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Nemesis -> A great soldier has passed away... (2/27/2004 11:23:16 AM)
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Mannerheim-cross decorated Infantry-general, Adolf Ehrnrooth, passed away yesterday at the age of 99. From Wikipedia:
quote:
Adolf Erik Ehrnrooth (February 2, 1905 - February 26, 2004) was a Finnish general.
Ehrnrooth entered cadet school in 1922 and served in the Uusimaa Dragoon Brigade (Uudenmaan Rakuunarykmentti).
During the Winter War he served in the staffs of the 7th Division and the Cavalry Brigade. From the beginning of the Continuation War he served as the chief of staff of the 2nd Division until he was seriously wounded. After he recovered he was appointed to lead the 7th Infantry regiment (JR 7) of the 2nd Division. During the battles on the Karelian Isthmus he was awarded the Mannerheim cross.
After the wars he led many units, until he retired in 1965.
Adolf Ehrnrooth is the face and voice most associated with rehabilitation of the fighters who secured Finland its independence. The long era during which it simply was not progressive to value the military, ended in the early 1990s, at which time his charismatic persona was at its height.
He became a figurehead for the whole veteran community—straight-talking and unapologetic. When he found out that many neo-Nazi youths cited him as an idol, he blasted them squarely by saying that he might have in his own youth held nationalistic views. He continued then to proclaim that Finland's path was now in the European Union, a view the neo-Nazis did not uphold.
Pundits have found his idiosyncratically-emphasized speech patterns and overheavily guttural snarls a rich ground to harvest. For them he is one of the indispensable voices.
He gained his fame in the Continuation War, where he became famous as a fair commendar to his men and aggressive commander to his enemies that led his men from the front. During the massive Soviet-assault of -44 his regiment held key areas and stopped the overwhelming Soviet troops by a series of counterattacks. Had he failed, the Soviets would have been able to surround large number of Finnish troops, and push deep behind finnish lines. Without him, we might not be here today.
<a moment of silence>
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