▁with ▁Sam us en ko , ▁asked ▁her ▁" not ▁to ▁smoke ▁and ▁drink ." ▁Sam us en ko ▁par ried ▁with ▁" Maybe ▁you ' ve ▁fallen ▁in ▁love ? ", ▁kiss ed ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁head ▁and ▁stopped ▁sm oking ▁and ▁drink ing ▁there after . ▁ ▁US ▁Army ▁Serge ant ▁Joseph ▁Bey r le , ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁from ▁St al ag ▁III - C ▁P OW ▁camp ▁in ▁Alt ▁D rew itz ▁in ▁early ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁encountered ▁Sam us en ko ' s ▁tank ▁brig ade ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁January . ▁Bey r le , ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁American ▁soldiers ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁served ▁with ▁both ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Army ▁and ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Army ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁eventually ▁persu aded ▁her ▁to ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁fight ▁alongside ▁the ▁unit ▁on ▁its ▁way ▁to ▁Berlin , ▁thus ▁beginning ▁a ▁month - long ▁st int ▁in ▁a ▁Soviet ▁tank ▁batt alion , ▁where ▁his ▁demol itions ▁expert ise ▁was ▁appreciated . ▁Bey r le , ▁who ▁reported ▁that ▁Sam us en ko ▁had ▁lost ▁her ▁husband ▁and ▁her ▁entire ▁family ▁during ▁the ▁war , ▁c ited ▁Sam us en ko ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁fort itude ▁and ▁courage ▁displayed ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁people ▁during ▁that ▁period . ▁ ▁Sam us en ko ▁died ▁from ▁w ounds ▁in ▁the ▁then ▁German ▁village ▁of ▁Z ül zef itz ▁( 7 0   km ▁from ▁Sz cz ec in ) ▁during ▁the ▁East