Since we’re talking about Finnish veterans, I’m a Mexican who is fascinated with Finnish History and reading a lot on the Winter War, you Finns are a different breed of warriors. Yet you guys are humble & don’t hero worship (compare to the US)

by Dorothy_McFalls

11 comments

  1. And the idea for the Cross that Mannerheim had was that it would be a medal that could be awarded to anyone regardless of rank.

  2. Yea we don’t do it so hopefully you don’t either. Judging by the image and your comment, you do a bit of it. 

  5. Hero worship is a thing we just arent that loud about it.

  6. The difference between us and the yanks is that they have no living memory of wars that endangered their whole existence. During the winter war, every person on the front knew that failure would mean end of independence.

  7. Since most Finnish men go through army training, you quickly lose the US style “thank you for your service” stuff.

    WW2 vets are very respected, though.

  8. Not to be overly severe and somber, but; war isn’t a story about heroes, it’s a tragedy of mandatory murders. You do what you are forced to, and sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes that’s a bad thing. Heroism may be exhibited, but it must be understood as a light in the dark in a time of incomprehensible horror. The greatest hero isn’t the man who fights the war, it’s the man who prevents it – from beginning *or* continuing.

  9. We respect them, but it’s more of like they had to do what they were asked to do. They just did it very well. But it’s also war that fucked all of us up. So nothing heroic really about it, but respectful since they did well defending.

  10. Aaaaw stooop your embarrassing us. We want to be left alone and live inside hot sauna eating sausage and drinking.

  11. Aside from some romanticism, it was often a grim matter of survival. And it came with a cost. Deeply respected those who served and fell, but in some ways we didn’t have a lot to celebrate – but much to be grateful for.

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