As Shultz tells it, In September 1944, Finland surrendered to the Soviet Union. 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 . He was not a paid warrior, but fought because he believed in what he was doing serving the army was his career. RELATED POSTS Post-war Germany: A tale of two armies Artillery strike on Zelenopillya: [] All Filters. About the author: [1] He was re-elected on November 4, 2014, for a term that begins on January 1, 2015, and expired on December 31, 2018. As many of you are aware Larry was lost in the clouds on 18 October 1965 on a CH-34 KINGBEE helicopter from the 219th Vietnamese Air Force Squadron while performing a C&C mission out of Kham Duc for the very first OP-35 cross-border reconnaissance mission (RT Iowa) being conducted by Charles Slats Petry, Willie Card and four little people and never seen again. Prior to sentencing, the court heard from two previous victims of Thorne's predatory behavior. He was 36 years old when he attended Airborne school. One of the members of the Finnish team was Thorne's own nephew, Juha Rajala. Will works in his own urgent care clinic, shares a business build-ing precision rifles and sound suppressors, and has written for the gun press since 1989. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Thorne, was a Finnish Army captain. A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game Neverending fame, victory reclaimed His legends many of them true sometimes suggest he was a swashbuckling John Wayne type of guy, and some probably get the mercenary idea from that. The remains were subsequently identified by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. He served in the United States Army, 5th Special Forces. Remanded to a POW camp in Lubeck, Torni ultimately escaped and made his way back to Finland soon after VE Day. The Department of the Army officially stated, On 18 October 1965, Major Thorne was a passenger aboard a Vietnamese Air Force CH34 helicopter which crashed about 25 miles south of DaNang. Prior to the end of the war, the wreckage of the Kingbee was found and a search and rescue-recovery (SAR) team inserted into the crash site. Excavation at the crash site in Vietnam was launched four years ago. Arlington Cemetery contains about 270,000 graves, most of them belonging to individuals who served in the U.S. armed forces. . Major Thorne was one of those individuals that hated Communism so completely, that it didnt matter to him which Flag he fought under, as long as the mutual goal was the defeat of Communism. Whenever I trip over something that sounds cool I add it to the list. Source: Compiled in 1989 from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. There he entered the U.S. military and became a decorated and much-revered Vietnam War hero in Special Forces. Andy Hollingsworth, an operations specialist with U.S. Africa Command/ European Command Regional Operations, was a young Army captain on a joint task force recovery team that discovered Thorne's remains at a crash site deep in the mountains of Vietnam in the summer of 1999. On 18 October 1965, the first MACV-SOG cross-border mission was to be inserted by South Vietnamese Air Force helicopters into a target area approximately 20 miles northwest of Kham Duc known as D-1 to locate and report on North Vietnamese activity operating on and near Highway 165. The story begins with the Winter War, which began with the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939, when Lauri Torni fought against attacking Red Army troops. Birth. Been a hectic week, so Im a few days late reading this one. In addition to the FACs, the U.S. Air Force provided a flight of B-57s to conduct a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) for this mission should the ground team run into trouble and greater firepower was needed. 1. Lane Raven Dawn. After Finland's final defeat, he served with the Waffen SS and eventually received an Iron Cross. The Soviets wanted to get their hands on Thorne and forced the Finnish government to arrest him as a wartime German collaborator. The award commemorates Special Forces legend Larry Thorne a technically and tactically proficient warrior who was always on the offensive. Larry Thorne is the current owner and farmer, along with his wife, Laurel, and their children. BACKGROUND: War hero's unbelievable life in the service of two countries, DNA testing to resolve the fate of Larry Thorne (14.9.1999) Trni was not the only Finnish soldier to serve under more than one flag, as this article indicates: Finnish officer becomes legend in US Army (3.10.2000). "I had been selected to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course and was assigned post company command to 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.". Larry Thorne is the judge of the 317th District Court in Texas. 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. Yep. Master Jeweler at Jensen Jewelers, Billings, Montana November 17, 2021 - Present Jeweler and Diamond setter for 41 years May 2, 2020 to present College Studied at Valley City State University High school No schools to show Photos See all photos Others Named Larry Thorne Lawrence Thorne Lorenzo Thorne Lawrence Franklin Thorne Lorenzo Thorne He then received comprehensive instruction in his specialty area. Cross the water a new start, Larry A. Thorne is the only American POW/MIA to fight communism under three flags those of Finland, Germany and America. 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). Major Larry Alan Thorne is the only former member of the Waffen SS to be found there. Abbott Nathan Scott. He won every medal for bravery that Finland could bestow during the conflict with the Soviet Union. They recovered several fragments of bones and a Swedish-made machine pistol that Thorne carried with him. 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. During Finland's wars against the former Soviet Union, he was awarded every medal for bravery that Finland could bestow including the Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, which is the equivalent of the American Congressional Medal of Honor. 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. Doctor Dabbs, where do you get your seemingly inexhaustible supply of interesting topics to write about? A few included a superb sound suppressor. As usual outstanding story Dr. Will. Thorne wanted to be the best, had the talent and sisu to be the best, and in fact was the best. by J. Michael Cleverley. 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. The book about Larry Thorne has 208 pages and 37 photographs, and is available for 14.95. In America, posthumous fame arrived when he was portrayed by Wayne in the 1968 film The Green Berets.. He joined the Germans, attended their school for guerrilla warfare, and then fought with their marines until the war ended. Country of Loss: South Vietnam (official); Laos (actual) Lawrence Thorn, 77 Resides in Dallas, TX Also known as Larry B Thorn Includes Address (1) See Results Lawrence T Thorn, 64 Resides in Cincinnati, OH Lived In Cambridge OH, Belmont MA, Boston MA, Denver CO Related To Nancy Thorn, James Thorn, Heidi Thorn, Jacob Thorn, Eva Thorn Also known as L T Thorn, Lawrence T Includes Address (9) Phone (5) But instead of surrendering, he joined up with the Nazi German SS to continue his fight against the Soviets. Lancaster Sara Lee. Born a Soldier is a tour of the mid-20th century's conflicts with the remarkable Larry Thorne. Is this the Will Dabbs from Clarksdale? However, late in the war, SS formations would have been armed predominantly with the MP40 SMG, the Kar 98k bolt-action rifle, and the MP44 assault rifle. I have difficulty with casting Larry Thorne like Casca the eternal mercenary. I have heard others call Thorne a mercenary, but I think the term characterizes him wrongly. He fought under three flags: Finland (The Finnish Army during the Winter War and Continuation War) Germany (one of the Finnish SS-volunteers) USA (joined the US Army, known as Larry Thorne) Cheers, May you Rest in Peace at last | Strategic Landpower Forum. Unfortunately for Lauri Trni, his homeland eventually fell to the communists in 1944. 31 people named Larry Thorne found in Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County, Fresno and 6 other cities. The teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction that were called, depending on the location and time frame, Shining Brass Daniel Boone, Salem House or Prairie Fire missions. (Bees) of the mission recovered at the crash site. Equipped with nothing but his wits Lauri Torni made his way to New York City and established himself in Brooklyns Sunset Park among the Finnish diaspora there. It was concluded that Thorne's Choctaw had crashed into the side of a mountain while flying nap-of-the-earth. After the wars, he moved to the United States. View the profiles of people named Larry Thorne. Nowadays the Larry Thorne Award is given by the U.S. Army Special . Thorne joined the U.S. Army and his expertise in guerrilla warfare led him into the Special Forces Group, where he was commissioned a first lieutenant, eventually rising to the rank of captain and commanding a Special Forces team in Vietnam, before joining SOG. Larry is related to Gary Theodore Thorne . At that moment by the power of the Son of God Casca is made immortal, cursed to wander the earth a soldier until the Second Coming. While much of the writing is fairly vapid, that was an incredibly cool plot device. Finnish operators were issued with a spare barrel to use when the first overheated. He supported himself working as a carpenter and cleaner. He was born July 3, 1931 to the late Thomas Aubrey and Maggie Elizabeth Lawrence Thorne. On October 18, 1965, Larry Thorne led the first MACV-SOG cross-border mission into Laos to prevent the North Vietnamese movement down the Ho Chi Minh trail. Now the three lie together with Thorne in America's most hallowed ground, a unique ending to a unique story. In the United Sates, Larry Thorne is forgotten by all but a few. 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. NWF Daily News reports: Buzz, US forces used all assets available to them to stop this flow of men and supplies from moving south into the war zone. Larry will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 June 2003, reportedly scheduled for 0900 hours commencing at the ANC Administration Building. 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. Larry Thorne and several of his Finnish ex-commanders where the very nucleus of the new Special Forces, Larry himself being the model for John Waynes character in the move "the Green Berets". On the sheath is casted silver Os Lauri Trni Perinnekilta ry (Larry Thorne heritage guild) logo and the end plate of the knife is silver with welded guild logo. Thorne's photo is maintained in a pre-capture photo group shown to defectors for POW/MIA identifications purposes, yet Thorne was classified killed in action the day after the crash. Barry Sadler was a Vietnam-era US Special Forces veteran best known for his hit song, The Ballad of the Green Berets. This book series was titled, Casca, The Eternal Mercenary.. . . Regardless of his background, each SF volunteer underwent strenuous physical conditioning, including paratrooper training, and was extensively tested to determine his best skills and abilities. FINALLY after 37+ years CLOSURE. According to an affidavit from JCSO, Ramos allegedly called. So long as the good folks at GA dont grow weary of me we can keep this up for a while . While with 10thGroup he led a successful covert mission into Iran to recover sensitive equipment and bodies from a downed USAF C130 cargo plane. He grew from a young 18-year old volunteer at the onset of the Finland-USSR Winter War (1939-40), to a winner of the Mannerheim Cross (the Finnish equivalent of the American Congressional Medal of Honor), to a prisoner . In Finland, hopes were raised for the national hero's possible burial in his home country. History, In 1962, then-Captain Larry Thorne led a critical mission to recover classified materials from a US Air Force plane that crashed on a mountaintop on the Iran-Turkish-Soviet border, according to Helsingin Sanomat. Knowledge 5. Larry Thorne - Special Forces Legend. Alaska Arms: Ruger M77 Rings and Extra Round Floorplate. In 1943 he took command of his eponymous Detachment Torni, a deep penetration special operations unit that took the fight to the Russians deep in their rear areas, cut off and alone. Please keep them headed our way. Thorne was born Lauri Allan Trni in Finland in 1919. He was promoted 2/LT (9 May 1940). 3. The crazy story of the man who fought for Finland, the Nazis, and US Army Special Forces. While an SF soldier, he instructed survival, skiing, mountaineering, and guerilla tactics. Date of Loss: 18 October 1965 Punctuality 5. This aircraft was already quite old when they arrived in the battle zone. May 9, 2011. Larry Thorne in the U.S. Army. Photographic evidence of Tornis service with the Waffen SS is scant. 1. 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. . Major Larry Alan Thorne is the only former member of the Waffen SS to be found there. I was aware of the ghostly stories of Major Thorne post MIA missions salting Charlies ammo depots, putting fear of budda in nva all up & down uncle hos trail but unaware of ss connection! 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