Enrique Vilar Cuban internationalist, a graduate of a Soviet orphanage, a soldier and officer in the Soviet Army. Date of Birth: 16.08.1925 Country: Cuba

1. Enrique Vila: Cuban Revolutionary and Soviet Soldier
2. Early Life
3. World War II and the Red Army
4. Combat and Death
5. Legacy

Enrique Vila: Cuban Revolutionary and Soviet Soldier

Enrique Vila was born in Manzanillo, Oriente Province, Cuba, on August 16, 1925. His father, Cesar Vila, was a stonemason and dockworker who played a key role in the communist resistance against the Machado regime.

Early Life

In 1932, Cesar Vila's arrest and imprisonment left his wife, Caridad Figueredo, struggling to support their four children. To protect the family, the International Organization for Aid to Fighters for the Revolution arranged for the children to be sent to the Soviet Union under false identities.

Young Enrique arrived in the USSR on August 22, 1932, and spent two years at the Clara Zetkin Children's Home in Moscow. There, he learned to speak Russian and became an orphan at the Ivanov International Children's Home.

World War II and the Red Army

With the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, many children from the orphanage joined the fight against fascism. Enrique Vila was determined to do the same but initially faced obstacles.

In 1942, after writing a letter to Dolores Ibarruri, Vila was admitted into the Soviet Army. He trained as a sniper and later attended the Moscow Higher General Command School. In 1944, he became a junior lieutenant and trained sniper cadets in Dmitrov.

Combat and Death

Despite being content with his role as an instructor, Vila and his fellow lieutenant, V. Eliseev, requested a transfer to the front lines. In January 1945, Vila was assigned to the 137th Gorky Rifle Division and became a platoon commander in the 409th Regiment.

During intense combat in East Prussia, Vila's platoon advanced more than 200 kilometers. On January 30, 1945, in a night battle for the German town of Fürstenau, Vila was fatally wounded.

Legacy

Enrique Vila's bravery and sacrifice were remembered by his fellow soldiers. Despite not receiving official recognition during his lifetime, Vila's sacrifice was later recognized, and he posthumously received the Order of the Patriotic War. His story serves as a testament to the internationalism and sacrifice of those who fought against fascism during World War II.