Marine reacts to Legacy of Our Veterans (Finnish War Veterans)
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
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I’m Swedish, and I’m very proud to be neighbour with the Finnish people. They are great people. ❤️
we are more than neighbour, we are brothers in arms
🇫🇮❤️
we are more like defensive shield for sweds lol
@@MrBanaanipommi :D
@@MrBanaanipommi Yea, that’s of course true. We are for ever thankful for the protection. ❤️
My grandfather served in Finland as a Swedish volunteer during the war.
He never wanted to talk about it, he just said “I did what I had to do to help our brothers”!
I would do the same if needed 👍🏻
Thanks and respect to your grandfather ❤️ 🇫🇮🇸🇪
The around 8,000 Swedish voluteers fight the Sovjets in harsh conditions in northern Finland. Sweden also recieved 70,000 Finnish kids during the ww2, to safety from bombings and poor conditions. Tack Sverige!
@@mikrokupu And donations of arms, food and medicine was extensive.
Sweden also set up a fighter/bomber squadron in northern Finland (F19) that shot down several Russian aircraft.
@@mikrokupu yes. My grandmother actually came to Sweden during that time. My great grandfather was a veteran. Unfortunately he passed away now. Most of my Finnish relatives never really talked about their experiences. Not my Norwegian grandfather either (he lived in Oslo during the occupation) but he actually wrote a book about his experiences to process everything. He didn't publish it but me and some other close relatives have copies. It was really hard to read and he included pictures as well.
Your day might be here here already.
It feels awesome when soldier from other nation approves our Vets who fought for our independence ♥️🇫🇮
It does, especially when it comes from a US Marine. USA has been our longest ally and closest friend in times of need, and we are always first to step up in NATO operations. Although our two nations didn't get off to great start, we have a common bond and long history. I love everything to do with USA and learning about their culture. I think it's the greatest nation on earth.
@@paullangton-rogers2390 most powerful* ;)
Finland is more developed from inside than USA but not any nation is great, there's always the downfalls.
Despite of current administration of US (nationalism, less globalism etc) I'm very glad that Pentagon has become more closer with Finland during these last years and will continue. While this keeps going, probably already in near future if we won't be in NATO, at least we have two very close Allies, more closer than other NATO nations, German and US.
US Armed forces are greatest and most powerful military on the earth so far and it's very delightful they're on our side. 🇺🇲🇫🇮♥️
True, it feels guud. Love from Finland
Agree.
@@paullangton-rogers2390 soviet had food etc. From states and still we hold the ground as it stands now.
I'm a German and i love Finland Cool People and a Super Country my Respect to all Finish people
Germany is great too but many Finns from Lapland hate Germans to this day for burning the region to the ground XD
@@ristusnotta1653 Yeah but we should still seperate Naziz from Germany...they were to blame not the people of Germany.
@@japekki666 ye but its the same thing to the people of Lapland😀
@@ristusnotta1653I don't think it is..
@@japekki666 the older generation*
The two fingers up is the handsymbol you use when swearing the oath to defend Finlandwhen finishing your basic training
If I remember correctly, you're pointing to God since the standard oath is sworn "under God".
I think that is specific for Lutherans. Catholics or Orthodox would point one finger in the air. And then there is also a oath for those who are not Christians or don't belong to a religion. They swear their oath under the Finnish constitution rather than a God. Or something like that.
I must have forgotten that part. I have failed.
Yeah the oath is spiritual and cultural event and not legal or anything like that, no idea what the two fingers together up in the air mean tho. Similar to the american hand on the chest type of salute or whatever its called
Thanks!
One of those veterans (Antti Henttonen) is my neighbor. He is 97 years old and still going strong.
You should let him know about this video!! Or better yet translate it to him
@@hookoon2482 Good idea. I'll do that. 👍
Buy him a large beer 🍺
Terkkuja!!! Ja sano kiitos!
Please tell him "Hello" from Australia! :) hopefully it'll give him a smile.
I'm married to a Finnish woman and her grandfather fought in the war. He was shot twice in the neck and thankfully survived. She still has the lead bullits in a little tin.
Lucky for him, and hope luck for you both! My Grandfathers, who both served in 1941-
45 wars sadly died in 1990s. Grandmas still pushishing at 95-96 alive. Is it the non drinking or war why the Grannys rule?
God bless you all.
Finland is a very special country. Hyvaa Suomen Itseennaisyspaiivaa kaikille 🇫🇮❤️🙏🏻
Thank you / Kiitos
Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää kaikille
Hyvää uutta vuotta kaikille / happy new year to everyone
I’m a Filipina live in Finland almost 12 years now. The first time I watched the film how F-soldiers fought in WW2 i cried and thought how hard for those soldiers fought in hard winter. My heart aches so much for. I’m so much grateful for them who fought for the country because Finland stands out as what it is now because of them.
I even met my father inlaw and heard a lot from WW2 how was the life and so.
nice
It gets me in tears every time I watch documentary about our veterans. Thank you for making this video to honor our little country and our war veterans! Pro Patria🇫🇮
Many veterans' stories not told such as how their countries after treated them their sacrifices. Check out veteran pensions & healthcare ruclips.net/video/Zo3lG1o4df4/видео.html
Yep, I completely understand as my eyes well up every time. Their heroism made all the difference in my life, being born into a free country!
There's almost none left these days... our veterans I mean. Getting teary-eyed just by thinking about it.
So veterans' pensions won't be paid out & current soldiers will have nothing in the future?
Me too, Jari
Im a finnish teenager and hearing that last speech of the veteran, it really made me emotional. Often elder people born after war, say how we don´t have to do as much as they had to do in their youth but hearing something like that from a person who you have so much respect, means so much to me.
There are estimated to be around 6500 veterans in 2020 in Finland. We're the last generation that can hear their stories ourselves. Let's never forget.
I like how these vets can be so open about their feelings and how they could feel empathy even for the enemy in the midst of all that chaos and carnage.
When they have guns, they are enemies. When not, they (russians) are great people. I like them, if they won't shoot me.
There is unfortunately a darker side to this. After the war, Soviets really pressed hard on Finland and finnish were not allowed to celebrate their veterans (because in soviet eyes they were anti-heroes). Also the finnish mentality of not talking about being depressed, talking about the horrors in the war to deal with them, talk about mental or physical pain, it directly lead to that generation becoming distant from their family or children. Not all but many, oh so many. Only medication that the harsh finnish men had was alcohol and the consumption was really high in those times. The next generation (born during or right after the wars) noticed this and they were affected by it. My father is one of that generation, alcoholism was his biggest trait that he 'acquired' from his father.
Wars never stop affecting people with the peace treaty. It's generational horror that is infectious and affects people long after the guns go silent.
Only in later years, with veterans ageing, dieing and Soviet Russia falling, veterans affairs were more addressed.
@@alaric_ Yes, you are so right.
I am not sure about the battles in WW2 but in WW1 the German and French soldiers celebrated christmas together, they had no hate for each other as human beings
Here in finland, and living right next to russian border in north karelia, we found here old granade pices and old bullets in woods and inside trees, remainding those days. Im proud to be finn 💪 Its awesome to see US tuber react to finns independence 😱 Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää suomi 🇫🇮
Soldier respects soldier - because it's so hard to be a real one.
As a Finnish citizen I thank you. This was a humbling and sincere notification on our independence. Thank you. 🇫🇮
Finland is unique in Scandinavia because she is such a PROUD, FEISTY little country to this day; and don’t mess with them! Finland bites back! I got to work with the Finns (a rarity for the US) and was absolutely impressed. Friendly but not ‘chatty’.
When Russia invaded Finland unprovoked, Finland sent out an international distress call- no one answered, Britain stayed silent- only Germany answered and helped. The allies ignored them.
Utmost respect for the Finns! 🇺🇸🇫🇮
I think it was hard place to any allied country to give help when Finland's enemy was USSR (allied nation). Atleast germans protected and supported. Otherwise we could be now part of Russian Federation.
The history is far more complicated than that. In 1939 when the Soviet Union attacked Finland unprovoked, the Soviet Union was still Germany's ally. The attack happened following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the USSR and Germany, where they divided Europe between themselves. So, Germany obviously did nothing to help Finland, as the Soviet Union trying to annex Finland happened in agreement with Germany. The Western powers, however, did send a little bit of material support and some volunteers, but mostly they just gave big promises of help, which never appeared. The UK government, for example, in fact wanted to use helping Finland as an excuse to occupy the North Sweden and thus prevent Germany from getting iron ore from Sweden. Poland was also promised a lot of help by the Western powers, but none of it ever materialised. Finland's fate just was a whole lot better than Poland's.
Only when Germany was preparing for Operation Barbarossa, they suddenly got interested in helping Finland. It was out of no goodwill, obviously, the Nazi leadership was incapable of any goodwill. They just wanted to have as wide a front against the USSR as possible to force the USSR to spread its forces wide and thin. The USA and UK were also shipping an astronomical amount of supplies to the Soviet Union via the Barents Sea route, and the Germans hoped to use the northern front to cut that off entirely.
Actually, what Britain and France contemplated doing as interpreted by Stalin helped end the Winter War before the front would have collapsed. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact between Germany and the Soviet Union was in effect. The Soviet Union supplied Germany with a lot of raw materials. The partly British-Canadian owned nickel mine in Petsenga in the far northeast of Finland getting into the hands of the Soviets and the nickel being sent to Germany was not palatable to Britain and France. Stalin interpreted intel coming from those countries at the time as a sign of Britain planning to bomb the oil fields in Baku from Iran. That made him settle for a negotiated peace with Finland so as not to piss off the Allied too much.
After the Moscow peace treaty in 1940, the Soviet Union pressured Finland very strongly to buy out the British and the Canadians because their stake in the mine was clearly in the way of Stalin's plans vs. Finland. After the occupation of Denmark and Norway by Germany in April 1940, Finland had nowhere to turn for support except Germany. In late 1940, Germany started warming up to the idea of supporting Finland because Germany's plans vs. the Soviet Union began to crystallize. The Soviet Union had been granted the right to transport troops between Hanko which was leased to the SU and the border by train through southern Finland. When Germany requested permission to transport their troops to and from Norway through Finland, Finland gladly agreed.
Finland sought support where it was available. The political class had a liberal bent and many leaned towards Britain and France politically. After April 1940 that was no longer a practical option. Sweden was the only supportive neighbor but could not offer much in the way of military assistance in addition to the thousands of volunteers who fought in the Winter War and helping at patrolling the airspace of Lapland.
@@herrakaarme Every country acts in accordance with her own interests...that’s hardly up for debate. However, Germany was an ally and there’s nothing wrong with that per se; they both shared a deep-rooted desire to stop the spread of communism...the ‘deep rooted’ stuff and its various complexities can be discussed as nauseam, but it was there and that part at least was sincere. The US and Britain did the same thing; for example, as you said, considering allying with Finland in order to have an excuse to occupy Sweden.
It’s ALWAYS more complicated than black and white, certainly! And it’s even more complicated that you alluded to, human nature, politics and history being such as it is.
Regardless, Finland did a damn good job taking care of herself, and to be fair, both nations shred a deep-rooted ideological divide against communism, and ideologically, this allied them. You could say Finland was ahead of the power curve regarding communism.
Also, to say Germany didn’t help Finland at all is disingenuous. They fought pretty hard in Finland and were the entity responsible for Finland’s ability to fight the second, Continuation war. It’s unfair to say soldiers of the Wehrmacht didn’t die in droves in Finland. I’m certainly not trying to say Finland bought into the Nazi party, or was an Axis power, certainly, so please don’t get defensive.
As an aside, It was this deep-rooted ‘struggle against communism’ that the Nazi party was able to use as a ‘hook’ to ensnare their own people during their rise to power. Ask some 18 year old regular army soldier in the Wehrmacht who was too young to vote Hitler and the NSDAP into power, and spent his formative years being Force-fed the party line at high school...ask him what he was fighting against and he would probably robotically say back, ‘communism’. Every party has a hook. No one goes into something saying ‘I’m the bad guy’. There’s always a reason that’s not so black and white. Using this reason, unscrupulous parties the world over have been able to do some heinous things, while telling their army/people one thing and then their political apparatus (and separate army-the ss) another.
Regardless, the Soviet Union proved little Finland correct...communism was every bit as bad as they were saying it was and were fighting against; the allies woke up to it only after every nation the Soviets ‘liberated’ became slave states of the Eastern Bloc and continued to be brutally suppressed for decades EXCEPT...our Finland! Because they had fought, they kept their independence. The Soviets determined that they were too much trouble. Ask Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia what communism and the Soviets were like. These areas are still experiencing the after shocks of the brutality that they were caught between with regards to two competing ideologies...Talk about a rock and a hard place.
@@yeoldeyoungin9745 It's not much of an ally if a couple of years earlier it had sold Finland out and the same people were still in power. Being a democracy, Finland had no love for the Nazis. Mannerheim himself despised them, just like he despised the Bolsheviks.
Almost 7000 of these heroes are still alive. I met one of them and he seemed to be in quite good health for a 94-year-old walking and living in his own house instead of being in a retirement home. These guys were built pretty tough
6300 are alive
@@ristusnotta1653 I just think its more respectful to round the numbers up instead of down.
Maybe no one, relieved them from guard duty ? Haha Maybe !
Last recipient of the Mannerheim cross just died.
Near where i live is a hero grave in Kerava, i visit it very often to pay respects :)
As the son of a American World War 2 veteran. I salute these men and there children. Love from the American South.
Never let the memory fade.
Never
Never.
LOVE to Finland, who live on the front line every day big respect 🇬🇧
I grew up in both Finland and the USA as a kid, travelling back and forth every couple years. I served in the US Army for 7 years. The stories from these great heroes make my eyes water.
My granduncle was MIA on in Winter war. I was named after him. Thats how proud we Finns are veterans.
My grandmother passed away due to longterm illness, and wanted her story to be heard, because the Finnish war was fought by everyone in the country not just the soldiers. Here's a piece of her story. She was born in 1931 in a Sauna in Eastern Finland near the Russian border. 1939 She and her sister and mother was 2 miles from home picking mushrooms, when the heard planes coming in, and suddenly the sky was filled with parachuting enemy soldiers. They ran, crawled and snuck passed the Russians back to the house where her dad waited for them and had already packed two bags of necessities. All children from town was evacuated first (leaving their parents behind), and was put on a cargo train that wasn't isolated and only had a small heater and 2 buckets (one with fresh water and the other to shit in) for each wagon. The destination was Helsinki that usually took a couple of hours but ended up taking almost 10 days. As soon as they departured they were bombed constantly and had to stop the train and let the kids out to run for cover in the forest (until they got the signal to come back). The kids took turns guarding the fire so they had heat. They had to huddle up like penguins to keep warm and didn't have anything to eat except bark bread. When they arrived to the Helsinki they were bullied for "loving the Russians". A few weeks later her parents arrived as well. They had little school 5 days a week but everyone regardless age had to help as best as they could. She was assigned to cook with a tiny kettle and scavenge what she could find and make dinner for the soldiers in the middle of the winter that would drop down to -50°C (-58 °F). Later they moved more to towards the front line of the war and she got a new job at the morgue. There she saw everything death related you can imagine. People without arm, legs, heads. She said that if the soldiers died in freezing temperatures while moving they would twitch when they got to a heated room. She survived and was kindhearted and wise. She is the definition of what we call a sisu in Finland. Olkoon matkasi turvallinen. Nähdään mummi.
Hard to believe.
There are so many testimonies of these hardships and still I have tears in my eyes. The Finns surely were prejudiced in every direction, but luckily not all of them, the better ones, like your grandmother, got the last word, in the end. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to them, and thanks to you for sharing her story! It is truly about human greatness.
Thanks for sharing. My Äiti was born in 1939, while Pappa and Isoisoisä were at the border with Karelia kicking names and taking ass, skiing around and moving material with reindeer sleds!
@@juhalamminen7216 Why is it
My grandfather was war veteran.lots of respect every people who gives all to our homeland.
We should have helped Finland in world War 2 even though they were allied with the Germans they were still the good guys in my eyes. Finland is one of the few countries you could really say is full of heroes because in modern history they really only fought to defend them selves. They fought against Tyrants for freedom and to protect their freedom.
Finland is only one country that Soviet Union never managed to conquer. France and brits sent some volunteers during winter war but we send them back home after 2 weeks bc they didn't know how to use skiis. Germany started to be Allie of Finland in 1941 when continuation war started but we were alone during winter war.
@@kessu1863 One of those volunteers was Sir Christopher Lee.
@@Benderkekekekekeke i know
first, at start soviet union and germany were allies. we were alone. asked help from to-be-allied countries, no one came. finally germans did (it was their benefit though) and after this point, finland is only country who has paid war debts. SO DON'T EVEN THINK TO CALL US AS ALLIES WITH NAZIZ
@@lauriwestman8228 Yes. Finland was the good guys. Finland was the only major country I can think of involved in world war 2 that didn't commit any major war crimes that I know of. The United States committed war crimes. Finland has always just fought to defend finland.
Thank you for doing this today. 🇫🇮🕯🕯🇫🇮
My grandfather was a soldier and my grandmother was in Lotta Svärd. I can't imagine what they and people like them had to go through.
all my honor and respect to them, they are the reason I was able to be born into a free country and that has made all the difference in my life!
Happy independence day from 🇪🇪
Thank you, you're a great man! It's our independence day today, like you said. . God bless you man! 👍👍👍🇫🇮
So at 14 minutes, the subtitle "a people divided unified against a threat" refers to the Finnish civil war in 1918, the aftermath of which was still very much going on in the 20's and 30's.
This was a very interesting and sobering watch. As a Brit, I have only ever learnt about our troops, the Germans, US and Russians whilst growing up. Hearing these gentleman's stories was very moving so thank you so much for covering this video and drawing my attention to these heroes
In my opinion, Sisu is not just courage or determination to keep going to achieve a goal. It is willingness to keep going, against all odds, when there is no realistic chance to achieve the goal, or any other positive outcome.
Yes! Sisu is like a force of nature: one drop of water won't break stone, but if the water keeps dripping long enough it will get through. That's what sisu is.
Sisu is the will to grow coffee beans in Lapland and succeed. It's obviously impossible, but you can try it anyway.
That's very well put. Sisu, in my opinion, is at its worst banging your head against the wall, and at its best, believing in yourself when nobody else does.
Sisu is not just the warheros trait. It is raising kids alone on not enogh money, it is surviving, it is doing what needs to be done. It is plowing the fields without a horse when both husband and horse is at the front. It is living on when your close ones dies of starvation. It is to not give up because giving up is just not an option.
It is not a soley finnish trait. But they have a good name for it and know that it is inside us all. But also that you might have to pay the price. So many have ended their lifes when they no longer "had" to endure.
I think i lived on sisu alone for years when in a dysfunctional relationship with a woman who needed more help than i could give.
Every Independence Day I have a tradition to watch a film called Tuntematon Sotilas (Unknown Soldier). I am so grateful for our veterans. 🇫🇮🕯
I'm a practical nurse and I've been working with veterans, war orphans, prisoners of war, etc. I would say it is bit scary when some of them who have dementia, start to 'live the wartimes again' I've often tried to calm down war prisoners who saw their friends or familes executed in the barns they were held locked up. I've seen veterans hiding from enemy bombers under the tables of the nursing homes... With some (with no dementia or alzheimers) veterans and other who have seen those times and are I've had the honour to just speak with and hear what it was really like, tv and movies or even books do not give the full image. I served my conscription time as a medic, and often it is nice to talk about the experiences of my generation in the defence forces with those veterans who are interested. Kiitos sotiemme veteraanit. Thank you veterans of our wars.
Yeah sounds familiar. I worked for a while with the Finnish war veterans. There were a couple of Russian-born nurses who were asked not to speak Russian in front of the patients, some of the veterans with dementia got really upset. The nurses completely understood that when explained, they were not familiar with the history.
Sure, Niko, the veterans were generally traumatized, and many civilians, too. Thank you for caring about them.
The story of three brothers who all survived: the eldest went on patrol far into Russia on skis, time and time again. The trips couldn't be more scary. He was only able to speak with other veterans and his wife about the horros of his wars. They were officially war-secrets all his life.
The second, was too young to be on the front, but served as a lorry-driver to support troops along Finland's long and dark east-border, nerves on the edge all the time, black nights, on hardly roads even (no street lights, no headlights, no news, no contact with head quarters for days), fearing mines, enemy-troups, - and nobody to speak with afterwards but his wife, because dismissed as "he hadn't been in the real battle".
The third and youngest, all his life feeling as a traitor and "no-good", because he was too young for any military service at all, whereas his brothers were heroes in his mind and he only doomed to be just uselessly home-bound, so no "real man" felt deep sympathy for him, only his wife. All of them having PTSD in secret, all of them too severe fathers.
And the Finnish women were war-traumatized, too, from sitting in basements while bombs were showered above them, coming up to daylight, finding yet another home destroyed. Helpless children, old people, patients. Long working hours in factories and on farms. Hunger, cold, diseases, and fear of spies, and laws against talking about anything important.
Those brothers mentioned eventually had great support from their wives and their extended families, from the determination of all around them to build up a peaceful and united Finland again. And how hard-working, modest and ambitious they were!
But many Finnish veterans were as neglected and forlorn as Vietnam-veterans in the USA, as if they didn't really belong and nobody cared. They might loiter around half-drunk in Helsinki and sleep on park-benches. In the Sovietunion they proudly wore many dozens of medals on threadbare jackets, and people bowed for them as heroes. In Finland this wasn't so, as people wanted to forget and hurry on.
All in all the wars left a mark in the alcoholism and suicide rates in Finland for decades afterwards. And in Russia "vodka" is still an enemy they have to defeat. Pax! May peace and solidarity heal all wounds!
Sincere thank you dude :) I would like to add that Finland had a very bloody civil war 20 years before the Winter War so that's the division they were talking about that people had before the war but the war united them.
You did a great job against overwhelming odds, in those wars, true patriots! Greetings from the U.K.
Thank You. I tell my grandfather when my time comes
Now you know why finnish conscripts are so professional: we all have heard such stories from our grand and great grand parents. We stay ready
Finnish soldiers were warriors who never gave in and never yielded to the overwhelming might of the enemy
As a Finnish-American who just got out of the Finnish military, I really appreciate what you're doing!!
I assume youre living in Finland. How was your service?
@@ggrepo-haalo5649 Even if you are a half finn living abroad you get the call for it. So they might be in america (I have a friend who lived in UK was born there but got the invite and he came to do it)
@@ggrepo-haalo5649 Very rough but rewarding, I took the hard route in terms of what unit I served in, just to get the most out of it.
We're doing? In my books you are one of us Finns. Nice to hear you took most out of your service. So did I.
@@primehunter45 Thank you for your service!
If I had to choose any other country to live in it would be 🇫🇮 amazing people! I can’t wait to visit again.
Really nice gesture from you to acknowlegde our Independence Day! Thank you brother!👍 My grandpa was a WWII vet so on this day I remember him too.
It's awesome that the US and Finland have always been such good friends!🇫🇮🇺🇲 Even during WWII Finland and the US never declared war on each other.
All the people in this clip are heroes in my books.
Thank you, your attention because our independent Day 103 years🇫🇮❤️🙏
I won't be repeating the answer regarding your question others already answered. However, all I'm gonna say is thank you for making this video during our Independence Day. I and others are grateful towards you for bringing the stories of those great men to other people abroad too. Thank you!
i'm honored to have listened to their stories
Every independence day I thank my grandfather, who volunteered to fight in winter was as a sixteen year old boy. He got wounded three times, but fought in all wars, served in police force after the wars and died a 91 year old man, hard as nails. True hero.
I will watch this later but I wanted to thank you for doing this video on this day.
I have probably said this before, but rewatching this during the war at Ukraine I have to say it again: I'm holding back tears, and I can't really cry anymore. Thank you, our veterans, and thank you mate for all the great job and respect you have.
I always get emotional watching these. Thank you veterans, Kiitos veteraanit❣️🇫🇮
My great grandfather was Karelian and he literally fought for his home.
He was corporal and he served from the start of Winter war -39 to the close end of the Continuation war Juny 1944 when the biggest defensive battles happened, but unfortunately he died during those battles at Ilomantsi to the granade shrapnel at the age of 30.
My grandpa was only little over 1 year old when they had to leave their home first time before the Winter war and he barely survived because he was underfed.
Next time they evacuated before the Continuation war and never returned back to their home again...
Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää Suomi. 🇫🇮
..and thanks for the video.
Suomi perkele🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮🇫🇮
We had four of my great-uncles pass in the war. One was lost on a night time incursion into enemy lines and never returned.
Great grandfather received notice and that one of his other sons was killed and was being sent home for burial. When the train arrived there was yet another casket of a third son killed that he had not received the notice of yet.
@@RoyRissanen It was a strange world at that time. So much loss.
Sorry for the high price your family paid.
Finland has a lot of good footage from WWII because summer Olympics at 1940 were scheduled to be held in Helsinki. So Finnish broadcast company Yleisradio (YLE) bought top of the line film cameras to film Olympic games, but then the war broke out.
Including the only known voice recording of Adolf Hitler in an ordinary discussion, not a speech, when he was visiting Finland and his discussion with Mannerheim secretly recorded.
As our oath song, that we sing at the oath of alligence, says
"Hear our holy oath dear land of Finland
You must not be touched by violence
We will protect you
With our blood we guard you
Do not worry
Your sons are *awake"
I thank our veterans and hope I don't have to do the same they had to, but I will do ny duty if need be...🇫🇮💙🤍
(*could be alert as well)
I am a Finnish/Turkish and i did my military service in Finland last year. My grandfathers big brother was a war veteran... we lost him this year..
Tykkäsitkö olla armeijassa? :) Ite kävin 2009 Vekaranjärvellä ja voin sanoa että aika kultaa muistot :) Elämäni parhaita aikoja heheh :) Osanotot.
@@kissanruokaa oli ihan hyvä kokemus. Ensimmäistä kertaa hiihtelin ja näin suomen talven kunnolla :)
@@jimijefet7276 Hienoa kuulla :)
@@jimijefet7276 Isäni kertonut juttua toisesta Turkkilaisesta aikoinaan, juurikin hiihtomerkeissä. Ilmeisesti tupaan palattuaan istui punkalla ja kiroili kaksikymmetä minuuttia putkeen turkiksi ja suomeksi sekaisin, ilman epäröintiä tai toistoa :D
Päätyi kuitenkin takaisin Turkkiin johonkin vuoristojoukkojen kouluttajaksi jossa sai nauttia hiihtämisestä vielä pitkään.
Thank you for making this special episode on the Independence day of Finland. It is appreciated.
Thank you for this video ja hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää muille Suomalaisille tällä kanavalla 🇫🇮🎉
Thank you for the video. Much appreciated. My father went to the Winter War as a volunteer at the age of 17. He did his military training after that and fought in the Continuation War until it ended in 1944. So he spent his best youth fighting. My mum lost two brothers in the Continuation War. They were group leaders in the Winter War. Mum herself worked hard on the home front. She looked after cattle and worked in a bullet factory. Those were very hard times. Mum always said the worst thing that can happen to a nation is a war.
Watching this from the Finnish military, keep up the good work!
Thanks for this video. I am personally grateful for this. Thank you!
that's how they turst always young people it's ❤️ that last words make me cry. all love for our veterans and for our independence, always and forever. i couldn't be more grateful
Greetings from Finland. Give respect, you get respect. Now you have my respect.
The dead soldiers who were carried out of the battlefield were taken to their hometown and buried there
I'm late but give this guy some love for being so humble❤ respect from Finland💪🇫🇮
Great videos. Finland was among about only few that were part of axis vs soviets and didnt get overrun. Just look at countries like: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Chezch, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, former Yogoslavia that went under iron curtain. Many of them are still not recovering from that. Im so proud of my grandfather and others for what they did
Dude I haven't gone in war, not even close to it. But the statement, "no one gets left behind" is so finnish, that it springs tears to my eyes every time I hear it. I'm so grateful that I don't know if a Us guy can ever understand. Our veterans literally fought for freedom. For inpepence. For Brotherood. For life. It's unbelievable. I'm so thankful.
Eternal respect to the veterans of Finland. Ei ilman teitä tuntemaamme Suomenmaata enää olisikaan! Perkele.
I have been speaking to young men of my city in "kutsunnat" (calling to duty) for about ten years now as chairman of city council or board. Veterans speech, city speech, church speech that was the order as long as veterans could still stand at the front. Now they show this video to young conscripts of age of 17. Finnish youth show respect to these men even that generations of today have not had same chance as i to speak and listen to them. I appreciate your output and understanding on this video.
Thanks for sharing this reaction video on Finnish Independence Day!
I am Finnish Karelian, born in Finland and only one generation removed from my mother as a child and my mothers family that had to leave Viipuri twice in 1940 and again in 1944 for the last time. I have lived in the USA since the age of two and am one of the most patriotic Americans one could find in the USA. One of the reasons is the fact that I am proud and patriotic of my Finnish heritage. As I have stated many times before and will continue to do so, I owe a debt to the heroes of Finland of that time, which was virtually every Finn, it is a debt I will never be able to repay and the only way I can honor this debt is to provide the true history of this epic struggle without ceasing for it was these Finnish heroes great sacrifice that provided me with the honor of being born into a free country and that has made all the difference in my life!
It's crazy how our veterans can keep their humour while talking about their excperiences in the frontline
I fully agree with those veterans sentiments!
i'm very proud to be finnish and hearing the war stories from my grandad is always amazing, hes 98 now and still in pretty good shape.
Thanks for the great video once again!
I don't know if someone else had yet told you this... but as it is told in the original video, the Finnish soldiers made much effort getting wounded or even dead brothers back home. That actually made Russians think that Finns were "ghosts": they very seldom found dead bodies even when they entered behind our lines.
Ghosts we are if that is needed. Nobody wants to play mindgames with us :D
Thank you for this one. Brought tears to my eyes to watch this. 🇫🇮
As a Finn, thank you for promoting our history and the struggles my grandparents' generation went through to give those who followed a loving home country. God bless.
Kiitos sinulle näistä, isää ikävä
This made me tear up. My grandfather was in the war from 1939 to 1944 - from the start to the end - and our family had to escape eventually from Karjala. He never he talked about it, only sometime when he was drinking my father overheard story how they shot an explosive in a bigger group of enemies - like bullseye. Later they had to pick up remaining parts from trees etc. No wonder even decades later, he now and then was screaming at his sleep. He passed away 1996 at 86 years old. Kept his sanity build a new house after war was over - house where I live to this day. He's my hero.
100% similar memories - veterans haunted by their experiences, hearing them having nightmares. Keeping their war secrets to themselves.
Greetings from Finland and thank you again for the video. It's so nice to see a person from another side of the globe who really understands our history and the sacrifice of our ancestors.
My grandfather is my hero.
Not because he fought in the war, but because how he lived. To the very end he somehow managed to keep everything together, dispite fighting in the war and loosing friends, brothers and his right arm from shoulder down at the front, serving as an smg soldier.
My grandfather was born dirt poor to a huge family. His mother died when he was a baby, and like all of his siblings he too was given into other families to be raised as a worker. Originally my grandfather was raised by this very old, single woman, who took care of him when he was just a small boy. When he was still under 10 years old, he moved to a farmhouse to live and work. He was a sheep herder and I remember him telling me that when it starts to get cold and you have no shoes, standing in a warm pile will feel better than anything in the world.
He was a young man when the war started, and he served for some time until he lost his right arm trying to save another soldiers life in an artillery bombardment. He was sent home, and his war was over. He never really talked about the war to us, but he was invested for the rest of his life. He became the chairman of the eastern Helsinki branch of the brotherhood of warveterans in finland. The brotherhood still exists, but back then they tried to use that same spirit they had in the war to support eachother, like build houses for veterans, help veterans with alcohol or mental problems etc.
Before all that however, after the war my grandfather became a father to my mother, along with two sisters and a little brother. They lived in a small, one room appartment with my grandmother, and my grandfather tried to bring home the food. It was a trying time, but my grandfather was mentally strong. I have seen a photograph where he is wielding a hoe on a dry field by himself, using his left. He was a righthanded man until he was left with no choice.
My grandfather managed to get a job as a healthinspector. It was a new job, but he was able to get it and was good at it, being a very social man. There was a problem between the markethall shopkeeps and the drunkards. Most of the drunkards, of whom there were thousands at the time, were hopeless war vets. My grandfather felt sympathy for them, since all they wanted was the still edible food in the trash cans, littering up the street to the shopkeeps dismay. He bartered a deal between the drunkards and the shopkeeps, so the drunkards wont mess up the place if the shopkeeps leave the edible stuff ontop of the containers. The deal worked perfectly, and all the downtown drunkards new my grandfather after that. I am told they often wanted to come greet him when they spotted him walking somewhere. My mother told me they considered him as "friend"
Considering my grandfather started out as poor as he did, fought in a war, lost his right arm, raised a big family it sort of all feels really heavy to me. But that was not enough. His oldest child, my aunt, drowned on a swimming trip. My grandfather found her himself, and carried his childs body home. As a father, I cant imagine anything worse than that. Furthermore, in the 70s his son got mixed up with drugs, alcohol and debt collectors, and still my grandfather pressed on. He was an old man, close to 70, when he was asked to participate in the presidential ball held every independence day, as a guest of honor like many other veterans.
I have read a speech he wrote as an old man. It was very serious, but also full of hope. Like he was, even after all that he had seen and felt. I am forever at awe, and I miss him. He passed away when I was just a child, but he lived with us for the last ten or so years of his life. I miss talking to him, and I can still remember his laugh.
Rest easy grandfather.
My great Grandfather got injured fighting in one of those two wars. Still had some shards of a bomb stuck in his body till the very end. He passed away peacefully five years ago well past the age of ninety. Though these things seem to have happened a long time ago we remember. Watching this honestly made me emotional. I know I’m kinda late with this but I thought I’d leave my thanks. Hope everyone stays safe and has a good day
Thank God we had these brave men who protect our beautiful country 🙏✝️♥️ thank you brother for this video
Praise the Lord
Sir, not only are you quite intelligent but you also have a lot of style. Always a pleasure to watch, keep up the good work! Thank You.
I'm so proud to be a Finn and personally think the Finnish National Anthem is one of the prettiest ❤️
Thank you so, so much for doing this video and honouring our vets and independence on this particular holiday. It really warms my heart! May their sacrifices be never forgotten.
Permit me to sadly report the death a week ago of Thomas Gerdt a hero of the Continuation War in 1941.
A truelly brave and modest proud Finn and recipient of their equivilant to the Victoria Cross (last survivor).
At @11:43 Mr. Toljamo describes how company/platoons/squads could receive assault orders with the objective of bringing back dead/wounded soldiers. There are multiple sources describing situations similar to the above.
That always hits me hard, in the best kind of way
Luckily both my great grandfathers survived the war. One served throughout all three wars, the other served the two latter wars
@CombatArmsChannel If you wonder what Simonkyro661 means with "all three wars", I think he is talking about Winter War, Continuation War and Finnish Civil War you probably have heard little of: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Civil_War (Yeah, we could sure have done with less bloodshed in our history...but there was no way Reds could be allowed to win and turn Finland into part of the Soviet Union! That would have meant the full brunt of first Lenins, then Stalins totalitarian tyranny. Latter loathed Finns particularly much judging by his policies towards minorities in Soviet Union).
Thank u combat arm for honor our veterans. We finns really appreciate that ❤️
Thank you for doing this video on our independece day. 🇫🇮🇫🇮
Thank you for giving respect to our veterans ❤️
My mothers father was a machinegunner-loader in the winter-war. He never talked about the things in the front, but only few times when he was a bit drunk. He was a very humble normal man from countryside of Finland between cities of Kouvola and Lahti, Iitti. He told something about the gunner got shot and he had to take his place. I respect him so much as a grown-up man today...
I talked with my uncle about the silence of the veterans about what they had experienced in the wars - as a 90+ he stilled kept silence about everything important, because of his soldier's oath of never revealing war-secrets. He knew he was free to speak as it then was so long ago since the war, but it had become second nature to him to keep his silence on every detail, so he couldn't open up anymore, he said. Your grandpa stepped into a very difficult position to replace a comrade who had been shot, as he saw proof it could happen to him, too, and still he took his comrade's place at the gun, unprotected. Such a great courage and self-sacrifice! Thanks for sharing.
I,M THE PROUD WW1 + WW2 Finnish war veterans daugter. Thank you for this video
Thank you for doing this video on Finnish independence day. Much respect!
Thank you from FINLAND
I hope the Defence Forces of Finland will some day invite you to make a special video of its work in Finland. it would be kind of cool (especially in winter time) :)
Can't, that would reveal too much hidden stuff
@@TheNismo777 I wouldn't say that. Could be very possible of course without this pandemic. US troops have been in Finland training before and in the future.
Veterrans all over the globe, have their respect. They did what they have to do.
Thank you for this awesome video. I'm going to watch the Unknown Soldier as usual and remembering my grandfather who fought in war for our independence.
Im from Finland, and really proud about our veterans, what they did for us when the times were bad. And the gesture that the young made with their dingers in the video, vas the singn they make when they give their oath. I live in the area in Finland where was huge battles during the winter and continuing war. And I visit the local war museum atleat once a year to learn more and honour our veterans.
Im so proud to be Finn! Im glad that im going to army and protect this country someday.
I will fight for my country no matter what. I can't express how much respect i have for my veterans. RIP Veteraanit. Suomen sankarit! 🇫🇮🇫🇮
Really like watching your reactions about Finland and the finnish military. I was just wondering how you got interested in our country?
My grandfather fought during both wars and got wounded at Leningrad. I remember when he displayed his wounds to us the grandchildren visiting from Greece. He had 7 children and died of long age.
I appreciate your wisdom and appreciation towards our small country! Thank you, and I’ll continue to celebrate our Independece Day!