02. The starry squadron

It is the turn of May and June 1920. The endless plain is crossed by several thousands of horsemen. They are wearing red star denim caps. It is a part of Budyonny’s Horse Army, which has crossed the Polish border and is heading west towards Warsaw. A village is burning nearby. Next to the barn walls, the deputies are shooting the peasants, a girl is running between the cottages, chased by several drunk soldiers. Suddenly, a few planes are coming from behind the horizon. On the planes sides, there is a characteristic sign – crossed scythe and croaker in a circle of blue stars. From the height of 200 meters, the airmen are dropping a few bombs, after a while the fighters start to lower the flight, their wings are almost touching the horse heads. The machine guns start to rattle. A dozen of riders fall from their horses, the rest being in panic throw themselves to escape. “Americans, Americans” scream the terrified Bolsheviks. In order to understand where the Americans came from, fighting on the Polish-Bolshevik front, one must go back to the United States’ war with England for liberation…