Finnish troops crossing a river at Olonets Karelia in 1941.

Crossing river

Lieutenant Colonel Halsti and Captain Ensio Siilavuo (right) studying a map at the beginning of Lapland War in Autumn 1944.

Ensio Siilasvuo (1922-2003) volunteered to military service already during Winter War, fought in the Continuation War at northern front and Karelian Isthmus, and then in the Lapland War where he landed to Tornio in the first wave. He was promoted to captain at the age of 22 and was wounded twice during WW2. After the war he led several UN missions. He was the Commander of the Finnish Contingent to Cyprus in 1965, UNFICYP. He served in a variety of positions in the Middle-East after the Six-day War. He was Commander of the UNEF II in Sinai Peninsula from the end of the October War (1973) till August 1975. In August 1975 he was assigned to the new post of Chief Coordinator of the United Nations Peacekeeping Missions in the Middle East, which he held until peace was reached between Egypt and Israel in 1979. He retired in 1980 and was promoted to the rank of full general on October 6, 1998.