28 Facts About Aarne Juutilainen

Aarne Juutilainen was wounded three times during World War II.

Aarne Juutilainen's parents were railway clerk Tuomas Juutilainen and Helmi Sofia Juutilainen nee Kauppinen.

Aarne Juutilainen's brother was Ilmari Juutilainen, later better known as a flying ace during the wars.

Aarne Juutilainen was athletic, and enjoyed skiing, horseback riding, fencing and pesapallo; he was a member of the Sortavalan Viritys pesapallo team in 1924.

Nevertheless, Aarne Juutilainen decided to choose a military career as his profession.

Aarne Juutilainen had to drop out of school due to unsuitable lifestyles for the active officer and resigned from the Finnish Army in 1928.

On 20 June 1930, Aarne Juutilainen travelled to France and joined the French Foreign Legion.

Aarne Juutilainen was transferred to Fort St Nicolas in Southern France, near Marseille, and from there to Oran in Algeria.

Aarne Juutilainen spent time in a Foreign Legion training camp in the town of Sidi Bel Abbes.

Aarne Juutilainen served in the Foreign Legion for a full five years and was rewarded with the Legion Cross and French citizenship.

Aarne Juutilainen returned to Finland on 20 June 1935, by which time the southern part of Morocco was under French protectorate.

Aarne Juutilainen served in the Finnish army during this war, notably during the Battle of Kollaa.

Aarne Juutilainen used the guerilla warfare skills he learned with the French Foreign Legion to train his men.

Aarne Juutilainen had the reputation of the Winter War on his shoulders and his actions were closely monitored.

Aarne Juutilainen was at his best in the front line, in the middle of a fight.

Aarne Juutilainen served as the regimental commandant for more than a year before he was promoted to 7th Division commandant.

Aarne Juutilainen served as the division's commandant for a year.

Aarne Juutilainen was known as a nervous and ferocious man and did not bow to anyone.

Aarne Juutilainen was even known to have shot at the foot of a subordinate when he gave impetus to his orders, but in the front line, he took care of his men, was fair and respected by his subordinates.

Juutilainen's battalion followed the fighting retreating Germans to Karesuvanto and still to Lataseno until Captain Aarne Juutilainen received a notice that he would have to formally apply for resignation from the Finnish Defense Forces in December 1944.

Aarne Juutilainen settled in Helsinki and supported himself with miscellaneous work.

Aarne Juutilainen was undeniably a fearless soldier, but a previously too romanticized image of him was painted.

Aarne Juutilainen's conduct was inappropriate for the officer during both peace and war.

Aarne Juutilainen threatened and pointed at his own men with his pistol.

Aarne Juutilainen betrayed my mother in public and later coveted alcohol as well.

However, Illu [Ilmari] was happy and funny, Aarne Juutilainen was a bad person.

Aarne Juutilainen died alone in a nursing home in Helsinki on 28 October 1976, at the age of 72.

Aarne Juutilainen appears in the 2024 novel Les Guerriers de l'hiver by Olivier Norek, which is set during the Winter War.