In early 1945 he fell in with German units fighting the Soviets near Schwerin until he was captured by the British. 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) The Army would regularly conduct war games that interacted with the civilian population. Cross of Mannerheim, addicted to the wargame Lauri Torni: The dude who really hated communists. With a bounty on his head, the Red Army wants him dead Born "Lauri Trni," Thorne fought in Finland's first to last battles with Russia winning the country's equivalent of the . There are two soldiers Id like to have had a morning coffee and a chat with, Larry Thorne and Desmond Doss. 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. His remains were never found. Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing). He led an infantry company in the Finnish Winter and Continuation Wars. To say the life and exploits of Larry Thorne are unbelievable is to put it mildly. Rumors swirled that this indestructible warrior had survived the crash of his aircraft and was either actively fighting against the communists or languishing in some secret POW camp. Lauri Trni (1919-1965) was a World War II hero and a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross the highest award for gallantry on the field in his native Finland. Doctor Dabbs, I also love your articles wherever I find them. Repeatedly proving his worth, Thorne advanced in rank and was commissioned a first lieutenant in the U.S. Signal Corps in 1957. Because Lauri Allan Torni was a decent approximation of a real-live modern-day Casca. Son of Finland and a Green Beret 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). 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. Torni trained with the Waffen SS starting in 1941 and was eventually promoted to Untersturmfuhrer. At 1810 hours, Major Nipper released the B-57s and began his own return flight to Kham Duc. 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. Legendary Finnish war hero Lauri Trni (Larry Thorne) to get final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. Shortly after loss, Larry Thorne was reported as Missing in Action. While an SF soldier, he instructed survival, skiing, mountaineering, and guerilla tactics. "He was a complex yet driven man who valorously fought oppression under three flags and didn't acknowledge the meaning of quit," said Swindell. When Sweden forbade further exports to the US in protest to the war in Vietnam the government tasked Smith and Wesson with contriving a replacement. 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. In a message dated 6/6/03 4:02:23 PM Central Daylight Time, There he entered the U.S. military and became a decorated and much-revered Vietnam War hero in Special Forces. He attended Edgecombe County Public Schools as a graduate of the class of 1973. Prior to his final mission, Larry Thorne had been recommended for promotion to Major and was being groomed for a staff position as an intelligence officer. Larry L. Wise and Joan Wise, David Goodwin and Judson Michcayla Goodwin, 112 Designer Circle, $191,900, 02/22/23 River Bottom Timber LLC, Karen Baumer, 0 North County Road 33, Columbia, $78,000 . 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. Major Larry Thorne was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 26, 2003. Thirty of the Finnish Army infantrymen who accompanied Trni on numerous dangerous missions in World War II are still alive, among them Finland's former President Mauno Koivisto. No one, they say, is better equipped to survive than Larry Thorne. Many believed he was exactly the sort of near-indestructible soldier who would have simply walked back out of the jungle, and they found it hard to believe he had been killed, Helsingin Sanomat writes. In the last stages of the war, he surrendered to the British and eventually returned to Finland after escaping a British POW camp, the account at War History Online reads. My stepdad was a civilian spy for Larrys team. Pathfinder Publishing * The original article was originally published at the We Are The Mighty. Deeds that echo from the past If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Deeds that echo from the past "The message to our troops is: we will bring you home. And the legend has begun In 1999, Thorne's remains were found by a Finnish and Joint Task Force-Full Accounting team excavated a helicopter crash site near Thorn's last suspected location. Unlike similar weapons, the Suomi KP featured an easily exchanged barrel. Separating the remains of the crash victims, however, turned out to be an impossible task, which led to a pragmatic decision to organise a joint burial at Arlington. When the crash site was finally located four years ago, the U.S. military made inquiries concerning Trni's final resting place. 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! They have also lived in Dadeville, AL and Opelika, AL. As an adult in Finland, he joined the Finnish army where he attained the rank of Captain. Larry Thorne is the judge of the 317th District Court in Texas. Lancaster Sara Lee. dr michelle oakley clinic; laga startmotor solenoid. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Funny, your articles are half the reason Im here. Three of those laid to rest were South Vietnamese Air Force crew members. Lt. Updated by the P.O.W. This anniversary . 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. 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. Larry Thorne, missing in action for decades, was given full honors and laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery June 26, 2003. Purple Heart, one Distinguished Flying Cross. 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. Your choices may vary.. Grow weary? His remains were never found. From 1958 through 1962 Thorne served with the 10thSpecial Forces Group in Bad Tolz, West Germany. When the Continuation War began, he returned to Finland and again commanded his ski troops. 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. When rescue workers went to the site, they recovered the remains of the Vietnamese crew, but found no sign of Larry Thorne. How Larry Thorne became a Special Forces legend. The Tradition Guild will send representatives to the funeral, and the Finnish Defence Forces will decide on their participation next week. Minutes later Major Pyles transmitted the weather conditions were marginal, with clouds below the mountaintops and increasing ground fog. 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. Ventura, CA 93003. 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. Three missions had attempted to get to the crash site and failed, so Thorne parachuted in, made his way up 14,000-feet deep in enemy territory, recover the data and snuck out undetected.. 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. Even before his death, Thorne's name was legendary in US Special Forces. (Bees) of the mission recovered at the crash site. On July 9, 1944, Lauri Torni was awarded the Mannerheim Cross for exceptional bravery while fighting the Soviets. The book about Larry Thorne has 208 pages and 37 photographs, and is available for 14.95. 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 Thorne Against The World. If I could have carte blanc to craft any work of fiction it would be to retire behind my MacBook and resurrect the tale of Casca in a modern context. Excellent as always Keep up the good work. In Finland, Lauri Torni is a national hero. One of Thorne's crowning achievements was during the 1950s when he led a covert mission into the Iran to recover bodies and classified data from a C-130 transport plane that had gone down in the country's largest mountain range. The award commemorates Special Forces legend Larry Thorne a technically and tactically proficient warrior who was always on the offensive. At long last, his remains have been formally identified, and he will be laid to rest in the Arlington National Cemetery on June 26 of this year. Leading a special hand-picked unit, Thorne operated deep behind enemy lines for extended periods. With the new name of Larry Thorne, he became an officer in the Green Berets, of the Army's elite Special Forces, serving in operations in Iran and Vietnam, according to an article last year in Military Review, an Army publication. He quickly rose through the ranks, and with the assistance of allies within the military, received a commission. His posthumous promotion to Major was approved in December 1965. Needless to say it has been a long struggle for the past few years. Lauri Torni was born in 1919 in Viipuri (a part of Finland occupied by Russia since the end of WW2), joined the Finnish army in 1938 and served as a patrol NCO during the Winter War (1939-1940), a prelude to WW2 where the Soviet Union launched an invasion of Finland. 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. Neverending fame, victory reclaimed 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. Major Harold Nipper flew the lead Bird Dog. During one particularly intense attack on CIDG forces at Tjnh Bien he earned a Bronze Star for Valor. A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game Larry Thorne in the U.S. Army. Abercrombie Hunter Thompson. Larry was retired from the United. After completing basic training, Larry Thorne was selected for the budding Special Forces program. Email Us pianolektioner liding (Source: Richard Hayse, SFODAs 9 and 7, 1976-1978) He then joined the American Army. Political alliances in the 1940s were complicated, and when arrayed against the Russian bear the Finns found themselves fighting alongside the Germans. According to historian Max Boot, more than 200 Eastern Europeans joined Army Special Forces before the Act expired in 1959, including Lauri Trni, who enlisted in 1954 under the name Larry Thorne. I will also secure a name and address in Finland for anyone desiring to dispatch a card to Juha and/or Salme, the last surviving sister of Larry. The second best result is Larry Edward Thorne age 60s in Auburn, AL. Best pediatrician in town-no doubt the most knowledgeable. American military men in Vietnam and Laos were called upon to fly and fight in many dangerous circumstances, and they were prepared to be wounded, killed or captured. His US memorial is the Larry Thorne Headquarters Building, 10th SFG(A), Fort Carson, Colorado . Thorne was selected for the Special Forces and ultimately led an important mountain rescue mission to a crashed USAF plane in the middle east. Copyright 2023 by arlingtoncemetery.net. Though he enlisted as a private, his wartime skillset led him to become an instructor at the Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg, teaching everything from survival to guerrilla tactics. A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game The 5th Special Forces Group channeled personnel into MACV-SOG (although it was not a Special Forces unit) through Special Operations Augmentation (SOA), which provided their cover while under secret orders to MACV-SOG. ISBN : 0-934793-65-4 Thorne was born in Finland in 1919, and entered military service in 1938 joining the 4th . Larry Alan Thorne is listed as Missing in Action. Three missions had attempted to get to the crash site and failed, but Captain Larry Thorne grabbed his shit, parachuted in with a 12-man team, made his way up 14,000 feet of elevation deep in enemy territory, and somehow recovered the data and snuck out of there undetected. 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. It is likely that the representation from the U.S. Army will be at the level of a General. Thank you so much. But instead of surrendering, he joined up with the Nazi German SS to continue his fight against the Soviets. The second H34 dropped through a hole in the clouds to insert a six-man surveillance team. This aircraft was already quite old when they arrived in the battle zone. He briefly knew him from his short time at Ft.Bragg, I think between thornes two Vietnam tours. Thank you Dr. Dobbs for bringing Major Larry Thorne into th public eye once again. Langham Reginal Raynard. Later that same evening, Larry was telling war stories from his days in Finnland. During World War II, Torni trained with the Waffen SS in Germany and fought alongside Finnish and German guerrillas against the Soviets. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Alan Thorne, was a Finnish-American soldier who fought under three flags: as a Finnish Army Second Lieutenant of the Fourth Independent Jger Infantry Battalion against the Soviets in the Winter War and the Soviet-Finnish sub-theater of World War II known as the Continuation Knowledge 5. 3. Thorne had other plans. Leonard E. " Larry " Thorne 08/17/1938 - 04/08/2014 Age 75 Of St. Paul, MN Passed away on April 8, 2014. 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. . The future President of Finland, Mauno Koivisto, served under his command. Arlington's most famous grave, accompanied by an eternal flame, is that of President John F. Kennedy. Lauri completed his studies, excelling mainly in sports: skiing and boxing, among others. A few included a superb sound suppressor. 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