Here is a concise summary of the life of Lauri Törni/Larry Thorne:
**Early Life & Finnish Military (1919-1945)**
* Born in Viipuri, Finland in 1919
* Grew up in a segregated post-Civil War Finland, instilling a strong anti-communist stance
* Joined the Finnish Army at 19, fought in the Winter War (1939-1940) and Continuation War (1941-1944) against the Soviet Union
**Waffen-SS & Post-War (1945-1950)**
* Volunteered with the Waffen-SS during WWII
* After the war, joined the Finnish underground resistance, then escaped to Germany and later to the US (1950)
**US Military & Special Forces (1950-1965)**
* Illegally entered the US, later enlisted in the US Army (1953), earning citizenship
* Rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming a Green Beret in the special forces
* Volunteered for Vietnam (1964), leading guerrilla teams and demonstrating exceptional courage
**Death & Legacy (1965-2003)**
* Declared dead in 1966 after his helicopter went missing in Vietnam (1965)
* Remains located in 1999; buried with honors in Arlington Cemetery (2003) as an American Hero, Major Larry Thorne.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences:
**Early Life**
1. Lauri Törni (aka Larry Thorne) was born in 1919 in Viipuri, Finland.
2. Finland had gained independence from Russia less than 2 years before his birth.
3. Lauri's father had fought for the Whites in the Finnish Civil War.
**Winter War (1939-1940)**
4. On November 26, 1939, 7 shells exploded in a Soviet village near the Finnish border, sparking the Winter War.
5. The Soviet Union attacked Finland on November 30, 1939, with 460,000 men, 2000 tanks, 2000 heavy guns, and 800 planes.
6. Lauri's battalion saw heavy fighting, but with minimal losses, during the first 6 weeks of the war.
7. A peace agreement was signed in March 1940, with Finland ceding significant land to the Soviets.
**Continuation War (1941-1944)**
8. In May 1941, Finland cooperated with Germany in Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union.
9. Lauri volunteered for the Waffen-SS and later became a tank commander.
10. By August 1941, Finnish forces were within 20km of Leningrad, contributing to the 872-day siege.
11. Lauri led a special unit, "Törni Unit", for deep reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance operations.
**Post-War and Later Life**
12. In June 1944, a massive Soviet offensive led to Finland's ceasefire agreement, including land cessions and demobilization.
13. Lauri joined the underground resistance, helping Finns escape to Sweden, before fleeing to Germany in January 1945.
14. He surrendered to the Americans, was imprisoned by the British, escaped, and returned to Finland via Denmark.
15. In 1946, Lauri was arrested by Finnish police, sentenced to 6 years in prison, and pardoned after 3 years (1948).
16. He entered the United States illegally in September 1950, changing his name to Larry Thorne.
17. Thorne enlisted in the US military in 1954, receiving US citizenship after 6 years of service.
18. He became a Green Beret, part of the newly formed special forces, and volunteered for Vietnam in 1964.
**Death and Legacy**
19. On October 18, 1965, Thorne's helicopter disappeared during a mission in Vietnam.
20. He was officially declared dead in October 1966.
21. In 1999, his remains were located, and in 2003, Major Larry Thorne was buried in Arlington Cemetery.