Mauno Koivisto
 Mauno Koivisto    (politician) | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 November 1923 Turku, Finland |
| Died | 12 May 2017 (Age 93) Helsinki, Finland |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Alma mater | University of Turku |
| Spouse | Tellervo Kankaanranta |
| Party | Social Democratic Party of Finland |
Mauno Henrik Koivisto was a Finnish politician and ninth president of Finland from 1982 to 1994. He also was the country's prime minister twice, from 1968 to 1970 and again from 1979 to 1982.
World War 2 and Lauri Törni
After attending primary school, Koivisto worked a number of jobs, and at the beginning of the Winter War in 1939 joined a field firefighting unit at the age of 16. During the Continuation War, Koivisto served in the Infantry Detachment Törni led by the Lauri Törni, an legendary infantry unit that penetrated deep behind enemy lines and soon enjoyed a reputation on both sides of the front for its combat effectiveness
This gives Koivisto a possible link to the stay behind network in Finland.
When Finland signed a ceasefire agreement with the Soviet Union in autumn 1944, Lauri Törni in January 1945 was recruited by the Pro-German resistance movement in Finland and left for saboteur training in Germany, with the intention of organizing resistance in case Finland was occupied by the Soviet Union.[1]
After the war Lauri Törni was sentenced to 6 years jail in Finland, but was pardoned in 1948. He ended up in the United States, where, in 1953, Törni was granted a residence permit through an Act of Congress[ that was shepherded by the law firm of "Wild Bill" Donovan, former head of the Office of Strategic Services.[2] Under the name Larry Thorne, he joined the Green Berets, a force that was involved in guerilla training for stay behind.
Several members of Infantry Detachment Törni were recruited by NATO intelligence agencies for covert reconnaissance of the Soviet Union in the 1950s[3].
References
- ↑ Gill III, Henry A. (1998). Soldier Under Three Flags: The Exploits of Special Forces' Captain Larry A. Thorne. Ventura, CA: Pathfinder Publishing. ISBN 978-0934793650. OCLC 38468782. pp. 69, 72.
- ↑ https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-67/pdf/STATUTE-67-PgA60.pdf
- ↑ https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2019/10/14/kylman-sodan-suomalaisagentit-kasikirjoitus
