15. 10. 1921 - 5. 6. 1984

Vasily Senko was the crew navigator of the 752^th Aviation Regiment of the 24^th Air Division Long-Range Aviation, Lieutenant (in 1943), navigator of the 10^th Guards Aviation Regiment of the 3^rd Guards Air Division of the 3^rd Guards Air Corps of the 18^th Air Army, Guards Captain (in 1945). The only pilot of the Soviet Air Force to be twice awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was born on October 15, 1921 in Semenovka (now Chernigov region, the Ukraine) in a peasant family. Ukrainian. A member of the CPSU (B) / Communist Party since 1943. In 1940 he graduated from Novozybkov Pedagogical Institute. He worked as a teacher in Mileikovsky high school (Rognedinsky district, the Bryansk region.)

Joined the Red Army in 1940. In 1941 he graduated from Olsufievsky flying school.

Entered the Great Patriotic War in November 1941 as an arrow-scorer of the Bomber Aviation Regiment at Leningrad. In September 1942 Lieutenant V. Senko was the crew navigator of the 752^th Regiment of the 24^th Long-Range Aviation Division on the Stalingrad front. By January-February 1943 he made 154 sorties (144 of them - at night) to bomb important enemy targets and destroy manpower and equipment.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on March 25, 1943 for heroism and courage in the battles against the Nazi invaders, Vasily Senko was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 840).

From 1943 until the end of the war V. Senko was a link navigator of the 10^th Guards Regiment (the 3^rd Guards Air Division, the 3^rd Guards Air Corps, the 18^th Air Army). He participated in battles in Poland, Hungary, East Prussia, and Germany. By late-December 1944 Guards Captain V. Senko made 402 sorties to bomb military and industrial targets in the rear of the enemy and defenses. In total, during the war they committed 430 successful sorties.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on June 29, 1945 Vasily Senko was awarded the second Gold Star medal (№ 59) and was the only navigator in history of the Soviet military aviation to be twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war he continued service in the Air Force navigational positions. In 1952 he graduated from the Air Force Academy. He taught at Air Force schools. In 1977, Colonel V. Senko - in reserve.

He lived in Tambov. Died on June 5, 1984. He was buried in Tambov.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the 1st Class Order of the Patriotic War, the Order of the Red Star, the 3rd Class Order “For Service to Motherland in the USSR Armed Forces”, and medals.

A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union V. Senko was set in his homeland. A monument-bust was installed in Chernigov.