A Rather Unique Position to Be In
Aimo Koivunen was a 24-year-old Finnish soldier, and that scenario occurred on the morning of March 18th, 1944. What went down in the following weeks would later have to be pieced together by his own recollections and multiple eyewitnesses. He and his unit were situated in the northernmost territory of Lapland, an area known for its skiing territory and long winter months. Aimo was committed to serving his homeland, but the Soviet enemy was all too powerful.
Aimo Koivunen. Source: Pinterest
(Finland was in rather a unique position compared to the rest of Europe. The country was allied with Germany but did not support the Holocaust. It remained a democracy throughout the war, making it one of the very few times in history when a democracy engaged in a war against another democracy).