Simon Sigalov

   Simon Sigalov was born in 1921 in Vitebsk. His father Afroim (Ephraim) had been a soldier in the Russo-Japanese war and had received more than one tsarist military distinction. In 1940, Sigalov was drafted into the Red Army. During the initial stage of the war, he served as an anti-aircraft artillerist during the defense of Moscow. Later his regiment was attached to the 2nd Ukrainian Front and, in 1944-45, with the rank of senior sergeant, he took part in the capture of Kishinev, Budapest, and Prague. Following the capture of Budapest, he was awarded the Order of Red Banner.

   Budapest was well fortified and the German and Hungarian forces were determined to defend the city at any cost. On January 15, 1945 Sigalov's regiment was advancing along Budapest streets that led to a bridge over the Danube. In one of the streets Soviet soldiers ran up against "a brick wall" of fierce enemy rifle and machine-fire that literally did not allow the Red Army men to raise their heads. The commander of the Soviet rifle battalion asked for artillery help. Sigalov volunteered to destroy the barricade. The commander of the regimental artillery asked skeptically "Will you be able to do this?" Sigalov replied: "I will. I have a special account to settle with the Nazis: They killed my parents and my sister with her entire family in the ghetto of Vitebsk". Sigalov took three soldiers and they rolled out a 122-mm cannon to the intersection of the blocked streets. Standing and therefore visible to the enemy, he fired his first shot. The smoke concealed the brave sergeant from enemy sight and, thus, somewhat reduced the danger to him. With his third shot, the enemy barrier was destroyed. He was embraced warmly by the commander of the rifle battalion, whose men could then continue their advance. For this deed, Sigalov was recomended for the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union. However, he received only the Order of the Red Banner.

   At present (2016) Sigalov lives in Petah-Tiqvah, in Israel.