This photo, taken on April 25, 1945 near Torgau, Germany, shows 2nd Lt. William Robertson, from Los Angeles, California, and Lt. Alexander Sylvashko, of the Soviet Union, sharing a brotherly embrace.

William was among the first American soldiers to make contact with the Red Army. He was accompanied by Cpl James J. McDonnell, who later recalled: “We couldn’t speak Russian, and they couldn’t speak English, but the hugs and the handshakes said it all.”

Following the war, Alexander started a family and became a school principal near Minsk in present day Belarus. William returned to Los Angeles and became a neurosurgeon. He married and had four sons.

William and Alexander stayed in touch, meeting again in 1975 and 1985. Despite tensions running high during the Cold War, the two veterans stayed in touch until William passed away in 1999. He now rests at Arlington National Cemetery.

This is indicative of what the American and Russian people really are. More about this picture can be found here, here, and here.