‘Last’ Soviet Soldier to Leave Afghanistan Reprises His Role
TERMEZ, Soviet Union — The “last†Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan was actually out of the country by Feb. 14 but went back in just to make his dramatic walk across the bridge.
“Actually, I slept here last night,†Lt. Gen. Boris Gromov, commander of Soviet forces in Afghanistan, told a reporter Wednesday at his Termez hotel. “I went back over the other side this morning for the final pullout.â€
Gromov also found that the room he had occupied Tuesday night at the Torkhan hotel had gone to someone else.
“You can’t do this to me,†he told the receptionist with a grin. “I’ve just become the last Soviet soldier out of Afghanistan.â€
The history of the moment, the end of the nine-year intervention that left 15,000 Soviet dead and kept East-West relations in cold storage, seemed lost on the woman.
But the 45-year-old general, who for the last two years had commanded the 115,000-strong Soviet force in Afghanistan, won the day.
“Of course we can find another room--for you,†she said, a slight blush spreading across her face.
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