The US Special Forces Major who fought in the SS

 

Lauri Allan Törni, later known as Larry Thorne, was a Finnish Army captain who led an infantry company in the Finnish Winter and Continuation Wars and moved to the United States after World War II. He fought under three flags: Finnish, German (when he fought the Soviets in World War II), and American (where he was known as Larry Thorne) when he served in U.S. Army Special Forces in the Vietnam War.

Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Hogan Walking into the Headquarters of the Green Berets 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Tolz, Germany as a newly assigned Lieutenant in June of 1961, not knowing what to expect, was the start of the second best assignment I had in the US Army (the best was commanding a Battalion of over 700 men and women in the 8th Infantry Division in Europe during the Cold War).

This Special Forces Group is the oldest in the Army having been established in June, 1952, after the Army was convinced following World War II that, based upon experiences during that war of successful operations behind enemy lines with elements of the old Office of Strategic Services (OSS), it would be prudent to retain that capability of unconventional warfare.  The Group was specifically formed to conduct partisan operations behind the Red Army lines in the event of a Soviet invasion of Europe.

With this type of mission, it soon became apparent that within the ranks of Special Forces Soldiers were some rather unusual people. Since the mission of the Group was unconventional warfare behind enemy lines, one of the main considerations for staffing the units that would be deployed was the ability of the men to blend into the local citizenry. Obviously a man who spoke fluent Hungarian would be a tremendous asset for a group going behind enemy lines in Hungary. (In addition it would probably give him a much better chance to stay alive.) The same would apply for Poland, Czechoslovakia, Russia, and other eastern European countries targeted for US operations. Likewise, people who were experts in the culture, habits, and appearance of the natives would increase the probability of successful operations behind the lines.

Added to these needed characteristics was the ability for a man to operate in the unusual environment of unconventional operations. More than likely, the insertion of the Soldiers behind the enemy lines would be done by parachute and then their only contact with other Americans would be by radio; their war would be fought, for however long it took, with the native forces behind the enemy lines. Former OSS operators, Ranger, and Airborne Soldiers from the American Army gravitated to this unit. Another special group of men also were there; the “Lodge Bill” troops. These were immigrants from politically persecuted countries who could become US citizens by serving in the US Army.

One of the most illustrious Soldiers from this category was a fellow officer by the name of Larry Thorne.

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