Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

093.112/520: Telegram

The Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Standley) to the Secretary of State

Moscow, June 23, 1943—8 p.m.
[Received June 24—10:50 a.m.]

721. The ceremonies in connection with the presentation of American decorations²⁰ took place yesterday at 5 p.m., in the Kremlin. The Soviet officials present included Molotov, Litvinov, Lozovsky, Kuznetsov,²¹ General Golikov,²² Lieut. General of Aviation Falaleyev,²³ and other representatives of the Foreign Office and the Soviet Armed Forces. I was accompanied by my service Attachés, with assistants, General Faymonville²⁴ and staff, Capt. Rickenbacker²⁵ and staff, Mr. Sulzberger²⁶ and Mr. Reston²⁷ and Embassy secretaries. Molotov had informed me that since all the members of the Soviet Armed Forces who had been chosen to receive the decorations were absent from Moscow the actual presentation would follow with the procedure adopted some weeks ago on the occasion of the presentation of the British awards; that is, the decorations would be presented to Molotov for transmission to the recipients.

After the guests had been introduced and assembled in Molotov’s reception room I made the remarks contained in my 614, June 7, noon. Molotov replied by thanking me in the name of the Soviet Government for the warm feelings expressed by me of the Government and the people of the US in relation to the Soviet Union, its armies, navy and air force. He stated that in view of military exigencies it was not possible for the recipients of the awards to be present; however he felt he could express their feelings of sincere appreciation of the decorations awarded to them by the friendly American Government that they would be proud of the award and endeavor to multiply their services to their country in the cause of liberation. He referred to the joint power of the armed forces of the Soviet Union, America and Britain over the enemy and stated that millions of people were living in a deep confidence that the time was not far distant when the enemy would feel the crushing weight of joint attack of the Allies. “In battle with our common enemy our military cooperation will be strengthened and it will solidify the foundation of our victory and our postwar collaboration together with all freedom loving people.”

Following the presentation of awards refreshments were served. The occasion was marked by an atmosphere of real cordiality and Soviet-American friendship. The Soviet press on the following day gave unusually wide coverage to the ceremonies, approximately half the first pages of Pravda and Izvestiya being devoted to them.

Standley

20. The awards presented included 20 Distinguished Service Crosses and 20 Distinguished Service Medals for personnel of the Red Army, and 10 Navy Crosses and 10 Distinguished Service Medals for personnel of the Red Navy.
21. Admiral of the Fleet Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, People’s Commissar of the Navy.
22. Col. Gen. Filip Ivanovich Golikov, Chief of the Soviet Military Mission to the United States in 1941 (see telegram No. 907, July 17, to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, and memorandum of August 8, by the Secretary of State, Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. i, pp. 795 and 818, respectively); at this time in active command on the Voronezh Front.
23. Colonel General of Aviation, later Marshal, Fedor Yakovlevich Falaleyev, member of the Staff of the Military High Command (Stavka) under Stalin.
24. Brig. Gen. Philip R. Faymonville, head of the American Supply Mission in the Soviet Union, Lend-Lease representative.
25. Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker, aviation authority, who made a brief visit to the Soviet Union; see telegrams No. 701, June 21, and No. 800, July 5, from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, pp. 668 and 675, respectively.
26. Arthur H. Sulzberger of the New York Times, visiting in Moscow as special representative of the American Red Cross; see telegrams No. 545, May 27, and No. 815, July 6, from the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, pp. 656 and 676, respectively.
27. James B. Reston, a correspondent of the New York Times, visiting in Moscow with Mr. Sulzberger as a special representative of the American Red Cross.