Ivan Borzov

Born Oct. 8 (21), 1915, in the village of Starovorovo, in present-day Moscow Oblast. Colonel general of aviation (1965); Hero of the Soviet Union (July 22, 1944); member of the CPSU since 1942. Born into a peasant’s family.

In 1935, Borzov was drafted into the navy; he graduated from the Naval Aviation School in 1936 and from the Naval Academy in 1948. He took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–40. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45 he served in the naval aviation forces of the Baltic Fleet; he commanded a guards aviation regiment from September 1943. After the war he served in teaching and command positions. In December 1951 he became deputy commander of the air forces of a number of fleets. He was deputy commander of naval air forces from 1960 to 1962 and became the commander in 1962. He has been awarded the Order of Lenin, six Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Ushakov Second Class, the Order of the Patriotic War Second Class, two Orders of the Red Star, and various medals.