Olavi Alakulppi
Encyclopedia
Olavi Alakulppi was a Finnish
cross country skier who competed in the 1930s. During the Russo-Finnish Continuation War
, he served in the Finnish army, and was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
. After the Second World War, he made a career in the United States Army
.
Alakulppi won a gold medal in the 4 x 10 km cross-country relay at the 1939 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
in Zakopane
.
Alakulppi served in the Finnish Army
during the Winter
and Continuation War
s. In 1942 he was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
.
In 1945, in order to evade prosecution for his involvement in the Weapons Cache Case
, he skied to Sweden and arranged for his wife Eevi, their son Vesa, and him to travel to the United States
where he soon joined the United States Army
. Vesa Alakulppi eventually followed his father into the army and was killed in action during the Vietnam War
.
Alakulppi retired from the US Army in 1968 as lieutenant-colonel. He died in 1990, and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
cross country skier who competed in the 1930s. During the Russo-Finnish Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
, he served in the Finnish army, and was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
Mannerheim Cross
The Mannerheim Cross of Liberty is the highest Finnish military decoration. The medal was introduced after the Winter War and named after Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim...
. After the Second World War, he made a career in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Alakulppi won a gold medal in the 4 x 10 km cross-country relay at the 1939 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
1939 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1939 took place February 11-19, 1939 in Zakopane, Poland. This was the Polish city's second time hosting the championships after having done so in 1929...
in Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
.
Alakulppi served in the Finnish Army
Finnish Army
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...
during the Winter
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
s. In 1942 he was awarded the Mannerheim Cross
Mannerheim Cross
The Mannerheim Cross of Liberty is the highest Finnish military decoration. The medal was introduced after the Winter War and named after Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim...
.
In 1945, in order to evade prosecution for his involvement in the Weapons Cache Case
Weapons Cache Case
The Weapons Cache Case was a Finnish criminal case of the mid-1940s. It concerned a secret military operation following the Continuation War, where a large number of Finnish Army weapons and equipment was hidden away around the country....
, he skied to Sweden and arranged for his wife Eevi, their son Vesa, and him to travel to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where he soon joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Vesa Alakulppi eventually followed his father into the army and was killed in action during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Alakulppi retired from the US Army in 1968 as lieutenant-colonel. He died in 1990, and is buried in the Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.