[annalex]

A spade -- the soldier's friend

Not a sargent. Not a dog. Not even a rifle. A spade. A verse from Mayakovsky comes to mind, who glorified the new Soviet Man thus:

If nails were made out of these men
They would be the best nails in the world.

[seamus]

A spade....all the better to bury his comrades after G.I. Joe puts a bullet in his head.

Seriously, thanks for all your translation work. I visited Russia for two weeks two years ago and was fascinated by the culture and the way the country is dealing with its new-found freedom.