Lauri "Larry" Thorny (also known as Larry Tournay) was a Finnish soldier who fought in three armies: the Finnish Army, the German Waffen-SS, and the US Army. Born in 1919 in what is now Finland, Thorny grew up in a society divided by the Finnish Civil War. He joined the Finnish Army at 19 and saw heavy fighting during the Winter War against the Soviet Union.
Thorny later volunteered to join the Waffen-SS and fought against the Soviets again during Operation Barbarossa. He became a tank commander and led a special unit that conducted deep reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance missions. Thorny was highly skilled and respected, earning a bounty on his head from the Soviets.
After the war, Thorny escaped to the US and joined the US Army, where he became a member of the Special Forces and one of the elite Green Berets. He volunteered to go to Vietnam and trained guerrilla fighters to ambush and strike the Viet Cong. Thorny was selected for promotion to major but was declared missing in action during a mission in 1965. His remains were later found in 1999, and he was buried in Arlington Cemetery in 2003 as an American hero.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Lauri Turner, also known as Larry Thorne, was born in 1919 in the Finnish city of Vipuri.
2. Finland had gained independence from Russia in 1917, less than two years before Turner's birth.
3. Finland was in a bitter civil war between the Reds and the Whites, and Turner's father fought for the Whites.
4. Turner grew up in a segregated environment and was instilled with a fierce dislike for communism.
5. In 1939, Turner enrolled in the army and was selected for officer training.
6. On November 26, 1939, seven shells exploded in a small Soviet village near the Finnish border, leading to the Winter War.
7. The Soviets blamed the Finns for the attack, but the Finns believed the shells were fired from the Soviet side.
8. The Winter War began on November 30, 1939, with 460,000 Soviet troops, 2,000 tanks, 2,000 heavy guns, and 800 planes attacking Finland.
9. Turner's battalion saw heavy fighting during the war, but its losses were minimal.
10. In 1941, Finland entered into secret dialogue with Germany to cooperate against the Soviets.
11. Turner volunteered to join the German forces and became a member of the Waffen-SS.
12. Turner became a tank commander and took part in several operations, including the siege of Leningrad.
13. In 1944, a massive Soviet offensive began against Finnish positions, and Finland was forced to sign a cease-fire agreement.
14. Turner joined the underground resistance and helped Finnish soldiers escape to Sweden.
15. In 1945, Turner and a small party left Finland for Germany on a secret U-boat.
16. Turner surrendered to the Americans and was imprisoned by the British, but escaped after two weeks.
17. Turner slipped back into Finland and took a job in an electrical shop.
18. In 1946, Turner was arrested by the Finnish police at the behest of the Soviets and sentenced to six years in prison.
19. Turner was pardoned in 1948 and escaped from Finland using a false passport.
20. Turner made his way to America on a ship from Venezuela and entered the country illegally in 1950.
21. Turner changed his name to Larry Thorne and enlisted in the US military for six years in exchange for citizenship.
22. Thorne became part of the newly formed Special Forces and rose through the ranks.
23. In 1964, Thorne volunteered to go to Vietnam with his Special Forces team.
24. Thorne trained 300 guerrillas in jungle warfare and took part in several operations in Vietnam.
25. Thorne was selected for promotion to major in 1965 but disappeared during a mission in Vietnam.
26. Thorne's remains were located in 1999, and he was officially declared dead.
27. In 2003, Major Larry Thorne was buried in Arlington Cemetery as an American hero.