Please keep up the awesome work! Select this result to view Larry Thorne's phone number, address, and more. In spite of the existing conditions, the FAC pilot believed the low flying helicopters could weave around the worst of it and called for the rest of the mission's aircraft to launch. Trni was a dedicated and brave soldier, and he quickly rose to the rank of captain and took command of a group of ski troops. Intense search efforts were initiated at first light the next morning and continued for the next month, but found not trace of the missing Kingbee, its crew and passenger. Larry Alan Thorne is listed as Missing in Action. Buzz, While operating in the Quang Nam Province some 25 miles from Da Nang the three aircraft encountered unexpectedly foul weather. In 1999 a US/VN JTF/FA conducted an excavation of a CH-34 KINGBEE crash site and recovered several fragments of bones, miscellaneous equipment and a Swedish K SMG. Army Special Forces and CIA operators used the weapon as well. 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. Tentatively plans for a memorial service are also scheduled for the evening of 25 June. So why all this talk of a 1980s-era pulpy mens fiction series mostly forgotten by the modern world? The newly christened Larry Thorne was befriended by Finnish-American officers who recognized his abilities and directed him to the Special Forces. The helicopter crashed on a mountain-top in a severe thuderstorm. As the Kingbees and Huey gunships flew low over the countryside, all they could see were rolling hills, wild rivers and waterfalls. Trni's fate was finally confirmed, not by a DNA sample, but from his dental records. Three South Vietnamese soldiers had accompanied Trni on the ill-fated helicopter flight, returning from a secret mission, probably in Laos. The Mannerheim Cross is the Finnish equivalent of the US Medal of Honor. The men followed Thorne, knives at the ready to help their comrades who might land in the trees. The third Kingbee was a chase aircraft that would retrieve the crew and passengers of any aircraft that went down. Lauri Trni aka Larry Thorne as a Special Forces officer played the role of Charlie . Citadel. to the site, they recovered the remains of the Vietnamese crew, but found no sign of Larry Thorne. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Tornis marauders caused such consternationamong Soviet combat formations that they put a bounty of three million Finnish marks on his head. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), also known as Larry Thorne, was a Finnish Army Captain who led an infantry Company against the Soviet Union in the Finnish Winter and. Not that being put into a prison camp would stop him either. There are roughly 400,000 veterans and eligible dependents buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 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. It fed on 36-round stick magazines and cycled at a sedate 600 rounds per minute. He quickly rose through the ranks, and with the assistance of allies within the military, received a commission. Cross the water a new start, Using South Vietnamese Air Force helicopters, US Army successfully inserted Thornes group into a clearing inside Laos while Thorne remained in a chase helicopter to direct support as needed. In Finland, hopes were raised for the national hero's possible burial in his home country. With a bounty on his head, the Red Army wants him dead As the men of RT Iowa prepared their weapons and gear, Major Norton and Captain Thorne brought the SVAF Kingbee, US Army Huey and USAF Forward Air Controller (FAC) aircrews together in the operations shack to plan the team's insertion at dusk. Repeatedly proving his worth, Thorne advanced in rank and was commissioned a first lieutenant in the U.S. Signal Corps in 1957. Related Tags: At the SOG PUC presentation - SOG guys with Larry Thorne Knives Submitted by Jari of Finland: Nugent Cal Ky, President of South Vietnam and Robert L. Noe: LZ Duc Co near the village and the fence along Highway 19. . This anniversary . by J. Michael Cleverley. 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. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Some 80,000 copies were produced between 1931 and 1953. As a result, despite his holding the Mannerheim Cross Torni was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison. Larry Thorne was a hardcore cyclone of SMG-chunking bullet rage who served in the Special Forces of three different countries, led an elite detachment of badass Finnish ski troops on balls-out raids behind Soviet lines during the Winter War, commanded a Waffen-SS sabotage squad during World War II, and was an original United States Army Green 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. Thank You for your stories. 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 valor earned him the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the Mannerheim Medal. 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. Somehow I cant see gunsamerica getting weary of your articles Dr. Dabb. He joined the Germans, attended their school for guerrilla warfare, and then fought with their marines until the war ended. He departed his life June 23, 2020, at home in Welcome, Maryland. He graduated from Cordova High School in 1953. In 1957, he commissioned a second lieutenant, and he would rise to the rank of captain just as the war was on the horizon in Vietnam. Great with the kids, they ask to "go see Dr. Thorne". He was memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 02E, Line 126. All Local Sales are FREE! In twelve years of service, he attained the rank of Major. In a second tour of Vietnam, attached to Headquarters Company, MACV, Special Detachment 5891, the Vietnamese Air Force CH34 helicopter on which Thorne was a passenger crashed about 25 miles southwest of Da Nang. He is the only veteran of the Waffen SS interred in this hallowed space. To say the life and exploits of Larry Thorne are unbelievable is to put it mildly. Larry Thorne, born August 5, 1956 to the late Jason C. Thorne and Lillian Cooper Thorne in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. My stepdad was a civilian spy for Larrys team. Slats and his RT were able to infiltrate the AO via another KINGBEE, but, almost immediately following insertion the weather turned to shit. Advise. Legendary Finnish war hero Lauri Trni (Larry Thorne) to get final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. The best result we found for your search is Larry Thorne age 70s in Montgomery, AL. In June of 1998, the book THE SOLDIER UNDER THREE FLAGS was made available by Pathfinder publishing. Trni's remains will be buried in the same coffin with those of three other victims of the same helicopter crash. 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. Upon his enlistment, he adopted the name, Larry Thorne. Oooh we remember, we remember, we remember Larry Thorne - Special Forces Legend. My point wasnt so much that Thorne was a mercenary as that he fought in a lot of places for a lot of flags over a long period of time. Finland. Larry is related to Kenneth Thorne and Kenneth E Thorne as . There are roughly 400,000 veterans and eligible dependents buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Regards, Clyde (Clyde J. Sincere, Jr. 11722 Lariat Lane Oakton, Virginia 22124-2323 (703) 620-0953[emailprotected]. In US Marines Trni was known as Larry Thorne. Lauri Allan Trni (28 May 1919 - 18 October 1965), later known as Larry Alan Thorne, was a Finnish 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 War; as a German Army Captain (under the alias Larry . 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. In the United Sates, Larry Thorne is forgotten by all but a few. One day , when Larry was over for supper at my stepdads house, they served him pickled peaches for dessert. He was so successful as a ski troop commander that the unit patch carried his initial T with a lightning bolt through it. But instead of surrendering, he joined up with the Nazi German SS to continue his fight against the Soviets. After completing basic training, Larry Thorne was selected for the budding Special Forces program. Also on board were three South Vietnamese crew members: Lieutenant Bao Tung Nguyen, First Lieutenant The Long Phan and Sergeant Vam Lanh Bui. 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. Dr. 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. He escaped, made his way to the United States, and with the help of Wild Bill, Donovan became a citizen. Purple Heart, one Distinguished Flying Cross. "Whenever I think of a country, it brings back memories," he said. 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. Lauri Allan Trni! 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. Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: CH34 Seahorse Trni still enjoys an awesome reputation amongst military men even today, nearly 40 years after his demise. His remains were never found. The last picture of Larry Thorne was taken three days before he disappeared. 2. He attended Edgecombe County Public Schools as a graduate of the class of 1973. Soviet enemy #1. 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. 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. All Filters. Growing up, I remember my step dad telling me all about Larry Thorne and the war games they played in. Arlington's most famous grave, accompanied by an eternal flame, is that of President John F. Kennedy. The drum magazine of the KP was later aped by the Soviets for their PPD and PPSh SMGs. 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). 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, The teams performed deep penetration missions of strategic reconnaissance and interdiction that were called, depending on the location and time frame, Shining Brass Daniel Boone, Salem House or Prairie Fire missions. A number of Finnish dignitaries including Juha (representing the Thorne family) will be in attendance at both services. Eventually, he attended airborne school and earned his silver wings as a Green Beret. He was assigned to the Military Assistance Command, VietnamStudies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG). 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. Makes going to the doctor so much easier. Trni had a dental crown on his tooth number 18. 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. In a message dated 6/6/03 4:02:23 PM Central Daylight Time, Larry A. Thorne is the only American POW/MIA to fight communism under three flags those of Finland, Germany and America. His family believes he is still alive, even considering he was 70 years old this year (1989). It is likely that the representation from the U.S. Army will be at the level of a General. Special Forces will also organise a tribute to their hero. During the early years of World War II, he developed, trained and commanded the Finish ski troops. Larry Thorne Against The World. Though three earlier attempts to secure the materials had failed, Thornes team was successful, and he was awarded that mission. The second best result is Larry Edward Thorne age 60s in Auburn, AL. The MP40 was the first mass-produced infantry combat weapon to eschew wooden furniture and be designed specifically for mass production. 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. * The original article was originally published at the We Are The Mighty. Finland had been caught between two desperate evils and was anxious to cleanse itself of the Nazi taint. works for an aerospace corporation. We must never forget men like Thorne. All the wars he came across 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. The KP saw service all the way through the Israeli War for Independence and the Korean War. 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. Roughly five minutes later, while flying in poor visibility and bad weather, the helicopter crashed. She has three siblings, Remy Thorne, Dani Thorne and Kaili Thorne, all of whom have also acted. Larry A. Thorne, the name by which Trni is remembered in the United States, was a captain and a Green Beret in the U.S. Special Forces. 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 third result is Larry A Thorne age 70s in Canton, OH in the Downtown Canton neighborhood. He then received comprehensive instruction in his specialty area. 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. Hi DR. Dabbs, as usual a great article! Son of Finland and a Green Beret He was posthumously promoted to major and is the only American POW/MIA to fight communism under three flags - Finland, Germany and America. The Seahorse was frequently used to insert MACV-SOG teams into Laos. 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