OLDNAVYMCPO
US Veteran, Absent Comrade
In the military, as in any civilian corporation, there is a need for individuals of very diverse skill sets. The Army divides their desired skills into MOS's, the Navy into NEC's, etc..
In every service there is the need for and those that chose to be the tip of the spear. A rare breed of men that for whatever reason volunteer to live an arduous life of frequent danger and extreme physical demands. In the Air Force, its PJ's and Combat Air Controllers, in the Navy its the SEAL's, the Marines have Force Recon and the Army has Rangers and Special Forces. There are others on the list such as Navy Divers, EOD from all services and a slew of others.
I'm not academically equipped to offer a psychoanalysis of the personality or mindset required of these individuals but I have spent considerable time in and around some of these men and find many of their life stories fascinating.
After WWII, the Army was quick to recognize the need for individuals of outstanding leadership qualities, strong self motivation and not adverse to danger. These men were groomed through the selection process, trained to the highest level in multiple skills to be a force multiplier. Many foreign nationals were chosen for their language skills and knowledge of their native culture. One such individual was Lauri Allen Torni (Larry Alan Thorne).
Lauri was born in Vipuri, Finland on May 28, 1919. When Russia invaded Finland in 1939, Lauri was an enlisted man in the 4th Independent Jaeger Battalion. Because of his exceptional combat performance against the Russian, he was sent to officer training. He was commissioned a Vanrikki or 2nd Lt.
Following the Winter War in 1941, Lauri was sent to Austria to train with the Waffen-SS. During the Continuation War(1941-1944), he led a unit that penetrated deep behind Russian lines and caused such havoc and enemy casualities that he was awarded the Mannerheim Cross.
Demobilized in 1944, Lauri was recruited by a pro-German resistance movement and sent to Germany for training. Unable to return to Finland, he joined the German Army.
In the final stages of WWII, Lauri surrendered to Allied Forces. He was imprisoned in a British POW camp in Lubeck, Germany. He escaped in June 1945 and returned to Finland. He was arrested by Finnish State Police, escaped and arrested a second time. He was tried for treason in a Finnish court for having joined the German Army. He was sentenced to six years in prison in Jan 1947. He escaped in June, was recaptured, sent to a different prison but granted a pardon in Dec 1948.
In 1949, Lauri traveled to Sweden, hired on as a merchant seaman, and later jumped ship in Mobile, AL. In 1953, he was granted a green card. In 1954 joined the US Army and changed his name to Larry Alan Thorne. He was recruited for Special Forces where his talents in guerrilla tactics were recognized. Appointed to OCS, he was commissioned a 1st Lt. in 1957. He served in 10th Special Forces group in Bad Tolz, Germany from 1958-1962.
Larry deployed to Vietnam in 1963 where he earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star Medal for valor in a battle at Tinh Bien.
His second tour in Vietnam was with 5th Special Forces and then MACV-SOG. On 18 Oct 1965, on a clandestine mission with RVN/AF, his CH-34 chopper crashed in the mountains in the Quang Nam Province. Following his disappearance, he was promoted to Major and posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross.
His remains were not found until 1999 but weren't formally identified until 2003. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. On the Wall he is on panel 02E, line 162.
Although I won't list them here, Maj Larry A. Thorne has earned numerous awards for heroism from three different countries, Finland, Germany and the United States.
In every service there is the need for and those that chose to be the tip of the spear. A rare breed of men that for whatever reason volunteer to live an arduous life of frequent danger and extreme physical demands. In the Air Force, its PJ's and Combat Air Controllers, in the Navy its the SEAL's, the Marines have Force Recon and the Army has Rangers and Special Forces. There are others on the list such as Navy Divers, EOD from all services and a slew of others.
I'm not academically equipped to offer a psychoanalysis of the personality or mindset required of these individuals but I have spent considerable time in and around some of these men and find many of their life stories fascinating.
After WWII, the Army was quick to recognize the need for individuals of outstanding leadership qualities, strong self motivation and not adverse to danger. These men were groomed through the selection process, trained to the highest level in multiple skills to be a force multiplier. Many foreign nationals were chosen for their language skills and knowledge of their native culture. One such individual was Lauri Allen Torni (Larry Alan Thorne).
Lauri was born in Vipuri, Finland on May 28, 1919. When Russia invaded Finland in 1939, Lauri was an enlisted man in the 4th Independent Jaeger Battalion. Because of his exceptional combat performance against the Russian, he was sent to officer training. He was commissioned a Vanrikki or 2nd Lt.
Following the Winter War in 1941, Lauri was sent to Austria to train with the Waffen-SS. During the Continuation War(1941-1944), he led a unit that penetrated deep behind Russian lines and caused such havoc and enemy casualities that he was awarded the Mannerheim Cross.
Demobilized in 1944, Lauri was recruited by a pro-German resistance movement and sent to Germany for training. Unable to return to Finland, he joined the German Army.
In the final stages of WWII, Lauri surrendered to Allied Forces. He was imprisoned in a British POW camp in Lubeck, Germany. He escaped in June 1945 and returned to Finland. He was arrested by Finnish State Police, escaped and arrested a second time. He was tried for treason in a Finnish court for having joined the German Army. He was sentenced to six years in prison in Jan 1947. He escaped in June, was recaptured, sent to a different prison but granted a pardon in Dec 1948.
In 1949, Lauri traveled to Sweden, hired on as a merchant seaman, and later jumped ship in Mobile, AL. In 1953, he was granted a green card. In 1954 joined the US Army and changed his name to Larry Alan Thorne. He was recruited for Special Forces where his talents in guerrilla tactics were recognized. Appointed to OCS, he was commissioned a 1st Lt. in 1957. He served in 10th Special Forces group in Bad Tolz, Germany from 1958-1962.
Larry deployed to Vietnam in 1963 where he earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star Medal for valor in a battle at Tinh Bien.
His second tour in Vietnam was with 5th Special Forces and then MACV-SOG. On 18 Oct 1965, on a clandestine mission with RVN/AF, his CH-34 chopper crashed in the mountains in the Quang Nam Province. Following his disappearance, he was promoted to Major and posthumously awarded the Legion of Merit and Distinguished Flying Cross.
His remains were not found until 1999 but weren't formally identified until 2003. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. On the Wall he is on panel 02E, line 162.
Although I won't list them here, Maj Larry A. Thorne has earned numerous awards for heroism from three different countries, Finland, Germany and the United States.
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