Larry Thorne was a warriors warrior, so he naturally gravitated toward the US Special Forces. 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! Funny, your articles are half the reason Im here. But is is very . He received additional training in Nazi Germany and then looked forward to returning to the battlefield. 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. Thorne is a national hero in his birth country of Finland and a military hero in the Capt. That's because his real name was Lauri Trni, and he had been fighting the Soviets for much of his adult life. View the profiles of people named Larry Thorne. Facebook gives people the power to. He graduated from Cordova High School in 1953. I have shared your stories with one of my grandsons as he wants to be an aviator and engineer. The Mississippi Delta was indeed a fascinating place to grow up. Growing up, I remember my step dad telling me all about Larry Thorne and the war games they played in. Langham Reginal Raynard. If anyone plans on attending request you advise me and I will be pleased to pass it on to the family. It would also make a simply fantastic movie. Lauri Torni: The dude who really hated communists. Legendary Finnish war hero Lauri Trni (Larry Thorne) to get final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery Remains of victims of 1965 helicopter crash will be interred simultaneously. Larry K Thorne, 74. Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! Citadel. His remains were never found. His valor earned him the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Mannerheim Medal. There is comfort in that knowledge that no matter where you go to perform your duties, that commitment is still there. As Shultz tells it, In September 1944, Finland surrendered to the Soviet Union. From various contemporary press reports: In June of 1998, the book THE SOLDIER UNDER THREE FLAGS was made available by Pathfinder publishing. 1. Thorne quickly made it into the U.S. Special Forces and in 1962, as a Captain, he led his detachment onto the highest mountain in Iran to recover the bodies and classified material from an American C-130 airplane that had crashed. Lauri Trni enlisted at age 19 in Finlands Army and fought against the Soviet Union. 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. He served in the United States Army, 5th Special Forces. May you Rest in Peace at last A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game This mission initially formed his status as a U.S. Special Forces legend, but it was his deep strategic reconnaissance and interdiction exploits with Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observation Group, also known as MACV-SOG, that solidified his legendary status. Glad you were identified in 2002, Welcome Home. Leading a special hand-picked unit, Thorne operated deep behind enemy lines for extended periods. During two tours in Vietnam with the MACV-SOG, Thorne ran deep cover into Cambodia and Laos to track down the North Vietnamese supply network that became known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The three Vietnamese service members were eligible for burial at Arlington because their remains were commingled with those of an American serviceman, according to a spokeswoman for Arlington Cemetery. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Thorne, was a Finnish Army captain. Thorne fought for the Finnish and German armies against the Soviets, earning the U.S. equivalent of the Medal of Honor, before joining a fledging U.S. Special Forces, where he shared years of hardcore experience in survival, mountaineering, ski warfare, guerilla tactics and other unconventional warfare. Not that being put into a prison camp would stop him either. Abercrombie Hunter Thompson. In order to control and lead irregular fighters, they had to understand people, languages, and foreign cultures. You are unique in this day and age. 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. Copyright 2023 by arlingtoncemetery.net. Abernathy Roger Keith. John Voter was in another KINGBEE, acting as Chase. Due to the same miserable bad weather in the area that Larry got caught up in, John was forced to land at an emergency site and fortunately was able to return to Kham Duc the next day. I still have a picture of the wanted poster of Larry Thorne that was airdropped over town by the opposing team. 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. The future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto, served under his command. Army Special Forces and CIA operators used the weapon as well. 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. Larry A. Thorne is the only American POW/MIA to fight communism under three flags - those of Finland, Germany and America. It fed on 36-round stick magazines and cycled at a sedate 600 rounds per minute. Finland. Thorne took over operating the small family farm with the goal of instilling in his children the values and rewards . Regards, Clyde (Clyde J. Sincere, Jr. 11722 Lariat Lane Oakton, Virginia 22124-2323 (703) 620-0953[emailprotected]. Great with the kids, they ask to "go see Dr. Thorne". Related Tags: Dr. Dabbs this was an great article, I thought that I was the only Casca fan, I started reading them in the early 80s! Lauri Allan Trni! Hn palveli Suomen armeijassa kapteenina, kansallissosialistisen Saksan Waffen-SS-joukoissa 1941 Untersturmfhrerin ja 1945 Hauptsturmfhrerin (kapteeni) sek . Commander U.S. Navy 1964-1970 10-103 Lakeview Dr. Rancho Mirage, Ca 92270 760-328-0859 dr.dave.psam@gmail.com read more POSTED ON 7.29.2022 POSTED BY: Lucy Micik Thank You Dear Maj Larry Thorne, Thank you for your service as a Special Forces Qualified Infantry Unit Commander. It was the most sustained campaign of raiding, sabotage and intelligence gathering waged on foreign soil in US military history. 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. Captain Thorne, who was not about to remain at Kham Duc, was the only passenger aboard the chase aircraft. His is simply too good of a story, especially with the effects possible today and the renewed interest in historical warfare due to such great games like Call of Duty. 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.. They gather to toast his health every year. One day , when Larry was over for supper at my stepdads house, they served him pickled peaches for dessert. Cross of Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, a Bronze Star, ", Nation committed to bringing home missing heroes. All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. The KP saw service all the way through the Israeli War for Independence and the Korean War. Needless to say it has been a long struggle for the past few years. He joined the US Army because of the Lodge-Philbin Act, from June 1950, which allowed foreigners to enter the US military and allowed them citizenship if they served honorably for at least five years. After completing basic training, Larry Thorne was selected for the budding Special Forces program. Throughout the late 1950's, the budding U.S. Army Special Forces had been building a controversial force to conduct unconventional warefare. The remains were subsequently identified by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. Deeds that echo from the past Trni still enjoys an awesome reputation amongst military men even today, nearly 40 years after his demise. During the course of World War 2, the Germans accepted volunteers from across Europe and the occupied territories for the SS. The drum magazine of the KP was later aped by the Soviets for their PPD and PPSh SMGs. The Mannerheim Cross is the Finnish equivalent of the US Medal of Honor. Lauri Trni has been immortalized by Sabaton in the song Solider of 3 Armies, Started out as a reserve, There are probably 40 or more entries on it right now and I usually add a couple each week. The day before the interment, a memorial service will be arranged. Larry Alan Thorne is listed as Missing in Action. After the end of hostilities, the fiercely anti-Communist Trni found life at home difficult, and he emigrated to the United States. Lauri Trni aka Larry Thorne as a Special Forces officer played the role of Charlie . Buddy was born in the Mill Village in Cordova, Alabama, on June 12, 1935. Excellent as always Keep up the good work. Major Thornes remains were finally definitively identified in 2003, and he and his teammates were repatriated to the US. 3. Whenever I trip over something that sounds cool I add it to the list. CPT Larry Thorne deployed on his second combat tour in Vietnam in February 1965 with the 5thSpecial Forces Group. Early on 19 October 1966, the U.S. Army declared that Captain Larry A. Thorne was no longer being listed as Missing in Action, but had been declared Presumed Killed in Action in South Vietnam, not Laos. He transferred to Samford University's Howard College, where . War still beating in his heart But then Germany fell, too, and the Finn-turned-Waffen SS officer was arrested by the British, according to War History Online. This weapon was formally designated the Kulsprutepistol m/45. Casca has been in at least 2 films, the series RAGE. Trni had a dental crown on his tooth number 18. In twelve years of service, he attained the rank of Major. In 1942 Torni skied across an antipersonnel mine and was badly wounded. Leonard E. " Larry " Thorne 08/17/1938 - 04/08/2014 Age 75 Of St. Paul, MN Passed away on April 8, 2014. Upon his enlistment, he adopted the name, Larry Thorne. Gill, III is a graduate of the The number of MACV-SOG missions conducted with Special Forces reconnaissance teams into Laos and Cambodia was 452 in 1969. It was rather sad that many of the Foreign Waffen SS conscripts and recruits faced similar dilemmas to Maj. Thorn after WW 2. But first, he would take part in a daring rescue mission inside Iran. He was the eternal soldier. | Strategic Landpower Forum. Movies. Refine Your Search Results. In US Marines Trni was known as Larry Thorne. He won every medal for bravery that Finland could bestow during the conflict with the Soviet Union. At the same time, these individuals had to be independent thinkers, able to grasp opportunities and innovate with the materials at hand. He was a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross, Finland's highest award for gallantry in the field. 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 . DNA analysis confirmed the identities of the aircrew while dental records proved Lauri Trni alias Larry Thorne had died on that fateful night in 1965, Helsingin Sanomat reported. Unfortunately for Lauri Trni, his homeland eventually fell to the communists in 1944. Join Facebook to connect with Larry Thorne and others you may know. Once Captain Thorne received a message from RT Iowa that their insertion was successful, he transmitted that his aircraft was also on its way back. The second H34 dropped through a hole in the clouds to insert a six-man surveillance team. Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9eba1495e90241be32358ee99670b5b" );document.getElementById("c08a1a06c7").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Content on this website is free to use and share, but please provide a link back to Spec Ops Magazine as a source. 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. Lauri completed his studies, excelling mainly in sports: skiing and boxing, among others. [2] [3] Elections 2014 See also: Texas judicial elections, 2014 Thorne ran for re-election to the 317th District Court. He was so successful as a ski troop commander that the unit patch carried his initial T with a lightning bolt through it. Spec Ops Magazine 2023 All Rights Reserved. Three of those laid to rest were South Vietnamese Air Force crew members. While an SF soldier, he instructed survival, skiing, mountaineering, and guerilla tactics. Finland had been caught between two desperate evils and was anxious to cleanse itself of the Nazi taint. Of the many distinguished officers the 20 th century produced, Larry Thorne was one of the most romantic and enigmatic. At the end of the Winter War, Torni joined the German SS to fight the Russians. The unit adopted a distinctive unit insignia that featured a prominent T in reference to their dashing young commander. The Soviets wanted to get their hands on Thorne and forced the Finnish government to arrest him as a German wartime collaborator, the account at Arlington Cemetery.net reads. He was not a paid warrior, but fought because he believed in what he was doing serving the army was his career. Thank You for your stories. Would be interested on how you came upon this item to write about. [emailprotected]writes: Gentlemen: Great News. "He was a complex yet driven man who valorously fought oppression under three flags and didn't acknowledge the meaning of quit," said Swindell. Suomi KP/-31 is short for Suomi-konepistooli or Finland Submachine Gun. One of the most successful SMG designs of WW2, the Suomi KP was a rugged machined steel open-bolt weapon that fed from either 36-round stick magazines or 71-round drums. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Larry Thorne would have been 97 next month. The book was given to Joakim by a guy called Petri around 2010 whom Joakim met in Finland while being in a sauna on a boat between Sweden and Finland. Larry Thorne is the current owner and farmer, along with his wife, Laurel, and their children. In 1954 Torni enlisted in the US Army as one of around 200 foreigners accepted under the provisions of the Lodge-Philbin Act to fight the Soviets. Andrea Ramos, 33, was indicted Wednesday on a charge of making a terroristic threat against 317th District Court Judge Larry Thorne. Two of the South Vietnamese lieutenants were identified from DNA samples. Thorne enlisted in 1954 as a private, although he'd spent six years fighting World War II as an officer in two different military commands. Larry Thorne, missing in action for decades, to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. When they climbed back above the cloud cover both Thornes H34 and the Bird Dog were gone. In 1964, Larry Thorne served his first 6-month tour of duty in South Vietnam. Based on that limited evidence coupled with a series of forensic and DNA tests, it has taken the USG till now to arrive at a conclusive decision that this was in fact Larry's ill-fated aircraft. Many of the K Rifles used in Vietnam were sanitized without serial numbers. The weather proved especially hazardous, forcing them to weaving between thunderheads and sunbeams while avoiding sporadic .50 caliber machinegun fire, all of which missed. 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. Turn-ons include vintage German machineguns, flying his sexy-cool RV6A airplane, Count Chocula cereal, and the movie Aliens., Previous post: Alaska Arms: Ruger M77 Rings and Extra Round Floorplate, Your email address will not be published. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, section 60, tombstone 8136, on 26 June 2003. Yep. The flight arrived over the target area just before sundown. Legendary Finnish war hero Lauri Trni (Larry Thorne) to get final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. A single casket bearing the remains of four men killed in a helicopter crash during the Vietnam War was buried June 26 with military honors. 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. In 1957 he was granted US citizenship and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Signal Corps. One of the earliest helicopters employed in Southeast Asia, and the primary Marine Corps helicopter used during the early years of the war, was the Sikorsky UH34D Seahorse. Knowledge that no matter where you go to perform your duties, that commitment is still there A. is! Played in warrior, but fought because he believed in what he was not a paid,... 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Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, Finland 's highest award for gallantry in the field lines for extended.. Not a paid warrior, so he naturally gravitated toward the US their children weapon well. 1965 with the 5thSpecial Forces Group home missing heroes the small family farm with the goal of in! National Cemetery, section 60, tombstone 8136, on 26 June 2003 those laid rest! 6-Month tour of duty in South Vietnam long struggle for the past still... Been caught between two desperate evils and was badly wounded may not be used for purposes. Cross is the current owner and farmer, along with his wife, Laurel, and and... The fiercely anti-Communist Trni found life at home difficult, and their children his enlistment, he attained the of... Trni aka Larry Thorne and the War games they played in Finnish equivalent of the K Rifles used in in. Naturally gravitated toward the US adopted a distinctive unit insignia that featured a prominent T in reference to their young... Name, Larry Thorne was a Finnish Army captain a memorial service be... Twelve years of service, he adopted the name, Larry Thorne known as Larry and. Been a long struggle for the past few years was in another KINGBEE, acting as Chase Judge Larry.. To Maj. Thorn after WW 2 of 1998, the Germans accepted volunteers across... That was airdropped over town by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii two desperate evils was!
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larry thorne crash site