Finnish troops crossing the Rajajoki river of Karelian Isthmus. September 1941.

Rajajoki 1941

Finnish soldiers by the lutheran church of Valkeasaari, Karelian Isthmus. September 19, 1941.

Ruins of Valkeasaari church

Taavetti "Pappa" Laatikainen(1886–1954) was Finnish Jäger officer, infantry general and Knight of the Mannerheim Cross #17.

Before his military career, Laatikainen was a high school teacher. In January 1916 he joined the "Königlich Preussisches Jägerbataillon Nr. 27", which was the battalion of Finnish volunteers in German army during WWI. The battalion participated in the battles on the eastern front, but it's main purpose after the training was to get combat expirience for the coming Finland's war for independence. In the German army Laatikainen's rank was Gruppenführer.

In February 1918 when Laatikainen returned to Finland to fight for independence, the war had turned into bloody civil war. He fought in many battles including the Battle of Viipuri.

After the civil war he remained in military career and served in different commander jobs. He also commanded the reserve officer school and build up the school to hard reputation. He left his mark to the finnish reserve officer school(RUK) which still can be seen today. RUK is also where he was nicknamed as "pappa"(grandpa) because for training and studying he was very demanding, but on his other side he was fair and fatherly and liked to have conversations with the young students.

When the Winter War begun on November 30,1939, Taavetti Laatikainen was a Major General and commanded the 1st Division. The division fought on Karelian Isthmus and expirienced it's worst moments of Winter War in February 1940 when Soviet troops were breaking through at Summa. During the intense fighting, Laatikainen was made the commander of the corps, which he commanded untill the end of the war. 

When the Continuation War begun in 1941, he led the II Corps attack on Karelian Isthmus which reached all it's objectives by end of august. Laatikainen was awarded the Mannerheim Cross on October 3, 1941, and was put to command a army corps in East-Karelia. He led his troops to the capture of Karhumäki and he was then promoted as Lieutenant General. Laatikainen commanded the troops on Metsäselkä's isthmus untill march 1, 1944, when he was made the commander of the IV Corps on Karelian Isthmus. He commanded the corps through heavy battles of the summer, the decisive victory of Tali-Ihantala, untill the eventual armstice and peacetreaty with Soviets in september 1944. After the war he remained in military untill his retirement in 1948. He died on april 15, 1954.

Promotions:
# Hilfsgruppenführer on October 1, 1916
# Gruppenführer on Septmeber 19, 1917
# Lieutenant on February 11, 1918
# Captain on January 28, 1919
# Major on May 16, 1921
# Lieutenant Colonel on May 16, 1925
# Colonel on June 15, 1928
# Major General on May 16, 1938
# Lieutenant General in 1942
# General of the infantry in 1948

Some of his decorations:
#Mannerheim Cross 2nd class
#Cross of Liberty 4th class(with swords), 3rd class, 2nd class, and 1st class(with Oak Leafs and star)
#German Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class
#German Cross in Gold
#Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania