The white death biography of rayon

The Finnish propaganda portrayed him as a symbol that embodied the struggle of little defiant Finland. While the Soviet propaganda named him — White Death. The legend of White Death spoke of a ghost-like figure, that was both everywhere and nowhere, creeping tirelessly through the woods. He was a man, just like other Finns, manning the defenses.

In early Marchas the winter receded, it became clear that though Finland had astonished the world by holding off the Red Army, they could not hold out forever. Soviets were now advanced and had learned more than before. He went into a coma for 11 days and when he finally awoke on March 13th, peace had been signed.

The white death biography of rayon

The war was over, for both him and his country. The Soviets had paid a high price with an estimate ofdead Soviet army men, but Finnish independence was saved. Although, he was not able to go back to his own home since it was now on the other side of Finnish borders. In his later interviews, he repeatedly emphasized that during his service in the Winter War, he simple did what he was told.

Of course, the numbers will always be debatable, such as the nature of war, but the legends of White Death are very much alive today. Well to answer that we have to go back in…. Landing a plane in the middle of the night on a busy NYC street while intoxicated sounds surreal, doesn't it? He is…. Mary Reeser passed away nearly 70 years ago. So, was it a case of unintentional human combustion?

Given the length…. Roy Sullivan was struck by lightning seven times between and and survived each one. As a result, he…. Marianne Bachmeier snuck a gun into the courtroom and shot Klaus Grabowski, the man who molested and strangled her 7-year-old…. Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Archived from the original on 11 December Retrieved 19 February The Daily Telegraph.

Archived from the original on 12 January Retrieved 30 March Forces Network. Archived from the original on 11 July Retrieved 21 February Archived from the original on 29 March Retrieved 14 March Iltalehti in Finnish. Archived from the original on 12 June Retrieved 18 July The White Sniper. ISBN Archived from the original on 23 April Retrieved 12 March — via Google Books.

Retrieved 9 May Sniper: The Skills, the Weapons, and the Experiences. Martin's Press. Iltasanomat in Finnish. Archived from the original on 19 August Retrieved 19 August Yle Uutiset in Finnish. Archived from the original on 24 September Retrieved 25 July Trotter University of Oulu. Archived PDF from the original on 30 June Retrieved 20 August Journal of Information Warfare.

Teamlink Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July Retrieved 12 May Archived from the original on 22 February Retrieved 12 March Finland at War, — Osprey Publishing. Archived from the original on 26 June Sniping: An Illustrated History. Zenith Press. Archived from the original on 31 March Archived from the original on 10 September Retrieved 11 May SPK Parlamentin palkeilta Kollaanjoen kaltahille.

WSOY, Porvoo. Archived from the original on 13 November Finding suitable targets was less of a problem than it might have been, as Russian troops wore brown uniforms in a snow-covered landscape. Finnish troops were largely clothed in white camouflage capes. On occasion, Russian troops would be ordered to mount frontal attacks across frozen lakes.

These attacks were met with withering, heavy machine-gun fire from the opposite bank. Numerous Finnish machine gunners developed severe mental or emotional problems as a result of cutting down hundreds of young Russians, who were ordered to make such senseless attacks. Questionably, the Russian leadership also sent armored vehicles across frozen lakes, some of which broke through the ice.

As news of his achievements reached the public, they the white death biography of rayon reached the Russians. While this might have been true, it may have been exaggerated by Finnish propaganda. His left cheek, along with much of his upper jaw, and most of his lower jaw, had been blown away. But he did survive and his recovery took over 14 painful months during which he endured more than 25 surgeries on his face and head.

His wounds left him disfigured for life as can be seen in photos taken of him for years thereafter. He accepted all of this bravely and stoically, as was his nature. He became an avid moose hunter and started a dog-breeding enterprise. His celebrity status never diminished, and he attended many hunting trips as a guest of the president of Finland.

But all was not happiness for him. He received hate letters and even death threats from anonymous sources that could have been Finns or families of Russian soldiers killed in the war. His highest award was that of becoming a Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, named for the great Finnish Field Marshal and statesman. In an interview at his residence not long before he died at age 96 inhe was asked by journalists and reporters if he had any regrets about what he did in the war.

Author Ronald Anderson is a student and researcher of military history and a resident of Prescott, Arizona. Back to the issue this appears in. You must be logged in to post a comment. This article appears in: Fall Miraculously, he reached the age of 96 before his death in Finnish ski troops took a heavy toll on the Soviet infantry units sent to fight in Finland.