Aram Demirchyan

Aram Demirchyan was an Armenian who served in the Soviet Red Army during World War III. In late 1951, he was part of Sgt. Anatoly Privshin's section west of Paderborn. Privshin was suspicious of non-Russians, and abusive, too. Demirchyan was on the receiving end of this abuse. Demirchyan became friends with Ihor Shevchenko, another soldier who was the object of Privshin's abuse.

When nearby American troops fired on the Soviet positions with a German MG-42. Privishin decided his section would take the gun, much to Demirchyan and Shevchenko's horror. However, Privishin proved to be a brave and reasonably competent sergeant. The section took the gun, and Shevchenko even killed an American who was about to ambush Privishin, an act he rather regretted, as did Demirchyan.