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SPEAKER_00: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica. This month, we're highlighting ragers, women who use their anger, often righteous, though not always, to accomplish extraordinary things. Today, we're talking about a woman who was driven to the front lines of World War II by the death of her husband and the destruction of her hometown. Her military stint was brief, but she made the most of it. Let's talk about Maria Oktyabrtskaya. Maria was born in 1905 in the Crimean region of Ukraine. She probably got a lesson or two on how to fight early on. She was one of 10 children. Maria also picked up on the beliefs of Russian revolutionists and communist ideals at a young age. Maria's parents were peasants. They owned a small plot of land, but couldn't afford much else beyond supporting the family. In 1925, Maria married military officer Ilya Oktyabrsky. Even her marriage was wrapped up in revolution. Oktyabrsky was a common last name of the time. It means of October in Russian, a reference to the October Revolution, or the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. It marked the beginning of the Soviet regime. Maria worked as a canner at a food factory and as a telephone operator, but Ilya's assignments forced her to leave that traditional nine to five life behind. It relocated him to various regions of Crimea, and Maria followed. She took her role as a military wife quite seriously. She got involved with the Military Wives Council, trained as a nurse, and learned to drive and use certain weapons. Maria's military interest can be attributed to her marriage, but she also had a deep sense of pride for her country and its sovereignty. She was heartbroken when the Nazis wiped out much of her hometown. In the summer of 1940, Ilya was stationed in Moldova. Maria stayed behind in Crimea. About a year later, Maria's life was uprooted. Germany invaded the Eastern Front. Maria was evacuated to Siberia. She went back to working as a telephone operator, but after almost two years of no word from her husband, Maria became worried. It wasn't until 1943 that Maria learned her worst fears had come true. Ilya had been killed by Nazi forces in August of 1941. Maria was devastated, but she knew she couldn't just wallow in her grief. She signed up to volunteer on the front lines, but she was rejected because of her age and because she had tuberculosis. Still, Maria did not let this deter her. Instead, she sold everything she owned to pay for a military tank. At the time, it was common for civilians to make donations to pay for military weapons. What was less common was civilians then using those weapons themselves. Maria bought a T-34 medium tank. She specifically asked for this kind of vehicle because the gun had more power, and its structure provided good protection from anti-tank weapons. It was a staple in the Soviet Red Army. Maria called her tank the Fighting Girlfriend. According to some sources, Maria sent Joseph Stalin a telegram specifically requesting to be allowed to drive the tank to avenge her husband's death. It read, "'My husband was killed in action defending the motherland. "'I want revenge on the fascist dogs for his death, "'and for the death of Soviet people tortured "'by the fascist barbarians.'" Stalin gave his blessing. Maria spent five months training as a tanker in the spring of 1943. Most tank crews had to learn as they went. There was no time for training, but if Maria was gonna do this, she was gonna do it right. When she joined the 26th Guards Tank Brigade, her male counterparts didn't take Maria seriously. Maria would prove them wrong. She joined the Red Army as a driver and mechanic, but she also knew how to shoot a gun and toss grenades. In her first battle, Maria was fearless. The Fighting Girlfriend quickly broke enemy lines and is said to have killed about 30 Nazis and destroyed multiple artillery hubs. Maria even put herself directly in the line of fire when she jumped out of the tank to make repairs while still being shot at. Maria was driven by her deep-seated rage in the face of her husband's death. In a letter to her sister, she's said to have written, "'I've had my baptism by fire. "'I beat the bastards. "'Sometimes I'm so angry I can't even breathe.'" Her anger propelled her back onto the battlefield in January of 1944. In a night attack, Maria and the Fighting Girlfriend plowed through German defense forces and wreaked havoc. But when the tank was immobilized by a hit from an anti-tank gun, Maria once again defied orders to stay inside the vehicle. She went out to fix it. While trying to repair the damage, she was hit in the head by shell fragments and immediately knocked unconscious. Maria was rushed to the hospital, but her injuries were severe. She spent two months in a coma. She died on March 15th, 1944 in Smolensk, Russia. Her fellow soldiers made her a hero of the Soviet Union, the highest honor for bravery during combat. All month, we're talking about ragers. For more information, check us out on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. As always, we'll be taking a break for the weekend. Talk to you on Monday.
SPEAKER_01: Evidence-wise, we had virtually no evidence.
SPEAKER_06: In 1995, Detective Tony Richardson was trying to figure out who killed a fellow officer. The case comes down to who is believed and who is ignored. Oh my goodness, we did convict an innocent man. I'm Beth Shelburne from Lava for Good podcasts. This is Ear Witness. Listen to Ear Witness on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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