But at the same time, others recognized him as a leader. In addition, in his character was a trait that was then not given much importance. Here is what his school friend Allen Goldberg says: “Glory was not afraid of risk and loved adventure. I remember how at Glory High School, I and several of our friends threw snowballs at passing cars, and then screamed and screamed to get away. But even then, Slava never left the battlefield until he was sure that everyone else was already safe. None of us then paid attention to this ... "
Definitely, Slava was a man at a young age, whose reliability could be relied on in difficult times. Unfortunately, his friends had a sad occasion to be convinced of this ... But again we are getting ahead of ourselves.
In 1997, after graduation, he was admitted to Ohio University. But Slavik had his own plans for education and career. At eighteen, plotting his life course, he was himself both a navigator and a captain. But he still does not have a clear direction, and the time for searching begins. He decides to go to the Navy and signs a contract.
Parents were afraid for their son, but could not do anything. For some reason, he wanted to get a specialty electrician. He is sent to courses in Chicago, but he quickly realizes that this activity is not for him. Then he decides to leave military service. But the contract has already been signed ... But Slava finds a legal way to cancel it and begins to collect the signatures of the senior officers necessary to make the decision he needs. Finally, almost all autographs are collected!
Glory calls home:
- Mom, the last signature was left by Admiral N and I am free. Everyone knows that he signs these documents without looking. Most likely, the adjutant will give me the finished paper. I am returning to Ohio University.
Father and mother were happy. But not for long ...
The next day, Slava called again. With joy in his voice he announced:
- I stay. The admiral spoke to me for an hour and a half - and I enter the Naval Academy! Can you imagine To the academy! How many people dream about it, but I do!
Parents were not particularly pleased with this turn of events, but most importantly, their son was pleased.
In the meantime, before the start of the school year, Slava is sent to a training camp, a bootcamp.
Do not dwell on what the young man from an intelligent family had to experience in the camp, where the main task is to turn a person into a car. Do not understand that I am an opponent of military service in our army. In no case! It was just glory that it was especially difficult there. But he stood it. And not because of the contract, but because he had to endure, and Slava’s sense of duty was unusually developed. But he was still a boy, a youth and, of course, did not always take deliberate steps.
After graduating from a training camp, Glory gets married. He had already met with Katerina for two years, whom he had loved since school. Now they decided to get married before Glory goes to the academy. But Glory did not know that, fulfilling one dream, he destroyed another. At the next round of fate, Slava learned with surprise close to shock that only bachelors were admitted to the Academy.
It was a serious blow, but even here Glory did not lose faith in itself. After all, he still remained in the program, paid by the naval department, and, therefore, could choose any educational institution. Rennesler, the most prestigious Polytechnic Institute, chose fame. He graduated in three years, instead of four majoring in computer technology. And he managed not only to get a diploma, but also to learn to fly.
This is how it happened. After graduation, he had eight years to serve in the Navy. But by whom? He could be sent to the ship in accordance with the specialty received, but Glory decides to become a naval pilot. The competition was huge and preference was given to those who knew how to fly. The decision was made, it remained to fulfill it. And by the time he graduated from the institute, Slava had successfully passed the exam required to obtain an amateur pilot license.

From a letter from Slavik’s mother, Anna Sokolova: “Remember how we celebrated your birthday when you received the Golden Wings (Golden Wings) and became an aviator? I came to you when you went to sea, came annually to officer balls, stayed with the children and was happy looking at you and your beautiful wife Katerina. On this happy month, February is the birthday of your eldest son, Daniel, Sarah and yours. Last year, on this February day, you were on the Dwight Eisenhower aircraft carrier, and I sent you a parcel with nuts and chocolate - everything you loved and that you immediately shared with your fellow pilots ... "

Yes, Glory has achieved another goal - he becomes a pilot of the Navy. A pilot like his grandfather. Lieutenant Miroslav, or, as his squadron friends called him, Steve Zilberman, becomes an ace pilot.
He flew Hawkai early warning airplanes (Hawkeye). The crews of these aircraft, being in the combat zone at an altitude of more than seven kilometers, warn warships and fighter aircraft of the approach of enemy aircraft, their number and position; in addition, they collect intelligence, carry out fire adjustments, participate in rescue operations and increase the range of long-range communications. On aircraft of this type two powerful turboprop engines are installed, driving two eight-blade propellers located on the wings on either side of the fuselage. The position of the blades can change, which allows you to strengthen or weaken the traction (I ask readers to pay special attention to this detail, because it is very important for our story. - VB). Behind the cockpit stands the characteristic radar dome, giving the aircraft a somewhat futuristic look. In one full turn of the radar antenna, a space of six million cubic miles can be seen, and an air target can be detected at a distance of 550 kilometers. I have not listed the hundredth part of the technical devices of this ultra-modern military machine, but this is enough to understand how difficult it is to learn how to manage it. All these technical data are necessary to understand what happened once during the performance of a combat mission.
In the art of controlling an airplane, Slavik reached perfection. But that is not all. He also mastered the skills of a signal officer, whose responsibilities include coordinating the landing of aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier - an incredibly responsible job. Moreover, he taught this profession to other officers. This was the whole of Slavik: first become the best yourself, then teach to be the best of others ... He always lived according to the principle expressed by another great pilot, of whom Slavik most likely did not know anything - Valery Chkalov: “If to be, then be the first ".
He himself did not envy anyone, which was understandable - after all, he was the best, but others did not envy his superiority, finding it completely natural. He was the sun around which, without fussing or complaining, friends and colleagues circled, basking in the warmth and light emanating from the central luminary. However, no. There were two more stars in the presence of which Slavik immediately switched to a subordinate role - his children, Sarah and Daniel. By their birthdays (and they were born, like him, in February, Daniel in 2006, and Sarah in 2008), he recorded himself on video to please the kids. And he sang, hopped and whirled in front of the camera, delivering many fun minutes to his comrades. “I know that I look like an idiot, but would you know how happy my children are when they watch the record!” And that was the main thing. Family, children were the basis of Slavik's life, or rather, his personal life. But there was also another life, another world where everything was different.
It was a world of flight, continuous training and study. It was a world in which one mistake, a small oversight, a second confusion could cost many lives. And here his ability to understand, absorb new information, remember the sequence of operations and repeat them until they became as natural as breathing, caused universal admiration. There are two types of mentors. Some reprimand their wards: you try poorly, while others encourage: good, but you can do it better ... In the first case, demanding is annoying, and in the second, and even if the words are accompanied by a broad smile, which everyone who knew Slava speaks of, subordinates try to all the strength to earn praise. Moreover, everyone knew that Glory requires much more from itself than from others.
But all this does not mean at all that in this harsh world of dangerous flights and tedious trainings there was no place for fun and entertainment. Is it possible to imagine young guys, fearless and smart, in love with their dangerous work, without jokes and mischievous tricks? Would Glory Zilberman fit into such a monastery?
Of course, no.
Says Jeremy Arnott, co-pilot: “Every couple of months, the entire flight division of the aircraft carrier came together for an evening of relaxation and entertainment. Slavic skate was the creation of parody videos that caused the laughter of the entire crew. For example, in one of his films a trip to the toilet was shown during a flight on a combat aircraft. In another - landing the aircraft backwards on the deck of an aircraft carrier; in the third, the funniest, a radar operator was shown, who during the flight enthusiastically played video games, and the two pilots sitting in front in the wheelhouse led the plane, thinking that they were carrying out a combat mission. ”

Fame was not only respected, it was loved by everyone who had the good fortune to touch his life. His friends in letters, without saying a word, mention that the room became brighter when he entered, shining with his radiant smile. Immediately there was an atmosphere of ease, he removed the tension with which the life of military pilots was full.
And Slavik, flying, exercising or having fun, was already thinking about his future life after the end of the contract. He decided to graduate from medical school and become a doctor without leaving the fleet. Among the flight and training everyday life, he found time to read textbooks on chemistry, not hesitating to resort to the help of a friend who knew organic chemistry well.
From a letter from Anna Sokolova, mother of Glory Zilberman: “I was so happy when you contacted me from Dubai via Skype on 16 on March 2010. I didn’t let anyone come to the monitor, I looked at you with great love, not missing a single minute ...
This was our last meeting.
31 on March Katerina called and said with a shiver in her voice that the plane crashed in the Arabian Sea when you returned from the mission and they could not find you. Dad was not at home, and I ran around the rooms, repeating: “This cannot be!”, Appealed to Gd, begged to return my son, my only child, begged not to take him to me ... ”
The morning began as usual. On the eve of the evening of 30 March, Glory spent several hours in the cabin of Lieutenant Ed Poynton. Young officers had fun playing video games and discussing plans for the future, as both were supposed to return to base in Norfolk in just two weeks.
The four crew members met at breakfast. The task assigned to the crew of the Hawkeye was standard: to provide cover for the ground forces of the coalition conducting combat operations in Afghanistan. The Dwight Eisenhower aircraft carrier was located approximately 140 km south of Pakistan, the weather was not very good, it was slightly stormy, but the pilots were happy that they had a morning flight, since after returning from a five-hour mission there was still a lot of time for study and entertainment. Moreover, since no special difficulties were expected during the assignment, instead of three, only two officers were involved in coordinating the cover of ground operations. The plane took off from the deck of an aircraft carrier at 9: 00 in the morning local time.
The crew was located as follows. Ahead, in the wheelhouse, sat Glory with the co-pilot, Jeremy Arnott. Glory commanded the flight and was responsible for the safety of the crew. Everyone who flew with Glory was sure that their life was in good hands. They did not yet know that their expectations would come true, and had no idea about the impossibly high price of their salvation.
Despite the enormous size of the aircraft, it was crowded for people, since almost the entire internal volume was occupied by equipment for obtaining information and computer equipment for its processing. Managed this complex economy Ed Poynton, who was responsible for the successful operation, and the second officer, Rich. Their seats were in the compartment behind the wheelhouse, to which they were connected by a narrow passage. The door to the wheelhouse remained closed during the flight.
In the same compartment was a hinged door through which the team hit the plane.
To be continued

Valery Bazarov,
HIAS