Lupaus Page #5

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I came home and everyone was dead.

And they were bombing us again.

Just try to get some rest.

They kept poking those

rat's taiI bayonets.

I put my hands up.

But Liisa.

I can't stop thinking about her.

I can't stop thinking

why did I survive.

Why did she have to die

and I got to Iive?

What's the purpose of this aII?

OLONETS KARELIA, summer 1 943

Where did that horse doctor go?

-He'II get here as soon as he can.

Name of the horse?

-Reima.

Here in faraway eastern Karelia

l sometimes feel very sad and empty.

l feel l've suddenly grown

so much older.

Maybe one year at war equals

ten years of peacetime.

Ok; Iet's move. We'II drop him

on a count to three!

And Anita can hand

out the instruments.

Where did you find shoes Iike that?

They Iook Iike IittIe boats.

They're from Sweden.

We caII them OIive shoes.

So where's Popeye?

Is the geIding asIeep aIready?

-In a minute.

They're sending us

to the frontIine again.

Good morning!

-Good morning.

Hey ; hoId on!

AIthough I haven't got much time.

We're headed for the front.

Kind of hard for me to write to you,

Ruth-

if I don't even know your name.

-You just said it.

Seems I did.

I'm the kind of man who finds out

what he needs to know.

Those eyes of yours need

a IittIe brightening up.

Think you couId start writing

with an ordinary sergeant Iike me?

I do known how to write.

Don't mind if I do.

You smeII as IoveIy

as the Rose of Sharon.

Spring 1 944

Headquarters are extremeIy gratefuI

for the invaIuabIe heIp the Lottas-

have provided both in ground

operations and at the home front.

Thank you; Lieutenant CoIoneI,

for your kind words.

For three years we have been engaged

in a war against an enemy-

that outnumbers us by far. And

the situation is becoming criticaI.

I must ask of you to extend the

Lotta operations-

in one more area of defense.

-Which is?

To fiII in for the anti-aircraft

searchIight batteries.

We can start by training

around 300 Lotta voIunteers-

preferabIy graduates

or university students-

who have distinguished themseIves

in air surveiIIance.

Is that aII?

-I have one more question.

The searchIights need to be

guarded night and day-

by the Lottas,

apart from their reguIar duties.

For this they wouId need

rifIe training.

That is against the principIes of the

Lotta Svard Organization; as you know.

It is absoIuteIy out of the question.

The Lottas wiII not take up arms!

That is the men's job.

Mrs. Chairwoman;

we haven't got any more men.

If and when things get dangerous...

-No more men?

We are coming to the end of the road.

Every third man is out of service.

I thank you for your confidence,

but I can't promise anything.

We have been stationed to move the

horse hospital closer to the front.

Where exactly ;

they won't tell us.

Thank God the folks home are fine.

l got a long letter from Anna.

Not a word from Lieutenant Vuori in

ages; even though l've written to him.

l won't write to him anymore.

l haven't seen him in almost a year.

Why did l have to start talking

about love?

WeII?

-WeII what?

At Ieast the maiI stiII gets through.

What does Lieutenant Vuori write?

-He'II be coming this way soon.

He won't teII me where;

or much anything eIse; either.

Men are inexpIicabIe.

-What about ViIIe?

Any mention of him?

-No.

ShouId there be?

The peace taIks feII through!

I keep hearing these rumors.

-Horsemen's news.

They say the war hasn't even

started yet for FinIand.

Kaisa says they have started teaching

Lottas to use rifIes for seIf-defense.

Has there been anything

about it in the papers?

Not a word.

I find it hard to beIieve.

You've got a whoIe Iot prettier

in a year. You know what?

I've decided to take you home to be

my wife when aII this is over.

ViIIe has aIways been such

a romantic. And a man of action.

So how are you; Miss Mona?

-Fair enough.

Anna? What are you doing in HeIsinki?

I was caIIed up for searchIight

training. -CaIIed up?

They contacted my university.

-What are you taIking about?

Our training starts in June;

right off the HeIsinki coast.

You can't.

You're not strong enough.

-Dad, they need me there.

We need you at home, too.

We're getting oId.

PIease think it over.

I guess there's no way I can

taIk you out of this? -Try me.

Finland is now facing its fatal hour.

The Soviets have started a massive

attack in Karelia; with the objective of-

breaking through the Finnish defense;

both on ground and in the air.

We need everyone's help now.

You may not be famiIiar with weapons,

searchIights or sound detectors-

so we'll start from the basics.

This is am Italian Terni m/36 rifle.

Apart from searchIight training;

you wiII receive security training-

in which you wiII fire two series

of five shots.

The night of Sunday ; June 11 th;

was quiet-

but at 6 am they started bringing in

masses of wounded horses.

l heard at the field hospital that

we lost the blood service van.

There is a terrible shortage of

blood; plasma; everything.

Anna wrote me that she is

going into searchlight training.

Whatever it is;

l wrote her at once not to go.

Dear Lasse. l've been quite busy ;

and the training is going very well.

I don't know when they'll let me off

on leave-

but l just found out l will be

stationed close to home-

although it doesn't mean much

in practice.

The thought warms my mind because

l think of you and the folks back home-

all the time. Luckily there's not

much time to miss anyone-

because the situation is very grave;

and l am needed here now.

ViIIe, Iet it be!

The Russkies broke our defense

west of the viIIage.

I know aII you men are tired;

but we have to strike back at once.

EdeIman wiII Iead the attack

to the right by the path.

Koistinen takes the Ieft wing.

HoIIo covers the right rear.

AaIto supports the attack,

as usuaI.

Any questions?

Let's go.

The number of wounded friends

and strangers keeps growing fast.

We were just ordered to pack up our

division and retreat without delay.

For the first time l am starting to

wonder how all this is going to end.

Medic!

PeItonen! CaII them forward!

Forward! Attack!

Company ; charge!

Lasse... Lasse....

Goodbye, ViIIe.

Lost my Ieg.

Get me a pistoI.

Lasse, think about Anna.

Soon everything wiII be better

and you'II get to go home.

My dearest Anna; just a brief

message since l'm still quite weak-

and it's hard to write with a pencil

stub lying on your back in bed.

Everything has gone pretty well;

believe it or not-

and l'll be getting out of

the hospital soon.

Now that the war is over for me;

l have been thinking that l should-

continue my studies at law school

as soon as possible.

Who wants me?

-1 st Sergeant; Sir.

Did you hear FinIand has decided to

initiate peace taIks. -No.

We'II finaIIy have peace.

-Remains to be seen.

At Ieast we didn't give in to

the Russkies. -No.

I just wish this whoIe thing ended

so we couId aII go home.

Some of us wiII

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