A LOOK AT FINNISH WAR WEAPONRY

News Report by Elaine Lillback

 Introducing the program, Dick Lehtinen presented interesting background information regarding J.T.McAdams.  Of his twenty-seven years spent in the service of the United States military, seventeen years were served in Special Forces.  Nine years were in active duty with the US Army and seventeen years in the reserves.  Army time took him to Vietnam in 1967-68 to serve in with the 71st Long Range Recon Patrol.  Special Forces specialized in Light Weapons and Intelligence.  Having attended the University of Montana, he later became a letter carrier for US Postal Service in 1973, becoming Area Manager and then Postmaster in Portland, Oregon area, retiring in 2001 from the US Postal Service.  Co-owner of Carry Safely Limited Liability, he also teaches a twelve-hour course required for obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon.  He is qualified to teach Pistol, Rifle, Advance Pistol and “Refuse to be a Victim” at home, in a vehicle, or away from home.

Finnish weaponry made Finland’s war struggles realistic as we watched, listened and learned about Suomi M-31 SJR sub-machine guns 9mm, Mosin Nagant Rifles m-91/24 and M-91/30 7.62 x 54, and Finnish M-32-33 Machine Guns.  Finnish Heritage Museum member, J.T. McAdams and his wife Linda presented the weapons used in the Finnish Winter Wars of 1939-40. 

   The weapons presented had been taken in war from Russian officers and infantry.  The Finns made similar weapons, cutting down on size, and made their own carbine.  Often, the confiscated weapons would be "parceled" out, with usable parts being assembled to make a functioning rifle.  They skillfully used a hand held wide bladed knife, rather than the bayonet, in guerilla warfare.  Finnish soldiers used sleds pulled by reindeer expediting soldiers on the battlefield.  Dressed in their white camouflaged cover over hand knitted woolens, the solders survived the -45 degree weather, whereas the Russian soldiers dressed in their normal attire, froze to death.  Over 70,000 Molotov cocktails, made by the Finns, were tossed into the Russian tanks, destroying them.  Crowbars and logs were also thrown into tank's tracks to disable them.  Skis were very important for the soldiers in advancing along the battlefield, and were bodily carried from place to place by the Finnish soldiers.  Women at home and on the battlefront served with knitting, farming, hot food canteens for the soldiers on the battlefield, and nursing care on the field and in hospitals.

     McAdams related that the "sausage war" decimated many Russians.  They had cold food to eat, while the Finns had hot food prepared by the women.  The smells of cooking sausage wafting over hill and dale in sub zero weather, made the Russians drop their weapons and rush for the source of the hot food.  Consequently, the cold and hungry soldiers were cut down in their tracks.         

  

The Russians lost one million soldiers in that Winter War.  The cost to the Finns in manpower was one hundred thousand fathers and sons.  It was a time of valiant battle, and although they lost some of their land, they didn’t lose their nation.  They had used their survival skills of skiing, shooting, and hunting learned as children.  They had used their SISU.

  

Allies for the Finns, encouraging them in their struggle were the Swedes, Hungarians, Norwegians, and Americans.  Finland paid off its war debts to America, making them a proud, honorablenation.

   

Helen Kasari, Ailiin Andrews, and Elaine Lillback served refreshments.

© Text by Elaine Lillback,
© Photos by Lasse Hiltunen