 Thorne in U.S. Army uniform in the 1960s | |
| Birth name | Lauri Allan Törni |
| Other name | Larry Alan Thorne |
| Nickname | Lasse |
| Born | (1919-05-28)28 May 1919 |
| Died | 18 October 1965(1965-10-18) (aged 46) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Finland Germany United States[2] |
| Branch |  Finnish Army Waffen-SS United States Army |
| Years of service | 1938–1944 (Finnish Army) 1941, 1945 (GermanWaffen-SS) 1954–1965 (U.S. Army) |
| Rank |  Captain (Finland) Hauptsturmführer[2] (Germany) Major (US) (posthumous) |
| Unit | Germany:Sonderkommando Nord United States: |
| Commands | Detachment Törni |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |  Mannerheim Cross 2nd Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Bronze Star Purple Heart (2) |
| Criminal information | |
| Body discovered | 1999; 26 years ago (1999) |
| Movement | Anti-communism |
| Criminal status | Pardoned |
| Conviction | Treason |
| Criminal penalty | 6 years imprisonment |
Lauri Allan Törni (28 May 1919 – 18 October 1965), later known asLarry Alan Thorne, was a Finnish-born soldier who fought under three flags: as aFinnish Armyofficer in theWinter War and theContinuation War ultimately gaining a rank of captain; as aWaffen-SS captain (under the aliasLarry Laine) of theFinnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS when he fought theRed Army on theEastern Front in World War II;[3] and as aUnited States Army Major (under the alias "Larry Thorne") when he served in theU.S. Army Special Forces in theVietnam War.
Törni died in a helicopter crash that occurred on October 18, 1965, during a covert mission inLaos amidst the Vietnam War. Serving with the U.S. Army Special Forces, Törni was involved in operations conducted byMACV-SOG when the helicopter he was on crashed under unclear circumstances. The crash site was difficult to locate due to the rugged terrain and adverse weather conditions, delaying recovery efforts. Törni's remains, along with those of other soldiers aboard, were eventually found three decades later.
Christened Lauri Allan Törni, he was born inViipuri,Viipuri Province, Finland, to ship captain Jalmari (Ilmari) Törni, and his wife, Rosa Maria (née Kosonen).[4] He had two sisters: Salme Kyllikki Rajala (b. 1920) and Kaija Iris Mikkola (b. 1922).[5] An athletic youth, Törni was an early friend offuture OlympicBoxing Gold MedalistSten Suvio. After attending business school and serving with theCivil Guard, Törni entered military service in 1938, joiningJaeger Battalion 4 stationed atKiviniemi; when theWinter War began in November 1939, his enlistment was extended and his unit confronted invading Soviet troops atRautu.[6]
During the battles atLake Ladoga, Törni took part in the destruction of the encircled Soviet divisions inLemetti.[7]
His performance during these engagements was noticed by his commanders, and toward the end of the conflict, he was assigned to officer training where he was commissioned as aVänrikki (2nd lieutenant) in the reserves.[8] After the Winter War, in June 1941, Törni went toVienna, Austria for seven weeks of training with theWaffen-SS, and returned to Finland in July; as a Finnish officer, the Germans recognized him as anUntersturmführer.[9]Most of Törni's reputation was based on his successful actions in theContinuation War (1941–44) between theSoviet Union and Finland. In 1943, a unit informally namedDetachment Törni was created under his command. This was an infantry unit that penetrated deep behind enemy lines and soon enjoyed a reputation on both sides of the front for its combat effectiveness. One of Törni's subordinates was futurePresident of FinlandMauno Koivisto.[10] Koivisto served in areconnaissance company under Törni's command during theBattle of Ilomantsi, the final Finnish-Soviet engagement of the Continuation War, during July and August 1944. Törni's unit inflicted such heavy casualties on Soviet units that the Soviet Army placed abounty of 3,000,000Finnish marks on his head.[11] He was decorated with theMannerheim Cross 2nd Class on 9 July 1944.[12]
The September 1944Moscow Armistice required the Finnish government to remove German troops from its territory, resulting in theLapland War; during this period, much of the Finnish Army was demobilized, including Törni, leaving him unemployed in November 1944.[13] In January 1945, he was recruited by thePro-German resistance movement in Finland and left forsaboteur training in Germany, with the intention of organizing resistance in case Finland was occupied by the Soviet Union.[14] The training was prematurely ended in March, but as Törni could not secure transportation to Finland, he joined theWaffen SS to fight Soviet troops nearSchwerin, Germany.[15] He surrendered to British troops in the last stages of World War II and eventually returned to Finland in June 1945 after escaping a British POW camp inLübeck, Germany.[16]
As his family had beenevacuated from Karelia, Törni sought to rejoin them in Helsinki but was arrested byValpo, the Finnish state police.[17] After escaping, he was arrested a second time in April 1946, and tried fortreason for continuing to serve in the German military during the Lapland War.[2] A trial in October and November resulted in a six-year sentence in January 1947. Imprisoned at theTurku provincial prison, Törni escaped in June, but was recaptured and sent to theRiihimäki State Prison.[18] PresidentJuho Paasikivi granted him a pardon in December 1948.[19]
In 1949, Törni, accompanied by his wartimeexecutive officer Holger Pitkänen, traveled toSweden, crossing the border fromTornio toHaparanda. From Haparanda, Törni traveled by railroad toStockholm where he stayed withBaroness von Essen, who harbored many fugitive Finnish officers following the war. Pitkänen was arrested and repatriated to Finland. In Sweden, Törni fell in love with aSwedish Finn, Marja Kops, and was soon engaged to be married. In order to secure employment, Törni traveled under an alias as a Swedish seaman aboard the SSBolivia, destined forCaracas,Venezuela, where he met one of his Winter War commanders, the Finnish colonelMatti Aarnio, who was living in Venezuela at the time. Törni hid on a Swedish cargo ship, the MSSkagen, which traveled fromCaracas for theUnited States in 1950.[20]
While in theGulf of Mexico, nearMobile,Alabama, Törni jumped overboard and swam to shore. Now a political refugee,[21] Törni traveled toNew York City where he was helped by the Finnish-American community living in Brooklyn'sSunset Park "Finntown". There he worked as a carpenter and cleaner. In 1953, Törni was granted a residence permit through an Act of Congress[22] that was shepherded by the law firm of"Wild Bill" Donovan, former head of theOffice of Strategic Services.
Törnienlisted in theU.S. Army in 1954 under the provisions of theLodge-Philbin Act and adopted the name Larry Thorne. In the U.S. Army, he was befriended by a group ofFinnish-American officers who came to be known as "Marttinen's Men" (fin.Marttisen miehet).[nb 2]
With their support, Thorne joined the U.S. ArmySpecial Forces. While in the Special Forces, he taughtskiing, survival, mountaineering, andguerrilla tactics. In turn he attendedairborne school, and advanced in rank to sergeant. Receiving his US citizenship in 1957, Thorne attendedOfficer Candidate School, and was commissioned as afirst lieutenant in theSignal Corps.[23] He later received aRegular Army commission and a promotion to captain in 1960. From 1958 to 1962, he served in the10th Special Forces Group inWest Germany atBad Tölz, from where he was second-in-command of a search and recovery mission high in theZagros Mountains ofIran, which gained him a notable reputation.[24] When he was in Germany, he briefly visited his relatives in Finland. In an episode ofThe Big Picture released in 1962 and composed of footage filmed in 1959, Thorne is shown as a lieutenant with the 10th Special Forces Group in the United States Army.[25]
Deploying toSouth Vietnam in November 1963 to supportArmy of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces in theVietnam War, Thorne and Special Forces Detachment A-734 were stationed in theTịnh Biên District and assigned to operateCivilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) encampments atChâu Lăng and laterTịnh Biên.[26]
During a fierce attack on the CIDG camp in Tịnh Biên, he received twoPurple Hearts and aBronze Star Medal for valor during the battle.[1]
Thorne's second tour in Vietnam began in February 1965 with5th Special Forces Group; he then transferred toMilitary Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV–SOG), a classified US special operations unit focusing onunconventional warfare in Vietnam, as a military advisor.[1]
On 18 October 1965, as part of the operationShining Brass, Thorne was supervising the firstclandestine mission to locateViet Cong turnaround points along theHo Chi Minh trail and destroy them withairstrikes. TwoRepublic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF)CH-34 helicopters launched from Kham Duc Special Forces Camp and rendezvoused with aUnited States Air ForceCessna O-1 Bird DogForward Air Controller in inclement weather in a mountainous area ofPhước Sơn District,Quảng Nam Province,Vietnam, 25 miles (40 km) fromDa Nang. While one CH-34 descended through a gap in the weather to drop off the six-man team, the command CH-34 carrying Thorne and the O-1 loitered nearby. When the drop helicopter returned above the cloud cover, both the CH-34 and the O-1 had disappeared.[1][27][28] Rescue teams were unable to locate the crash site. Shortly after his disappearance, Thorne was promoted to the rank of major and posthumously awarded theLegion of Merit andDistinguished Flying Cross.[1]
In 1999, Thorne's remains were found by a Finnish andJoint Task Force-Full Accounting team[nb 3] and repatriated to the United States following a HanoiNoi Bai International Airport ceremony that included Secretary of StateMadeleine Albright and AmbassadorPete Peterson.[1]
Formally identified in 2003, his remains were buried on 26 June 2003 atArlington National Cemetery, along with the RVNAF casualties of the mission recovered at the crash site.[29][30] He was memorialized on theVietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 02E, Line 126.[31] He was survived only by his fiancée, Marja Kops.[32]
Finnish decorations
2nd classMedal of Liberty, 26 July 1940
1st class Medal of Liberty, 24 August 1940
3rd classCross of Liberty, 9 October 1941
4th class Cross of Liberty, 23 May 1942 2nd classMannerheim Cross, 9 July 1944German decoration
Iron Cross, 2nd class, 11 December 1943[citation needed]United States Army
Badges
Combat Infantryman Badge
Master Parachutist Badge
Silver German Parachutist Badge.svg)
Special Forces Tab.png)
Army Special ForcesCSIBDecorations and medals
Legion of Merit (posthumous)Distinguished Flying Cross (posthumous)
Bronze Star Medal with "V" device
Air Medal
Army Commendation Medal
Good Conduct Medal
National Defense Service Medal with star.jpg)
Vietnam Service Medal with twocampaign stars
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Citation:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 2, 1926, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Major (Infantry), (then Captain) Larry Alan Thorne (ASN: 0-2287104), United States Army, for heroism while participating in aerial flight on 18 October 1965 in the Republic of Vietnam. Major Thorne was operations officer responsible for launching a small, combined reconnaissance patrol on an extremely hazardous mission into a suspected Viet Cong stronghold. Due to the extreme hazards attending this mission, including weather and enemy action, Major Thorne volunteered to accompany submission aircraft during the introduction of the patrol in place of the assigned individual. After delivering the patrol to the landing zone, Major Thorne remained with one aircraft in the immediate area to receive an initial report from the patrol on the ground. This report was mandatory since only the vaguest information was available about enemy disposition near the landing zone. If the patrol were immediately confronted by a superior force, Major Thorne would land and extricate the patrol under fire. This was done with total disregard for the inherent dangers and with selfless concern for the ground forces. In so doing, he exposed himself to extreme personal danger which ultimately led to his disappearance and the loss of his aircraft. He had, however, guaranteed the safe introduction of the patrol into the area, the successful accomplishment of this mission and had positioned himself to react to any immediate calls for assistance from the patrol. Due to Major Thorne's efforts, the mission was accomplished successfully and contributed significantly to the overall mission of interdicting Viet Cong activities within the area. Major Thorne's actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service, and reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Army.
General Orders: Department of the Army, General Orders No. 33 (July 26, 1967)
Action Date: October 18, 1965
Finnish Army
GermanWaffen-SS
United States Army
In the 1965 bookThe Green Berets byRobin Moore, the "Sven Kornie" (or Captain Steve Kornie) main character in the first chapter was based on Thorne.[33][nb 4]
In the 1990s, Törni's name became better known, with numerous books being written about him.[34] He was named 52nd in theSuuret Suomalaiset listing of famous Finns; in the 2006Suomen Sotilas (Soldier of Finland) magazine listing, he was elected most courageous of the Mannerheim Cross recipients.[35]
In Finland, the survivors, friends, and families of Detachment Törni formed the Lauri Törni Tradition Guild.[36] The Infantry Museum (Jalkaväkimuseo) inMikkeli, Finland, has an exhibit dedicated to Törni,[37] as does theMilitary Museum of Finland in Helsinki.[38]
Even before his death, Thorne's name was legendary in US Special Forces.[clarification needed][39] His US memorial is the Larry Thorne Headquarters Building, 10th SFG(A),Fort Carson,Colorado. 10th Group honors him yearly by presenting the Larry Thorne Award to the bestOperational Detachment-Alpha in the command.[40] TheSpecial Forces Association Chapter 33 inCleveland, Tennessee is named after him.[41]
In 2010 he was named as the first Honorary Member of the United States Army Special Forces Regiment[42][43] and in 2011 he was inducted into theUnited States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Commando Hall of Honor.[44]
In their 2013 bookTuntematon Lauri Törni [Unknown Lauri Törni], authors Juha Pohjonen and Oula Silvennoinen write that Törni's conviction for treason was justified because theWaffen-SS training he received at the end of World War II was provided to help achieve aNational Socialist coup in Finland.[45][46][47][48][page needed][need quotation to verify] This view has been challenged by Törni Heritage Guild members Markku Moberg and Pasi Niittymäki, who acknowledge that Törni faced pressure from the war and alcohol consumption, but contend that he did not support Germany.[49] Furthermore, Finnishhistorian and laterMinister of Defence (2015–2019)Jussi Niinistö of the right-wing populistFinns Party argued that Törni's training was actually motivated by patriotism towards his native country, and accused Pohjonen and Silvennoinen of stirring up hatred in order to promote sales of their book while disregarding "the fact that in Finland there was a genuine fear that Russia would occupy Finland."[50]
Inducted June 2010
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