Cenotaph here
Monument here
Lauri Torni was known as the Soldier that fought under three flags. Lauri was born into a prosperous family in Viipuri, Finland. He was a Finnish Army Captain who led an Infantry Unit in Finnish Wars and moved to the United States after the War, changing his name to his new American name of Larry Thorne. He fought for Finland, Germany during World War II. and America in the Viet Nam War. He entered military service in 1938, at the age of 19. He continued his service in the Non-Commissioned Officers Reserve in Hamina until the beginning of the Winter War. Torni originally was assigned to supply troops, but during the battles at Lake Ladoga, he was transferred to the front lines. He took part in the annihilation of the encircled Russian Troops in Lemetti. After the War, in 1941, Torni was one of the men who was sent to Germany to train with Waffen-SS, but he soon returned home.
In 1943 he was assigned to an Infantry Unit that fought behind enemy lines. One of his men would be the future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. The Soviet Army had a Bounty on Lauri Torni's head, worth 3 million Finnish Marks. On July 9th, 1944, he was decorated with the Mannerheim Cross. Torni was dissatisfied with the Peace Treaty and went back to Germany in 1945 for additional training. He was hoping to organize resistance against Russia if they tried taking Finland. He surrendered to British Troops in the last stages of the War and eventually escaped the British POW Camp, returning to his homeland of Finland. When he returned, the ValPo (State Police), arrested him and he was sentenced to 6 years in Prison, eventually pardoned by President Paasikivi of Finland in December of 1948.
In 1949, Torni traveled to Sweden, where many Finnish settled after the War. From Sweden he travelled on the SS Bolivia to Venezuela. In 1950 he was hired on a Norwegian Cargo Ship, the MS Libre Villaan, his destination was the United States. In the Gulf of Mexico, near Mobile, Alabama, he jumped overboard and swam to shore. He traveled to New York where he got a job as a Carpenter and a Cleaner, with help from Finnish Settlers. In 1953 he was granted permit of residence.
Lauri Torni joined the U.S. Army in 1954, where he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He ended up as a Special Instructor in the Special Forces Unit and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics, he also took up parachuting. From 1958-1962 he served in the 10th Special Forces Unit in West Germany. In November of 1963, he joined another Special Forces Unit, A-734, and was sent to Vietnam to fight in the Mekong Delta. He was Decorated twice while there. In 1965 he was transferred to MACVSOG, a training unit in Vietnam as a military advisor. On October 18th, 1965, he left on a routine mission and his helicopter crashed 25 miles from the Da Nang. When the rescue crew arrived, they did not find his body. He either died in the crash or in battle the next day with the Vietnamese. He was 46 at time of death. His remains weren't found or handed over till 1999, 34 years later. He was formally identified in 2003, 38 years after his death. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, the natural-born soldier who fought under three flags!∼Lauri Alan Törni was born in Viipuri, Viipuri Province, when it was controlled by Finland. (In 1945 the region was finally ceded to the Soviet Union following the Winter War and Continuation War.) He served with the Finnish and German armies in the wars against the Soviet Union. In 1950, he immigrated to the United States and joined the US Army in 1954. At that time he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He joined the army Special Forces ("Green Berets") and was commissioned in 1957. In 1963 Thorne was a captain serving as an advisor to the Army of South Vietnam. Thorne died while on a clandestine mission in Laos. His remains were eventually recovered in 1999 and interred at Arlington along with the remains of the South Vietnam Air Force personnel who died with him.
Monument here
Lauri Torni was known as the Soldier that fought under three flags. Lauri was born into a prosperous family in Viipuri, Finland. He was a Finnish Army Captain who led an Infantry Unit in Finnish Wars and moved to the United States after the War, changing his name to his new American name of Larry Thorne. He fought for Finland, Germany during World War II. and America in the Viet Nam War. He entered military service in 1938, at the age of 19. He continued his service in the Non-Commissioned Officers Reserve in Hamina until the beginning of the Winter War. Torni originally was assigned to supply troops, but during the battles at Lake Ladoga, he was transferred to the front lines. He took part in the annihilation of the encircled Russian Troops in Lemetti. After the War, in 1941, Torni was one of the men who was sent to Germany to train with Waffen-SS, but he soon returned home.
In 1943 he was assigned to an Infantry Unit that fought behind enemy lines. One of his men would be the future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. The Soviet Army had a Bounty on Lauri Torni's head, worth 3 million Finnish Marks. On July 9th, 1944, he was decorated with the Mannerheim Cross. Torni was dissatisfied with the Peace Treaty and went back to Germany in 1945 for additional training. He was hoping to organize resistance against Russia if they tried taking Finland. He surrendered to British Troops in the last stages of the War and eventually escaped the British POW Camp, returning to his homeland of Finland. When he returned, the ValPo (State Police), arrested him and he was sentenced to 6 years in Prison, eventually pardoned by President Paasikivi of Finland in December of 1948.
In 1949, Torni traveled to Sweden, where many Finnish settled after the War. From Sweden he travelled on the SS Bolivia to Venezuela. In 1950 he was hired on a Norwegian Cargo Ship, the MS Libre Villaan, his destination was the United States. In the Gulf of Mexico, near Mobile, Alabama, he jumped overboard and swam to shore. He traveled to New York where he got a job as a Carpenter and a Cleaner, with help from Finnish Settlers. In 1953 he was granted permit of residence.
Lauri Torni joined the U.S. Army in 1954, where he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He ended up as a Special Instructor in the Special Forces Unit and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics, he also took up parachuting. From 1958-1962 he served in the 10th Special Forces Unit in West Germany. In November of 1963, he joined another Special Forces Unit, A-734, and was sent to Vietnam to fight in the Mekong Delta. He was Decorated twice while there. In 1965 he was transferred to MACVSOG, a training unit in Vietnam as a military advisor. On October 18th, 1965, he left on a routine mission and his helicopter crashed 25 miles from the Da Nang. When the rescue crew arrived, they did not find his body. He either died in the crash or in battle the next day with the Vietnamese. He was 46 at time of death. His remains weren't found or handed over till 1999, 34 years later. He was formally identified in 2003, 38 years after his death. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, the natural-born soldier who fought under three flags!∼Lauri Alan Törni was born in Viipuri, Viipuri Province, when it was controlled by Finland. (In 1945 the region was finally ceded to the Soviet Union following the Winter War and Continuation War.) He served with the Finnish and German armies in the wars against the Soviet Union. In 1950, he immigrated to the United States and joined the US Army in 1954. At that time he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He joined the army Special Forces ("Green Berets") and was commissioned in 1957. In 1963 Thorne was a captain serving as an advisor to the Army of South Vietnam. Thorne died while on a clandestine mission in Laos. His remains were eventually recovered in 1999 and interred at Arlington along with the remains of the South Vietnam Air Force personnel who died with him.
Cenotaph here
Monument here
Lauri Torni was known as the Soldier that fought under three flags. Lauri was born into a prosperous family in Viipuri, Finland. He was a Finnish Army Captain who led an Infantry Unit in Finnish Wars and moved to the United States after the War, changing his name to his new American name of Larry Thorne. He fought for Finland, Germany during World War II. and America in the Viet Nam War. He entered military service in 1938, at the age of 19. He continued his service in the Non-Commissioned Officers Reserve in Hamina until the beginning of the Winter War. Torni originally was assigned to supply troops, but during the battles at Lake Ladoga, he was transferred to the front lines. He took part in the annihilation of the encircled Russian Troops in Lemetti. After the War, in 1941, Torni was one of the men who was sent to Germany to train with Waffen-SS, but he soon returned home.
In 1943 he was assigned to an Infantry Unit that fought behind enemy lines. One of his men would be the future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. The Soviet Army had a Bounty on Lauri Torni's head, worth 3 million Finnish Marks. On July 9th, 1944, he was decorated with the Mannerheim Cross. Torni was dissatisfied with the Peace Treaty and went back to Germany in 1945 for additional training. He was hoping to organize resistance against Russia if they tried taking Finland. He surrendered to British Troops in the last stages of the War and eventually escaped the British POW Camp, returning to his homeland of Finland. When he returned, the ValPo (State Police), arrested him and he was sentenced to 6 years in Prison, eventually pardoned by President Paasikivi of Finland in December of 1948.
In 1949, Torni traveled to Sweden, where many Finnish settled after the War. From Sweden he travelled on the SS Bolivia to Venezuela. In 1950 he was hired on a Norwegian Cargo Ship, the MS Libre Villaan, his destination was the United States. In the Gulf of Mexico, near Mobile, Alabama, he jumped overboard and swam to shore. He traveled to New York where he got a job as a Carpenter and a Cleaner, with help from Finnish Settlers. In 1953 he was granted permit of residence.
Lauri Torni joined the U.S. Army in 1954, where he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He ended up as a Special Instructor in the Special Forces Unit and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics, he also took up parachuting. From 1958-1962 he served in the 10th Special Forces Unit in West Germany. In November of 1963, he joined another Special Forces Unit, A-734, and was sent to Vietnam to fight in the Mekong Delta. He was Decorated twice while there. In 1965 he was transferred to MACVSOG, a training unit in Vietnam as a military advisor. On October 18th, 1965, he left on a routine mission and his helicopter crashed 25 miles from the Da Nang. When the rescue crew arrived, they did not find his body. He either died in the crash or in battle the next day with the Vietnamese. He was 46 at time of death. His remains weren't found or handed over till 1999, 34 years later. He was formally identified in 2003, 38 years after his death. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, the natural-born soldier who fought under three flags!∼Lauri Alan Törni was born in Viipuri, Viipuri Province, when it was controlled by Finland. (In 1945 the region was finally ceded to the Soviet Union following the Winter War and Continuation War.) He served with the Finnish and German armies in the wars against the Soviet Union. In 1950, he immigrated to the United States and joined the US Army in 1954. At that time he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He joined the army Special Forces ("Green Berets") and was commissioned in 1957. In 1963 Thorne was a captain serving as an advisor to the Army of South Vietnam. Thorne died while on a clandestine mission in Laos. His remains were eventually recovered in 1999 and interred at Arlington along with the remains of the South Vietnam Air Force personnel who died with him.
Monument here
Lauri Torni was known as the Soldier that fought under three flags. Lauri was born into a prosperous family in Viipuri, Finland. He was a Finnish Army Captain who led an Infantry Unit in Finnish Wars and moved to the United States after the War, changing his name to his new American name of Larry Thorne. He fought for Finland, Germany during World War II. and America in the Viet Nam War. He entered military service in 1938, at the age of 19. He continued his service in the Non-Commissioned Officers Reserve in Hamina until the beginning of the Winter War. Torni originally was assigned to supply troops, but during the battles at Lake Ladoga, he was transferred to the front lines. He took part in the annihilation of the encircled Russian Troops in Lemetti. After the War, in 1941, Torni was one of the men who was sent to Germany to train with Waffen-SS, but he soon returned home.
In 1943 he was assigned to an Infantry Unit that fought behind enemy lines. One of his men would be the future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto. The Soviet Army had a Bounty on Lauri Torni's head, worth 3 million Finnish Marks. On July 9th, 1944, he was decorated with the Mannerheim Cross. Torni was dissatisfied with the Peace Treaty and went back to Germany in 1945 for additional training. He was hoping to organize resistance against Russia if they tried taking Finland. He surrendered to British Troops in the last stages of the War and eventually escaped the British POW Camp, returning to his homeland of Finland. When he returned, the ValPo (State Police), arrested him and he was sentenced to 6 years in Prison, eventually pardoned by President Paasikivi of Finland in December of 1948.
In 1949, Torni traveled to Sweden, where many Finnish settled after the War. From Sweden he travelled on the SS Bolivia to Venezuela. In 1950 he was hired on a Norwegian Cargo Ship, the MS Libre Villaan, his destination was the United States. In the Gulf of Mexico, near Mobile, Alabama, he jumped overboard and swam to shore. He traveled to New York where he got a job as a Carpenter and a Cleaner, with help from Finnish Settlers. In 1953 he was granted permit of residence.
Lauri Torni joined the U.S. Army in 1954, where he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He ended up as a Special Instructor in the Special Forces Unit and taught skiing, survival, mountaineering, and guerrilla tactics, he also took up parachuting. From 1958-1962 he served in the 10th Special Forces Unit in West Germany. In November of 1963, he joined another Special Forces Unit, A-734, and was sent to Vietnam to fight in the Mekong Delta. He was Decorated twice while there. In 1965 he was transferred to MACVSOG, a training unit in Vietnam as a military advisor. On October 18th, 1965, he left on a routine mission and his helicopter crashed 25 miles from the Da Nang. When the rescue crew arrived, they did not find his body. He either died in the crash or in battle the next day with the Vietnamese. He was 46 at time of death. His remains weren't found or handed over till 1999, 34 years later. He was formally identified in 2003, 38 years after his death. He was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery, the natural-born soldier who fought under three flags!∼Lauri Alan Törni was born in Viipuri, Viipuri Province, when it was controlled by Finland. (In 1945 the region was finally ceded to the Soviet Union following the Winter War and Continuation War.) He served with the Finnish and German armies in the wars against the Soviet Union. In 1950, he immigrated to the United States and joined the US Army in 1954. At that time he changed his name to Larry Thorne. He joined the army Special Forces ("Green Berets") and was commissioned in 1957. In 1963 Thorne was a captain serving as an advisor to the Army of South Vietnam. Thorne died while on a clandestine mission in Laos. His remains were eventually recovered in 1999 and interred at Arlington along with the remains of the South Vietnam Air Force personnel who died with him.
