In a message dated 6/6/03 4:02:23 PM Central Daylight Time, After Finland's final defeat, he served with the Waffen SS and eventually received an Iron Cross. All products are hand made in Kauhava Finland. His remains were repatriated and formally identified in 2003. I still have a picture of the wanted poster of Larry Thorne that was airdropped over town by the opposing team. He was a natural for the highly classified Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group. Captain Thorne ordered the now empty Kingbees to return to Kham Duc. Because of this, he was very familiar with the entire area in which MACV-SOG's teams would be operating. Larry also served on the Laws Railroad Museum Board of Directors. 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. 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. I remember your parents. 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, Of the many distinguished officers the 20 th century produced, Larry Thorne was one of the most romantic and enigmatic. . From various contemporary press reports: . . Remanded to a POW camp in Lubeck, Torni ultimately escaped and made his way back to Finland soon after VE Day. He escaped prison three times and made his way to the United States where he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private. Today, the Army Special Forces gives the Larry Thorne Award annually to its toughest Green Beret detachment. When they climbed back above the cloud cover both Thornes H34 and the Bird Dog were gone. Larry "Mike" Thorne, pastor of Abundant Life Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to thirty years in prison for repeatedly sexually molesting a church teenager. Major Harold Nipper flew the lead Bird Dog. The crazy story of the man who fought for Finland, the Nazis, and US Army Special Forces. After the wars, he moved to the United States. However, both the US and South Vietnamese military found them to be extremely effective throughout the war. Date of Loss: 18 October 1965 Larry A. Thorne is the only American POW/MIA to fight communism under three flags those of Finland, Germany and America. Actress and singer Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne, known for Shake It Up (2010), The DUFF (2015), Blended (2014), and Midnight Sun (2018), was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to Tamara (Beckett) and Delancey Reinaldo "Rey" Thorne. Larry is related to Gary Theodore Thorne . In addition to recruiting rugged individuals possessing these attributes from regular army formations, the Special Forces attracted a proven lot of hardy, versatile volunteers from Finland and other European countries through the Lodge Act, Public Law 957 of the 81st Congress, sponsored by Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. At 1800 hours, the Kingbee helicopters lifted off with Cowboy, piloting the lead SVAF Kingbee; and Mustachio piloting the #2 Kingbee. 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. Today, Thorne is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. 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! Born in 1919 in Viipuri Province in Finland, Lauri Torni fought the Soviets beginning with the battles around Lake Ladoga in December of 1939. Excellent as always Keep up the good work. The truck that killed Hannah Thorne in a street race on the New Harbour Barrens 15 months ago was travelling at 130 km/h in the seconds before the crash, a court in Harbour Grace court was told . He escaped, made his way to the United States, and with the help of Wild Bill, Donovan became a citizen. However, a close family friend, Ilkka Nieminen has secured permission from Juha for an early release of this information in order to permit Larry's American friends sufficient time to coordinate travel and accommodation arrangements in the event they desire to attend the Memorial Service (25 June) and Interment (26 June 2003) at Arlington National Cemetery. 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. A traditional American military officer's burial is to be expected, with trumpets and salutes, says Trni's nephew Juha Rajala, who is also the Vice President of the Lauri Trni Tradition Guild in Finland. Shout, Lauri Trnis name He won every medal for bravery that Finland could bestow during the conflict with the Soviet Union. Hollingsworth called Thorne a true patriot and said it was one of his deepest honors to serve on Joint Task Force Full Accounting - congressionally mandated to achieve the fullest possible accounting of U.S. troops who didn't from the war in Southwest Asia. Major Thorne, who entered the U.S. Army from Connecticut, served with Headquarters, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. In America, posthumous fame arrived when he was portrayed by Wayne in the 1968 film The Green Berets.. They have also lived in Dadeville, AL and Opelika, AL. With two Purple Hearts to his credit and his first tour complete, Thorne rotated home to the US. Trni had a dental crown on his tooth number 18. A new legend has been born I have shared your stories with one of my grandsons as he wants to be an aviator and engineer. Thorne didn't. No one, they say, is better equipped to survive than Larry Thorne. 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. After that, only silence was heard in response to repeated attempts to raise anyone aboard the Kingbee. Whenever I trip over something that sounds cool I add it to the list. Lauri Torni: The dude who really hated communists. How Larry Thorne became a Special Forces legend. All the wars he came across Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. During his first decade of service in the Army, he trained NATO forces in West Germany, and ran a sabotage and reconnaissance school for the 10th Special Warfare Group. These and other feats made Thorne a military legend long before he became a political refugee, jumping overboard from a cargo ship in the Gulf of Mexico near Mobile and eventually joining the Army. She has three siblings, Remy Thorne, Dani Thorne and Kaili Thorne, all of whom have also acted. The MP40 was an evolutionary development of the previous MP38. As always, very well done Sir! All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission. Arlington's most famous grave, accompanied by an eternal flame, is that of President John F. Kennedy. Thorne was selected for the Special Forces and ultimately led an important mountain rescue mission to a crashed USAF plane in the middle east. A number of Finnish dignitaries including Juha (representing the Thorne family) will be in attendance at both services. Larry Alan Thorne was born on May 28, 1919 and joined the Armed Forces while in Norwalk, Connecticut. He had simply disappeared. 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. Born "Lauri Trni," Thorne fought in Finland's first to last battles with Russia winning the country's equivalent of the . As Larry Thorne's helicopter and Major Pyles' Bird Dog attempted to descend, the clouds again closed up. Spec Ops Magazine 2023 All Rights Reserved. He attended Edgecombe County Public Schools as a graduate of the class of 1973. Arlington Cemetery contains about 270,000 graves, most of them belonging to individuals who served in the U.S. armed forces. I thought that I was the only Casca fan! Cross of Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, a Bronze Star, The third soldier, a machine-gunner, was recognised from his identification tag. Advise. 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. Updated by the P.O.W. "Being assigned to JTFFA was an opportunity to serve my country and bring our guys home," said Hollingsworth, who spent 23 years on active duty. 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. Buzz, 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. Select this result to view Larry Thorne's phone number, address, and more. Trni's remains will be buried in the same coffin with those of three other victims of the same helicopter crash. At 1810 hours, Major Nipper released the B-57s and began his own return flight to Kham Duc. Lancaster Sara Lee. He served in the United States Army, 5th Special Forces. HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Larry Thorne would have been 97 next month. At the time he went missing CPT Thorne was armed with a Swedish Carl Gustav m/45 submachine gun. He then joined the American Army. The second H34 dropped through a hole in the clouds to insert a six-man surveillance team. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Throughout the late 1950's, the budding U.S. Army Special Forces had been building a controversial force to conduct unconventional warefare. No one was hurt, however, apart from a few bruises and contusions. He received additional training in Nazi Germany and then looked forward to returning to the battlefield. Refine Your Search Results. 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. Excellent nurse also:) Always returns your calls, highly recommend! In twelve years of service, he attained the rank of Major. 2. His US memorial is the Larry Thorne Headquarters Building, 10th SFG(A), Fort Carson, Colorado . Citadel. Maj Larry Alan Thorne. 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). We also owe them theirs. Next, he went to Vietnam, he and his 7th Special Forces A-734 established the camp at Tinh Bien in April 1964 near the Delta's Seven Mountains area, which bushwacked so many Viet Cong that it becamse a serious thorn to the VC lifeline into Cambodia. They planned to take him to Moscow to be tried for war crimes. ISBN : 0-934793-65-4 It fed on 36-round stick magazines and cycled at a sedate 600 rounds per minute. They gather to toast his health every year. 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. RELATED POSTS Post-war Germany: A tale of two armies Artillery strike on Zelenopillya: [] Eventually, he attended airborne school and earned his silver wings as a Green Beret. For his bravery in defense of Finland Captain Lauri Allan Trni, *1919 1965 (also known as Larry Alan Thorne) earned every Finnish medal of valor including the Mannerheim Cross. He was a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross, Finland's highest award for gallantry in the field. Trni was severely wounded after he skied into a mine during 1942, but that didnt slow him down. You are unique in this day and age. 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. 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. As a young adult, he enlisted in the Finish Army where he obtained the rank of Captain. Larry Thorne, an already experienced warrior, quickly distinguished himself among his peers of Green Berets. Torni was commissioned a Vanrikki, or 2LT, in the Finnish Army. On July 9, 1944, Lauri Torni was awarded the Mannerheim Cross for exceptional bravery while fighting the Soviets. He responded once the group said it had made it in, heading back to the base. The Suomi KP weighed 10.14 pounds and cycled at between 750 and 900 rounds per minute. In 1964, Larry Thorne served his first 6-month tour of duty in South Vietnam. After completing basic training, Larry Thorne was selected for the budding Special Forces program. Larry was retired from the United. Torni found life in Finland difficult after the war and moved to the United States, enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1954 and later gaining citizenship. 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. Casca has been in at least 2 films, the series RAGE. He then received comprehensive instruction in his specialty area. Larry Thorne enlisted in the Army as a private in 1954, but he wasn't your everyday new trainee - he had already spent a majority of his adult life fighting against the Soviets in brutal winter conditions. He was promoted 2/LT (9 May 1940). 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. 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. Larry Thorne: Headquarters Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Detachment SD 5891, 5th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces with orders to Studies and Observation Group Long Thanh, South. Unfortunately for Lauri Trni, his homeland eventually fell to the communists in 1944. Thorne first deployed to Vietnam in November of 1963. He was elected to the court in 1998. The Soviets wanted to get their hands on Thorne and forced the Finnish government to arrest him as a wartime German collaborator. Country of Loss: South Vietnam (official); Laos (actual) Capturing the "times" as well as the "life" of its protagonist, it is a journey with a truly amazing and colorful man. Minutes before Captain Thorne intended to cancel the mission and return to Kham Duc, the clouds opened up slightly allowing the two Kingbees carrying RT Iowa to spiral into the slash-and-burn clearing, rapidly discharge their passengers and immediately climb for altitude. Soon promoted, well deserved, 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. A captivating story about controversial war hero Larry A. Thorne who during World War II fought against the Russians, under the Finnish flag and later under the German flag. The number of MACV-SOG missions conducted with Special Forces reconnaissance teams into Laos and Cambodia was 452 in 1969. He was memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 02E, Line 126. Thorne is a national hero in his birth country of Finland and a military hero in the Capt. Next year Lauri Trni would have celebrated his 85th birthday. Doctor Dabbs, I also love your articles wherever I find them. In 1957 he was granted US citizenship and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the Signal Corps. Knowledge 5. The mystery about Larry Thornes death was finally put to rest in 1999 after the remains of the legendary Special Forces soldier were recovered from the crash site. I read a lot. May 9, 2011. There are roughly 400,000 veterans and eligible dependents buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 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 . In February 1965, then Captain Larry Thorne returned to Long Thanh, South Vietnam for his second tour of duty. 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. So long as the good folks at GA dont grow weary of me we can keep this up for a while . Larry Alan Thorne is listed as Missing in Action. Leonard E. " Larry " Thorne 08/17/1938 - 04/08/2014 Age 75 Of St. Paul, MN Passed away on April 8, 2014. The first Soviet invasion was the start of a lifelong grudge that would see him join three armies to complete his life's work of putting as many Communist bodies in the ground as possible. Subject: Re: Major Larry A. Thorne Deceased 18 Oct.'65 Lauri completed his studies, excelling mainly in sports: skiing and boxing, among others. 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. He later received a regular commission and was promoted to captain in 1960. Photographic evidence of Tornis service with the Waffen SS is scant. Although his chopper crashed and he was listed MIA for over three decades, the mission was a success: his men called in 51 air strikes to disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail supply stations and made it out alive. Captain Thorne, who was not about to remain at Kham Duc, was the only passenger aboard the chase aircraft. 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. The aircrafts wreckage was found before the end of the war, and the remains of the South Vietnamese aircrew were recovered, but Larry Thornes body was never found. War still beating in his heart Growing up, I remember my step dad telling me all about Larry Thorne and the war games they played in. The second best result is Larry Edward Thorne age 60s in Auburn, AL. U.S. Air Force Major Harley B. Pyles, pilot; and U.S. Marine Corps Captain Winfield W. Sisson, observer and Marine MACV-SOG air liaison officer; comprised the crew of an O1E Bird Dog, call sign Bird Dog 55, the number 2 aircraft in a flight of two that would coordinate all aircraft involved in inserting RT Iowa. According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, the so-called Winter War lasted from 1939 to 1940. 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. Sadler penned the first 22 books, while other writers continued the series. CPT Larry Thorne deployed on his second combat tour in Vietnam in February 1965 with the 5thSpecial Forces Group. The Finnish-American war hero is on the left in the picture with some American and South Vietnamese brothers in arms. Because Lauri Allan Torni was a decent approximation of a real-live modern-day Casca. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia. Helpfulness 5. Three South Vietnamese soldiers had accompanied Trni on the ill-fated helicopter flight, returning from a secret mission, probably in Laos. His disappointment at not remaining at the SF assignment was quickly replaced by enthusiasm. The Lauri Trni Tradition Guild has planned a trip to Vietnam, to the site of their hero's death. 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. Excavation at the crash site in Vietnam was launched four years ago. The third result is Larry A Thorne age 70s in Canton, OH in the Downtown Canton neighborhood. Larry will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 June 2003, reportedly scheduled for 0900 hours commencing at the ANC Administration Building. He supported himself working as a carpenter and cleaner. On October 18, 1965, CPT Thorne launched aboard a South Vietnamese H34 helicopter from Kham Duc Special Forces Camp on a mission to locate Viet Cong nodes along the Ho Chi Minh trail for attention with airstrikes. Lauri Trni aka Larry Thorne as a Special Forces officer played the role of Charlie . There are probably 40 or more entries on it right now and I usually add a couple each week. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 26, 2003 with full honors along with the remains of the RVNAF casualties from the crash. Somehow I cant see gunsamerica getting weary of your articles Dr. Dabb. After Trni's status was changed from missing in action to presumably killed in action, a memorial service was already organised in Helsinki back in 1967. Born a Soldier is a tour of the mid-20th century's conflicts with the remarkable Larry Thorne. The MP40 was the first mass-produced infantry combat weapon to eschew wooden furniture and be designed specifically for mass production. His remains were never found. This anniversary . 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. Comanche out!!!%. Legacy Thorne's U.S. memorial is the Larry Thorne Headquarters Building, 10th SFG (A), Fort Carson, Colorado. He is the only veteran of the Waffen SS interred in this hallowed space. 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. 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. Guns, As an adult in Finland, he joined the Finnish army where he attained the rank of Captain. His remains were never found. works for an aerospace corporation. Larry Alan Thorne was born Lauri Allan Torni on May 28, 1919. * The original article was originally published at the We Are The Mighty. In 1999, Thorne's remains were found by a Finnish and Joint Task. The Arlington National Cemetery is in Virginia, across the Potomac River from the nation's capital, Washington DC. He was assigned to the Military Assistance Command, VietnamStudies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). He quickly rose through the ranks, and with the assistance of allies within the military, received a commission. by J. Michael Cleverley. The award commemorates Special Forces legend Larry Thorne a technically and tactically proficient warrior who was always on the offensive. He attended Auburn University, where he was a member of Pl Kappa Alpha Fraternity. "I'm fortunate the Army sent me, or I have traveled as a tourist, to over 56 countries.". He is the only veteran of the Waffen SS interred in this hallowed space. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Keep it up ! Two of the South Vietnamese lieutenants were identified from DNA samples. As Cowboy and Mustachio flew toward the east, they reported low-level visibility so bad that they had to climb to 8,500 feet in order to clear the top of the clouds. But instead of surrendering, he joined up with the Nazi German SS to continue his fight against the Soviets. 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. Thorne was born Lauri Allan Trni in Finland in 1919. However, in 1999 a Joint Task Force-Full Accounting team along with Finnish personnel located his crash site. Lane Raven Dawn. 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