ia ison ▁officer ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁female ▁tank er ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Gu ards ▁T ank ▁Army . ▁ ▁Sam us en ko ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Patri otic ▁War ▁▁ 2 nd ▁and ▁ 1 st ▁class ▁and ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Star , ▁which ▁she ▁received ▁for ▁bra very ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Kur sk . ▁ ▁Life ▁Born ▁either ▁in ▁Ch ita ▁( S iber ia ) ▁or ▁in ▁Zh lo bin ▁District ▁( then ▁in ▁the ▁Bel arus ian ▁SS R ), ▁Sam us en ko ▁began ▁her ▁tour ▁of ▁duty ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁an ▁inf antry ▁pl ato on . ▁She ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁Winter ▁War ▁( 1 9 3 9 - 1 9 4 0 ) ▁against ▁Finland ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁an ▁inf antry ▁regiment . ▁Later ▁she ▁successfully ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁tank ▁a cademy ▁and ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Gu ards ▁T ank ▁Army . ▁Sam us en ko ▁received ▁her ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Red ▁Star ▁when ▁her ▁tank ▁crew ▁defeated ▁three ▁German ▁T iger ▁I ▁t anks . ▁Later ▁Sam us en ko ▁participated ▁in ▁the ▁L v ov – S andom ierz ▁Off ensive . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁veter an ▁and ▁writer ▁Fab ian ▁Gar in , ▁in ▁his ▁book ▁T sv ety ▁na ▁tank akh ▁( The ▁Flow ers ▁on ▁T anks ), ▁mentioned ▁an ▁episode ▁when ▁a ▁certain ▁Mind lin , ▁who ▁fell ▁in ▁love