Picture of the day

Two days, no new pix. Allow me:

Fw_189_V1.jpg


Aesthetically, just about perfect. Kurt Tank had a good eye.
 
Well, if it's been two days with no pictures, how about two pictures today.

I just came upon this very interesting fellow.

T__rni


Lt.Törni(middle) together with JR 33's Cpt.Railio and Lt. Pitkänen after battle of Haukilahti.

Lauri Allan Törni(1919 – 1965)AKA Larry Thorne.
Knight of the Mannerheim Cross #144. Fought in WWII serving in Finnish and German forces and later in Vietnam War as part of US Army Special Forces.
Larry Thorne's remains were found in 1999 and formally identified in 2003. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, section 60, tombstone 8136, on June 26, 2003.
In the book The Green Berets by Robin Moore, the "Sven Kornie" character is based on Larry Thorne. The book was later made into a movie by the same name starring John Wayne.

Years of service:
1938-1945 (Finnish Army)
1945 (Waffen SS)
1954-1965 (U.S. Army) (MIA on October 18, 1965)

Rank:
Captain (Finland)
Hauptsturmführer (Germany)
Major (USA)

Units:
Infantry Regiment 12 (Finland)
SS Freiwilligen Bataillon Nordost (Germany)
Green Berets, Detachment A743
MACV-SOG
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

Battles/wars:
Winter War
Continuation War
World War II (Germany, eastern front)
Vietnam War

Awards:
Mannerheim Cross
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Bronze Star
Purple Heart (2)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Presidential Unit Citation
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
I'd never heard of Major Torni. There's got to be a movie in that story.

If he was MIA in Viet Nam in 1965, did they recover anything to bury in Arlington?
Click to expand...

Says they found his remains in 1999 and formally identified them in 2003, so probably some of the American bodies recovered since diplomatic relations reopened with Vietnam.

What I'm wondering is, how on earth did a long-time infantry officer wind up with the Distinguished Flying Cross?
 
Dark Alley Dan said:
I'd never heard of Major Torni. There's got to be a movie in that story.

If he was MIA in Viet Nam in 1965, did they recover anything to bury in Arlington?
Click to expand...

John Wayne acted as Col. Kirby in the movie the Green Berets. This character is based upon Lauri Törni. Here is another photo of Lauri from 1941 (he is fourth from left):
KevOs8_+Lauri_Torni_Larry_Thorne_summer1941


There are many Finns whose stories have not been told. Case in point, I posted this picture a while back in this thread and I find it quite compelling of the stories of sacrifice these men gave.:
339x500xViljo_Suokas_scarred_ContinuationWar_1941-1943.pagespeed.ic.yoqg5paIju.jpg


Viljo Suokas (1920–1943), Knight of the Mannerheim Cross No.44.

When Winter War begun in 1939, Viljo was civil guard boy with no actual military training and first served in homefront sentry duties. He soon volunteered to army service and after short training was sent to 34th Infantry Regiment fighting at Kollaa, and was later moved to Sissi Detachment 12 operating in the same area. His skills in guerilla style warfare was noticed and after Winter War he received special training for long range patrol missions. In Continuation War Suokas served as patrol leader in Detachment Kuismanen (OsKu), and gained lots of reputation as very capable and skillful leader. He was credited for many successful reconnaissance and sabotage missions, and capturing important prisoners, killing high ranking enemy officers and bringing files with valuable information. Suokas was wounded at Karhumäki on November 26, 1941. Longest time he spent behind enemy lines was 46 days. Viljo Suokas died on October 4, 1943, soon after he was wounded to his stomach while clearing a storage building of small enemy logistics center at Segezha, a town by the Murmansk railway.
Click to expand...
 
plinker 777 said:
Fox...I am in no way refuting the man's service, but those pics looked photo shopped all to he11. His chest and shoulder mesurements look to be quite different in all 3 pics. The SS uniform seems to have some interesting "additions" to it as well.
Click to expand...

His American Service Photo is definitely colorized, but the rest are not "shopped"... also, what "additions" does his SS Uniform have???

Also, I am sure by the time he was enlisted in the Service of the "Black Legion", rations would not be so great... perhaps he had lost weight? Old photos usually aren't the best way to gauge the stature of a man at different times in his life.

He was an Untersturmführer in the Waffen SS, everything in that picture is correct as it pertains to his rank in that service.

Untersturmführer Rank Collar Tabs:
120px-SS-Untersturmf%C3%BChrer.svg.png


http://2.bp.########.com/-vhUEmX_9VRU/TbDFCptVHWI/AAAAAAAAACs/ROTmtJSrIm8/s640/tornitrio7.jpg
 
Last edited:
Ah, sorry I've been misunderstood. I'm not saying that the collar tabs are incorrect for his rank, or that the uniform is incorrect in anyway on it's face. What I was trying to relay was that the insignia and cap have an air of being photo shopped over. His face is grainy as is the wool tunic, however the collar tabs look digitized as does the headdress.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom