Aimo Koivunen, a Finnish soldier, was part of a special forces unit on a mission behind Soviet lines in March 1944. After a three-day mission, he and his comrades were being chased by a larger Soviet force. To escape, Aimo took a dose of Pervitin, a German-supplied methamphetamine, to boost his energy. However, the drug had severe side effects, causing hallucinations and erratic behavior.
Aimo became separated from his unit and wandered aimlessly through the forest, experiencing vivid hallucinations and confusion. He encountered various obstacles, including a snowstorm, wolves, and landmines. Despite his injuries and delirium, he continued to ski through the forest, eventually finding an abandoned cabin.
After a series of misadventures, including being injured by a landmine, Aimo was left stranded in a minefield. Just as he had lost hope, he was spotted by a Finnish patrol, who eventually rescued him. Aimo was found 400 kilometers away from his unit's last location, 14 days after taking the Pervitin. He was hospitalized for several months and eventually left the army due to his injuries. Despite his ordeal, Aimo lived a long life, passing away in 1989 at the age of 71.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The events take place on March 18, 1944.
2. Finnish soldiers, including the main character Aimo, are on a mission behind Soviet lines.
3. Aimo is part of the fourth company of the fourth detached battalion of Finnish special forces.
4. Aimo's body is beginning to fail him due to exhaustion.
5. He uses a bottle of Pervitin, a methamphetamine supplied by the Germans, to increase his combat capacity.
6. Aimo eats the entire contents of the bottle, which contains 30 pills.
7. The pills take effect, and Aimo feels energized and speeds up.
8. Aimo leaves his comrades behind and continues on his own.
9. He becomes delirious and hallucinates, seeing Soviet soldiers and wildlife.
10. Aimo's comrades are forced to leave him behind to regroup with the rest of the platoon.
11. Aimo is left alone in the wilderness with no food, ammo, or idea where he is.
12. He starts skiing aimlessly through the forest and eventually becomes lost.
13. Aimo sees a light in the distance and runs towards it, but it turns out to be a star shining through tree branches.
14. He breaks down, feeling angry and heartbroken.
15. Aimo is attacked by a wolf but manages to fight it off with his knife.
16. He wakes up to find no wolf and realizes it was another hallucination.
17. Aimo's compass is broken, and he is left with no navigation tools.
18. He stumbles upon a cabin but finds it abandoned.
19. Aimo starts a fire and sleeps in the cabin but wakes up to find it burning down.
20. He escapes the inferno and continues on his journey.
21. Aimo finds an old road covered in snow and follows it until he reaches an abandoned German camp.
22. He enters the camp, shouting greetings in German, but finds no one.
23. Aimo steps on a landmine and is badly injured.
24. He uses a ski stick as a crutch and hobbles towards a dugout.
25. Another bomb explodes, and Aimo is blown through the air.
26. He comes to his senses and finds the dugout destroyed.
27. Aimo wraps his mangled foot with a piece of cloth and lights a fire.
28. He lies in the snow, watching his surroundings, and realizes the reality of his condition.
29. Aimo weeps, feeling helpless and hopeless.
30. He decides to make a fire and boils some snow to get water.
31. Aimo uses a plank to clear the snow around him and as a bed.
32. He spends several days lying on the snow, surviving off the water he boiled.
33. A Siberian jay lands next to him, and Aimo kills it with his ski stick and eats it raw.
34. Days later, Aimo hears Finnish voices and shouts for help.
35. The soldiers spot him but inform him that they need to bring their wounded commander back first.
36. Aimo is left in the minefield, feeling abandoned and helpless.
37. He hears a plane flying overhead and waves his hat on a ski pole, but the plane disappears.
38. The pilot has seen Aimo, but he doesn't know it.
39. Later, Finnish soldiers come to diffuse the landmines and rescue Aimo.
40. Aimo is overcome with emotion, knowing his ordeal is over and he will live.
41. He is found 400 kilometers (250 miles) away from where he left his comrades.
42. Aimo is admitted to a hospital on April 1, 1944, weighing only 43 kilograms (95 lbs).
43. He has a heart rate of 200 beats per minute and serious injuries.
44. Aimo spends several months in the hospital and eventually leaves the army due to his injuries.
45. He loses some toes on his left foot but lives a long life and dies peacefully on August 12, 1989, at the age of 71.