Mariya Oktyabrskaya

Mariya Vasilyevna Oktyabrskaya was born in Crimea to a peasant family. Her father was deported as a kulak (a wealthy peasant, often a derogatory term used by the Soviets) in the 1930s. She married a Soviet army officer, Ilya Ryadnenko, and worked as a telephone operator, which sounds decidedly less impressive than "tank driver."

When her husband was killed in action in 1941, Mariya went full John Wick, but with a tank. She sold everything she owned to buy a T-34 tank, on the condition that she would drive it herself. The Red Army, likely surprised but not unwilling to accept a free tank and a highly motivated driver, agreed. She named her new ride "Fighting Girlfriend."

Oktyabrskaya proved to be a formidable and fearless tank driver, earning rapid promotion and recognition for her bravery in numerous battles. She participated in some of the most brutal engagements on the Eastern Front, earning the respect of her fellow soldiers, who probably thought, "Well, at least she knows what she's doing."

Tragically, she was severely wounded in battle in 1944 and died two months later. Her posthumous award of Hero of the Soviet Union cemented her legendary status, proving that sometimes, the best way to deal with grief is to personally drive a several-ton armored vehicle through enemy lines.