His remains were repatriated and formally identified in 2003. He escaped, made his way to the United States, and with the help of Wild Bill, Donovan became a citizen. Lauri completed his studies, excelling mainly in sports: skiing and boxing, among others. Lane David Michael. A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game He briefly knew him from his short time at Ft.Bragg, I think between thornes two Vietnam tours. He joined the Germans, attended their school for guerrilla warfare, and then fought with their marines until the war ended. As a result, despite his holding the Mannerheim Cross Torni was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. He casually mentioned to my stepdad in his heavy Finnish accent, Lockie, I have killed more men with my bare hands than you have killed doves.. The second best result is Larry J Thorne age 70s in Sidney, OH. The fourth was a Finnish war hero from World War II who later became a legendary U.S. Special Forces officer, portrayed on film by John Wayne. Using South Vietnamese Air Force helicopters, US Army successfully inserted Thornes group into a clearing inside Laos while Thorne remained in a chase helicopter to direct support as needed. Son of Finland and a Green Beret Cross the water a new start, At the SOG PUC presentation - SOG guys with Larry Thorne Knives Submitted by Jari of Finland: Nugent Cal Ky, President of South Vietnam and Robert L. Noe: LZ Duc Co near the village and the fence along Highway 19. . Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "aa4f6bb8d79b1f0d03572a5d0520fee5" );document.getElementById("fd0a2639fa").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, a close family friend, Ilkka Nieminen has secured permission from Juha for an early release of this information in order to permit Larry's American friends sufficient time to coordinate travel and accommodation arrangements in the event they desire to attend the Memorial Service (25 June) and Interment (26 June 2003) at Arlington National Cemetery. Thorne had other plans. Somehow I cant see gunsamerica getting weary of your articles Dr. Dabb. May you Rest in Peace at last It probably never occurred to them that they could be abandoned by the country they so proudly served. LODGE BILL TROOPS and CPT LARRY THORNE Based on the unit mission and the identities of the soldiers, an aura of secrecy surrounded the 10th Special Forces group in the early days. If I could have carte blanc to craft any work of fiction it would be to retire behind my MacBook and resurrect the tale of Casca in a modern context. Approximately 5 minutes after receiving the patrol's report, the other aircrews heard a constant keying of a radio for roughly 30 seconds. Born Lauri Allan Torne in Finland, in 1919, Thorne would distinguish himself, leading an elite detachment of Finnish ski troops (think James Bond) on raids behind Soviet lines, commanding a Waffen-SS sabotage squad, and unleashing such crippling guerrilla attacks against the Soviets that they put an unheard-of 3 million Finnish mark bounty on his head. He hit the ground running, travelling the globe 280 days out of the year on recovery missions. While fighting the Soviets during the Continuation War Torni developed a reputation for audacity and inspirational leadership. Then we made a mold and used it for casting these silver pieces, now used in the sheath of the knives, in the head of Larry Thorne 100 years anniversary knife and series of jewelry. Shortly thereafter, Captain Thorne also released Bird Dog 55 and the Huey gunships to return to base. He was 36 years old when he attended Airborne school. His disappointment at not remaining at the SF assignment was quickly replaced by enthusiasm. Buddy Larry Thorne died peacefully at home with his family on April 8, 2022. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Alan Thorne, was a Finnish-born soldier who fought under three flags: as a Finnish Army officer in the Winter War and the Continuation War ultimately gaining a rank of captain; as a Waffen-SS captain (under the alias Larry Lane) of the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS when he fought the Red Army on the . I know I look forward to each and every one no matter where I run across it. The book is well researched but written sometimes in a slightly clumsy way with lots of repeats of the same facts, there goes one star. There he entered the U.S. military and became a decorated and much-revered Vietnam War hero in Special Forces. I still have a picture of the wanted poster of Larry Thorne that was airdropped over town by the opposing team. Larry is loved and survived by: His loving and devoted wife of 59.5 years, Carol Thorne. Next year Lauri Trni would have celebrated his 85th birthday. When rescue workers went to the site, they recovered the remains of the Vietnamese crew, but found no sign of Larry Thorne. Tentatively plans for a memorial service are also scheduled for the evening of 25 June. Buzz, He has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 oclock in the morning and summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six timesalways at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Even before the medical confirmation, two pieces of evidence pointed strongly to the final outcome: the serial number found on the helicopter's rotor blade and the Swedish-made machine pistol that Trni had taken with him, which was found nearby. Searches of the rugged terrain found nothing. Larry Thorne in the U.S. Army. The men followed Thorne, knives at the ready to help their comrades who might land in the trees. Larry Alan Thorne is listed as Missing in Action. NETWORK 2003. Contents hide 1 Introduction 2 The Nazi era 3 Joining the US Army Special Forces The book Born a Soldier: The Times and Life of Larry A Thorne by J. Michael Cleverley inspired the song's lyrics. During the course of World War 2, the Germans accepted volunteers from across Europe and the occupied territories for the SS. The Larry Thorne Headquarter Building for the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, Colorado, is named in his honor; several books and movie characters proclaim his feats. Answer (1 of 2): Larry Thorne was a US Special Forces Major that died in a helicopter crash 25 miles south of Da Nang in Vietnam. Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! The MP38 was built around a machined steel receiver, while that of the MP40 was pressed from sheet stock. In 1950 Torni signed on as crew aboard the Swedish cargo ship MS Skagen bound for the Gulf of Mexico. The Finnish-American war hero is on the left in the picture with some American and South Vietnamese brothers in arms. Upon his enlistment, he adopted the name, Larry Thorne. . We also owe them theirs. His valor earned him the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Mannerheim Medal. All personnel were initially transported to Kham Doc Forward Operating Base (FOB) in preparation for their launch into Laos in search of what would eventually be known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Master Sergeant Charles Slats Petry, team leader; Sergeant First Class Willie Card, 1 South Vietnamese Army Lieutenant and 7 Nungs comprised Recon Team (RT) Iowa, the team to be inserted. After World War II, Lauri Torni made his way to the United States where he enlisted in the U.S. Army under the Lodge Bill. I remember your parents. These and other feats made Thorne a military legend long before he became a political refugee, jumping overboard from a cargo ship in the Gulf of Mexico near Mobile and eventually joining the Army. In September 1965, the infiltration of reconnaissance teams into Laos, Codenamed: Shining Brass, was approved, but severe limitations by Washington restricted the teams to penetrate no deeper than 50 kilometers into Laos. Cross of Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, a Bronze Star, Anyway watch fer snakes down there! Larry Thorne knife Os Lauri Trni Perinnekilta ry logo was handcrafted with saw, file and pliers from silver. to the site, they recovered the remains of the Vietnamese crew, but found no sign of Larry Thorne. Click a location below to find Larry more easily. Lauri Allan Trni! In 1999, Thorne's remains were found by a Finnish and Joint Task Force-Full Accounting team excavated a helicopter crash site near Thorn's last suspected location. Hollingsworth called Thorne a true patriot and said it was one of his deepest honors to serve on Joint Task Force Full Accounting - congressionally mandated to achieve the fullest possible accounting of U.S. troops who didn't from the war in Southwest Asia. P. D. Lochridge Brigadier General, United States Army, Remains Found 1999 Identified 2003, Buried Arlington June 26, 2003, (Viipuru, Finland military records correct spelling is Viipuri), Loss Coordinates: 152558N 1074744E (YC895105), Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered, VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 10/18/1955 10/18/1965, BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8136 Arlington National Cemetery. 28 May 1919. No one was hurt, however, apart from a few bruises and contusions. Larry L. Wise and Joan Wise, David Goodwin and Judson Michcayla Goodwin, 112 Designer Circle, $191,900, 02/22/23 River Bottom Timber LLC, Karen Baumer, 0 North County Road 33, Columbia, $78,000 . Three of those laid to rest were South Vietnamese Air Force crew members. Lauri Trni ended up serving only half his sentence before the president of Finland pardoned him in 1948. Lancaster Sara Lee. And the legend has begun Leading a special hand-picked unit, Thorne operated deep behind enemy lines for extended periods. US Army Huey gunships launched at the same time to provide air cover should it be needed at any time during the mission. "To negotiate with senior Vietnamese colonels about sites, cost to the U.S. government, and to brief U.S. Embassy officials on my teams' presence, as a captain, was pretty exciting. He led an infantry company in the Finnish Winter and Continuation Wars. Country of Loss: South Vietnam (official); Laos (actual) Separating the remains of the crash victims, however, turned out to be an impossible task, which led to a pragmatic decision to organise a joint burial at Arlington. Trni was a dedicated and brave soldier, and he quickly rose to the rank of captain and took command of a group of ski troops. CPT Thorne was listed as missing and was subsequently promoted to Major. All Local Sales are FREE! The second H34 dropped through a hole in the clouds to insert a six-man surveillance team. "He was a complex yet driven man who valorously fought oppression under three flags and didn't acknowledge the meaning of quit," said Swindell. Eventually, he attended airborne school and earned his silver wings as a Green Beret. Your choices may vary.. Grow weary? In thick clouds near the Laotian border, the helicopter crashed into a mountaintop. Lauri Allan Trni (vuodesta 1954 Larry A. Thorne; 28. toukokuuta 1919 Viipuri - 18. lokakuuta 1965 Khm cin alue, Etel-Vietnam) oli kolmen maan armeijassa palvellut suomalainen sotilas ja Mannerheim-ristin ritari. He had simply disappeared. When they climbed back above the cloud cover both Thornes H34 and the Bird Dog were gone. Spinning that story in Information Age trappings would be such fun. May you Rest in Peace at last "I had no idea the organization even existed but it appealed to me because of the travel and negotiations with communist officials as the sole U.S. military presence in the country outside the embassy," Hollingsworth said. Larry Thorne, an already experienced warrior, quickly distinguished himself among his peers of Green Berets. They recovered several fragments of bones and a Swedish-made machine pistol that Thorne carried with him. Three missions had attempted to get to the crash site and failed, so Thorne parachuted in, made his way up 14,000-feet deep in enemy territory, recover the data and snuck out undetected. Movies. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Lane Raven Dawn. My stepdad was a civilian spy for Larrys team. Lauri Allan Trni, fdd 28 maj 1919 i Viborg, Finland, dd 18 oktober 1965 i Vietnam, var en finsk ljtnant (senare kapten) under vinterkriget och fortsttningskriget.Under Lapplandskriget var han ovillig att delta i krigshandlingar mot det tidigare allierade Nazityskland; han lyckades hoppa ver till fiendens tjnst, vilket senare resulterade i en dom fr landsfrrderi. Feature Articles, But instead of surrendering, he joined up with the Nazi German SS to continue his fight against the Soviets. The Swedish K saw extensive service with US Navy SEALs who favored the weapon-based upon its fast handling and capacity to fire when coming straight out of the surf (Over the Beach). Torni found life in Finland difficult after the war and moved to the United States, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1954 and later gaining citizenship. He was assigned to the Military Assistance Command, VietnamStudies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). Thirty of the Finnish Army infantrymen who accompanied Trni on numerous dangerous missions in World War II are still alive, among them Finland's former President Mauno Koivisto. A captivating story about controversial war hero Larry A. Thorne who during World War II fought against the Russians, under the Finnish flag and later under the German flag. Yep. In 1944, during the Finns called The Continuation War, he received Finlands highest military decoration, their version of the Medal of Honor the Mannerheim Cross for his bravery while leading a light infantry battalion. There he became an instructor and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics. Spec Ops Magazine 2023 All Rights Reserved. The Tradition Guild will send representatives to the funeral, and the Finnish Defence Forces will decide on their participation next week. These teams earned a global reputation as one of the most combat effective deep-penetration forces ever raised. A new legend has been born Men who . In case the team was captured the cover story derived for the first Shining Brass mission was that they were looking for a crashed US Air Force C-123 cargo aircraft that was lost near the South Vietnamese/Lao border. Further, in conjunction with planning cross-border missions, Larry Thorne flew as the observer for many intelligence gathering reconnaissance missions over eastern Laos. Answer (1 of 2): I agree. Thorne was born in Finland in 1919, entered the Finnish army in 1938 and fought in the 1939-40 war against the Soviet Union. Larry will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 June 2003, reportedly scheduled for 0900 hours commencing at the ANC Administration Building. ISBN : 0-934793-65-4 As usual outstanding story Dr. Will. Many believed he was exactly the sort of near-indestructible soldier who would have simply walked back out of the jungle, and they found it hard to believe he had been killed, Helsingin Sanomat writes. Lauri Allan Trni! But even the characters John Wayne played were usually principled and professional, not hired guns or soldiers for pay. Will Dabbs A native of the Mississippi Delta, Will is a mechanical engineer who flew UH1H, OH58A/C, CH47D, and AH1S aircraft as an Army Aviator. In 1942 Torni skied across an antipersonnel mine and was badly wounded. During his first decade of service in the Army, he trained NATO forces in West Germany, and ran a sabotage and reconnaissance school for the 10th Special Warfare Group. On his second tour in Vietnam in 1965, assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group, Thorne was involved in the secret war in Laos. John Raybon -- who actually ran the club during my time there -- later died in a UH-1 crash in El Salvador. The USG has finally closed the case on Larry A. Thorne. There are probably 40 or more entries on it right now and I usually add a couple each week. 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