He was Commander of the Leningrad Military District from 1965 to 1967 and First Deputy Defense Minister from 1967 to 1984.
Sokolov was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1978. He was in charge of Soviet ground forces during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He personally led the main Soviet incursion of ground forces on 27 December 1979. His actions and command strategies during the war made him one of the Soviet Union's most respected Marshals. On 28 April 1980 he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
On turning 100 he stated, "Military service prestige will regain the importance it once had."[2]
Sokolov died of undisclosed causes on 31 August 2012, at the age of 101. He was buried on 3 September with full military honors at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, next to his wife of 70 years, Maria Samojlovna Sokolova (16 December 1919 – 28 August 2012) who had predeceased him three days prior.[3]
He was survived by two sons, Colonel-General (Retd.) Valery Sergeyevich (born 30 September 1940), now a lecturer at the Faculty of Command and General Staff Military Academy, and Colonel-General (Retd.) Vladimir Sergeyevich (born 22 January 1947), who had retired during the war in Afghanistan and was chief of staff of the 40th Army.
Dates of rank
From the corresponding article in the Russian Wikipedia
2nd class (21 June 2001) – for outstanding contribution to strengthening national defense and active in the patriotic education of young people
3rd class (30 June 1996) – for services to the state and personal contribution to the development and reform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
4th class (2 November 2009)
Order of Alexander Nevsky (23 June 2011) – contribution to strengthening national defense and long-term public activities
Order of Honour (1 July 2006) – for services to strengthen national defense and work on the patriotic education of youth
Order of Zhukov (25 April 1995) – for actions in the leadership of the troops in combat operations during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945
In July 2001, on the day of his 90th birthday, was awarded the title "Honorary krymchanin" and made an honorary citizen of Evpatoria.
References
^"Соколов Сергей Леонидович".
^"Маршал, Герой Советского Союза Сергей Соколов отмечает 100-летие в кругу семьи : ИТАР-ТАСС Урал". Archived from the original on 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2011-07-01.