News-Info-Alerts

Re: Finnish US Special Forces MIA Laid to Rest at Arlington

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: June 29, 2003

"Finnish War Hero Törni Buried Near Washington

The legendary Finnish war hero Lauri Törni has been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetary in the United States.

Törni went missing in action while serving in US special forces in Vietnam nearly 40 years ago. His remains were only recently identified.

Lauri Törni, better known as Larry Thorne, enjoys a legendary reputation. That began during the Second World War, when he successfully led Finnish missions behind Soviet lines, earning Finland's highest award for bravery.

After the war, he emigrated to the United States, enlisted in the U.S. military and became Larry Thorne.

Thorne's expertise in survival skills and unconventional tactics gained him a commission in the Special Forces. After a number of tours in Vietnam, Thorne went missing close to the Laotian border while on a secret helicopter mission.

In the 1968 film The Green Berets, the character played by John Wayne was reportedly based on Thorne.

YLE24"