Oooh we remember, we remember, we remember 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, 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. When North Vietnam began to increase its military strength in South Vietnam, NVA and Viet Cong troops again intruded on neutral Laos for sanctuary, as the Viet Minh had done during the war with the French some years before. 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. That is where Lauri Trni saw his opportunity for a new beginning. 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 The Mannerheim Cross is the Finnish equivalent of the US Medal of Honor. Changed his name to Larry Thorne, From the Finnish lakes, The third result is Larry A Thorne age 70s in Canton, OH in the Downtown Canton neighborhood. Somehow I cant see gunsamerica getting weary of your articles Dr. Dabb. My stepdad was a civilian spy for Larrys team. Punctuality 5. So long as the good folks at GA dont grow weary of me we can keep this up for a while . There is comfort in that knowledge that no matter where you go to perform your duties, that commitment is still there. He briefly knew him from his short time at Ft.Bragg, I think between thornes two Vietnam tours. Though three earlier attempts to secure the materials had failed, Thornes team was successful, and he was awarded that mission. Jeff Ross 8 Likes Sponsored Links Larry Alan Thorne was born Lauri Allan Torni on May 28, 1919. 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. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Is this the Will Dabbs from Clarksdale? If anything, his American commanding officers, peacetime and wartime, considered him one of the most professional soldiers they had ever met. War still beating in his heart The book Born a Soldier: The Times and Life of Larry A Thorne by J. Michael Cleverley inspired the song's lyrics. Lauri Torni hated the threat of communism so much that he was willing to join any army to fight it. Hn palveli Suomen armeijassa kapteenina, kansallissosialistisen Saksan Waffen-SS-joukoissa 1941 Untersturmfhrerin ja 1945 Hauptsturmfhrerin (kapteeni) sek . Unfortunately for Lauri Trni, his homeland eventually fell to the communists in 1944. He was born July 3, 1931 to the late Thomas Aubrey and Maggie Elizabeth Lawrence Thorne. The remains of the Finnish war hero Lauri Trni (also known as Larry Thorne) was buried with full military honors in the Arlington cemetary yesterday. 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. In 1964, Larry Thorne served his first 6-month tour of duty in South Vietnam. Mike, I just keep a list. 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. His father a ship captain, Trni had two younger sisters. JTFFA consisted of investigators, linguists, military specialists, DOD civilians, anthropologists and forensic archeologists. On June 4, 2003, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now DPAA) identified the remains of Major Larry Alan Thorne, missing from the Vietnam War. He supported himself working as a carpenter and cleaner. "Whenever I think of a country, it brings back memories," he said. The Larry Thorne Headquarter Building for the 10th Special Forces Group at Fort Carson, Colorado, is named in his honor; several books and movie characters proclaim his feats. * The original article was originally published at the We Are The Mighty. Upon his enlistment, he adopted the name, Larry Thorne. However, in 1999 a Joint Task Force-Full Accounting team along with Finnish personnel located his crash site. 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. 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. He won every medal for bravery that Finland could bestow during the conflict with the Soviet Union. Great story! Rise, from beyond your grave, Date of Loss: 18 October 1965 All the wars he came across Today, Thorne is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. Starting in his homeland Finland, doing some time in Nazi-Germany SS Division, and finally got killed in Laos as a US Army Special Forces member. Actress: The DUFF. Time and Location as yet to be determined. Even before the medical confirmation, two pieces of evidence pointed strongly to the final outcome: the serial number found on the helicopter's rotor blade and the Swedish-made machine pistol that Trni had taken with him, which was found nearby. During one particularly intense attack on CIDG forces at Tjnh Bien he earned a Bronze Star for Valor. His US memorial is the Larry Thorne Headquarters Building, 10th SFG(A), Fort Carson, Colorado . 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 . Because Lauri Allan Torni was a decent approximation of a real-live modern-day Casca. "Men like Larry are called to serve others," said Hollingsworth, "but not all volunteer for the types of training and assignments Larry did. 1-800-977-2282 He responded once the group said it had made it in, heading back to the base. Cross of Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, a Bronze Star, Thornes exploits in combat made him seem invincible among his Special Forces brothers. Dr. Dabbs this was an great article, I thought that I was the only Casca fan, I started reading them in the early 80s! The drum magazine of the KP was later aped by the Soviets for their PPD and PPSh SMGs. Larry Thorne (born Lauri Trni) was a war hero who fought under three different flags. The weather proved especially hazardous, forcing them to weaving between thunderheads and sunbeams while avoiding sporadic .50 caliber machinegun fire, all of which missed. The all aircraft circled the area looking for a way to get down to the clearing through the thick angry clouds that blanketed the area. Bella Thorne. Opening Hours Mon to Fri - 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM Sat - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM . About the author: Lauri Trni has been immortalized by Sabaton in the song Solider of 3 Armies, Started out as a reserve, 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. 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. Casca has been in at least 2 films, the series RAGE. Today, the Army Special Forces gives the Larry Thorne Award annually to its toughest Green Beret detachment. At 1800 hours, the Kingbee helicopters lifted off with Cowboy, piloting the lead SVAF Kingbee; and Mustachio piloting the #2 Kingbee. Most important, the Special Forces warriors had to posses the intelligence, knowledge, tact, and acumen to successfully transform ordinary civilians into an effective military threat to a strong and cunning occupation army. That is it for now. The second best result is Larry J Thorne age 70s in Sidney, OH. I recall reading about the Major in the 80s before his remains were recovered, and also again in the very late 90s/early 2000 when his remains were recovered. Lauri Allan Trni! 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. 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. The Tradition Guild will send representatives to the funeral, and the Finnish Defence Forces will decide on their participation next week. US Army Huey gunships launched at the same time to provide air cover should it be needed at any time during the mission. You are unique in this day and age. Tentatively plans for a memorial service are also scheduled for the evening of 25 June. Larry Alan Thorne was born Lauri Allan Torni in Viipuri, Finland. [emailprotected]writes: Gentlemen: Great News. They planned to take him to Moscow to be tried for war crimes. Soviet enemy #1. It would also make a simply fantastic movie. As a result, despite his holding the Mannerheim Cross Torni was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. Born Lauri Allan Torne in Finland, in 1919, Thorne would distinguish himself, leading an elite detachment of Finnish ski troops (think James Bond) on raids behind Soviet lines, commanding a Waffen-SS sabotage squad, and unleashing such crippling guerrilla attacks against the Soviets that they put an unheard-of 3 million Finnish mark bounty on his head. 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. He was a recipient of the Mannerheim Cross, Finland's highest award for gallantry in the field. The Swedish K was an open-bolt full auto-only design of a fairly conventional layout. The remains were subsequently identified by the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. Rise, from beyond your grave, But first, he would take part in a daring rescue mission inside Iran. Juha Rajala, Larry's nephew has scheduled a Press Release for 10 June in Finland announcing the decision by the USG as it relates to Larry. Contents hide 1 Introduction 2 The Nazi era 3 Joining the US Army Special Forces This weapon was formally designated the Kulsprutepistol m/45. . 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. Doctor Dabbs, where do you get your seemingly inexhaustible supply of interesting topics to write about? "The message to our troops is: we will bring you home. The KP saw service all the way through the Israeli War for Independence and the Korean War. The flight arrived over the target area just before sundown. I read Mr Saddlers casca but I think you would do it better. They gather to toast his health every year. Trni's remains will be buried in the same coffin with those of three other victims of the same helicopter crash. He was a natural for the highly classified Military Assistance Command, Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group. Some 80,000 copies were produced between 1931 and 1953. 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) While assigned to Headquarters, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam; Captain Thorne was instrumental in establishing the standard operating procedures employed by the fledgling Studies and Observation Group, better known by its acronym MACV-SOG. MACV-SOG was a joint service unconventional warfare task force engaged in highly classified operations throughout Southeast Asia. The last picture of Larry Thorne was taken three days before he disappeared. His posthumous promotion to Major was approved in December 1965. An athletic boy, he joined the White Guard (the Finnish civil militia) and then in 1938 joined the regular Army. Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! Whenever I trip over something that sounds cool I add it to the list. Born a Soldier is a tour of the mid-20th century's conflicts with the remarkable Larry Thorne. - Follow me, Thorne shouted and started running towards his estimated landing site. At the time he went missing CPT Thorne was armed with a Swedish Carl Gustav m/45 submachine gun. 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 is the only veteran of the Waffen SS interred in this hallowed space. Larry Thorne, age 86 of Minor Hill passed away Saturday, December 30, 2017. In US Marines Trni was known as Larry Thorne. Larry will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 June 2003, reportedly scheduled for 0900 hours commencing at the ANC Administration Building. He is married to his high school sweetheart, has three awesome adult children, and teaches Sunday School. 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. 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. 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. 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. All Filters. 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. When they climbed back above the cloud cover both Thornes H34 and the Bird Dog were gone. Needless to say it has been a long struggle for the past few years. 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. Lauri Alan Trni. 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. Your email address will not be published. While with 10thGroup he led a successful covert mission into Iran to recover sensitive equipment and bodies from a downed USAF C130 cargo plane. It was concluded that Thorne's Choctaw had crashed into the side of a mountain while flying nap-of-the-earth. He received additional training in Nazi Germany and then looked forward to returning to the battlefield. "To negotiate with senior Vietnamese colonels about sites, cost to the U.S. government, and to brief U.S. Embassy officials on my teams' presence, as a captain, was pretty exciting. History, Larry Thorne, born August 5, 1956 to the late Jason C. Thorne and Lillian Cooper Thorne in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. After World War II, Lauri Torni made his way to the United States where he enlisted in the U.S. Army under the Lodge Bill. 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. Shortly thereafter, Captain Thorne also released Bird Dog 55 and the Huey gunships to return to base. Andrea Ramos, 33, was indicted Wednesday on a charge of making a terroristic threat against 317th District Court Judge Larry Thorne. He left his home-country to fight for one that was not his native home, but for the men to the left and right of him.". A Soldier of 3 armies knows the game Captain Thorne, who was not about to remain at Kham Duc, was the only passenger aboard the chase aircraft. Thorne is a national hero in his birth country of Finland and a military hero in the Capt. The Seahorse was frequently used to insert MACV-SOG teams into Laos. While much of the writing is fairly vapid, that was an incredibly cool plot device. In America, posthumous fame arrived when he was portrayed by Wayne in the 1968 film The Green Berets.. 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. 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