Jussi Kekkonen
Encyclopedia
Uuno Johannes Kekkonen (30 September 1910 – 1 April 1962) was a Finnish
major, CEO and the younger brother of President of Finland
Urho Kekkonen
. Jussi Kekkonen fought successfully in the Winter War
in the direction of Kuhmo
but lost his sight when he was wounded in the early stages of the Continuation War
.
Kekkonen was born in Iisalmi
. He attended the Cadet School
in the early 1930s and served as an officer in the Kuhmo border squad. Kekkonen was seen as a devoted and folk-like officer.
ns withdrew behind Vääräjoki. The front guards were now located at Vääräjoki and the proper defense station at Tyrävaara. The Russians' new attack on 12 December brought them to the open fields at Tyrävaara.
The group under Kekkonen's command, consisting of 270 men, attacked the Russians fortified in the Ranta house and the Kupsunen accommodation premises at Christmas Eve 1939. After a few hours of combat, the Russians started to withdraw towards the border, settling into position at Hukkajärvi near the Kiekinniemi house. With a group of 150 men, Kekkonen destroyed the remains of the Russian battalion still left at Kiekinniemi on 28 December, when the Russians were withdrawing across the border.
Kekkonen's group concentrated on securing the Kiekinkoski area during January to March 1940. The group also participated in military intelligence and disturbance missions on the Rasti-Saunajärvi-Riihivaara road.
Lieutenant Taskinen, succeeding Kekkonen as the leader of the border squad, moved the squad to positions along a river west of the Luvajärvi village. After one week, the Lieksa
border squad led by Captain Seitamo arrived. The attack at Kiimasjärvi was resumed, but attempts at conquering the heavily fortified village failed, until the Russians left the village themselves, being threatened from the back by Finnish troops on the Rukajärvi road. Before the Russians left the village, they set fire to it.
and was buried in a military hero grave in Kajaani
.
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...
major, CEO and the younger brother of President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kekkonen
Urho Kaleva Kekkonen , was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland and later as the eighth President of Finland . Kekkonen continued the “active neutrality” policy of his predecessor President Juho Kusti Paasikivi, a doctrine which came to be known as the “Paasikivi–Kekkonen...
. Jussi Kekkonen fought successfully in the Winter War
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...
in the direction of Kuhmo
Kuhmo
Kuhmo is a town and a municipality in Finland and is part of the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . It has a borderline of with Russia....
but lost his sight when he was wounded in the early stages of the 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...
.
Kekkonen was born in Iisalmi
Iisalmi
Iisalmi is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
. He attended the Cadet School
Finnish National Defence University
The Finnish National Defence University is the Finnish Defence Forces' university located in Helsinki. The university trains officers for the Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard...
in the early 1930s and served as an officer in the Kuhmo border squad. Kekkonen was seen as a devoted and folk-like officer.
In the Winter War
In October 1939, a Separate Battalion 14 (Erillinen Pataljoona 14) was founded at the command site of the Kuhmo border squad at the Jämäs barracks, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frans Ilomäki. Lieutenant Jussi Kekkonen served as the leader of the second squad of the battalion. When the Winter War started, Kekkonen's squad was doing fortification work in Kalliojoki. The enemy, outnumbering the Finns, attacked the Finnish troops numbering about 50 at Lammasperä, and Kekkonen's squad was sent there as reinforcements. The Finns were already giving up their positions at Vääräjoki when Kekkonen assembled his troops in the counter-attack starting on 6 December 1939. The Vääräjoki positions were re-manned and the RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns withdrew behind Vääräjoki. The front guards were now located at Vääräjoki and the proper defense station at Tyrävaara. The Russians' new attack on 12 December brought them to the open fields at Tyrävaara.
The group under Kekkonen's command, consisting of 270 men, attacked the Russians fortified in the Ranta house and the Kupsunen accommodation premises at Christmas Eve 1939. After a few hours of combat, the Russians started to withdraw towards the border, settling into position at Hukkajärvi near the Kiekinniemi house. With a group of 150 men, Kekkonen destroyed the remains of the Russian battalion still left at Kiekinniemi on 28 December, when the Russians were withdrawing across the border.
Kekkonen's group concentrated on securing the Kiekinkoski area during January to March 1940. The group also participated in military intelligence and disturbance missions on the Rasti-Saunajärvi-Riihivaara road.
In the Continuation War
Promoted to Captain when the Continuation War started in summer 1941, Jussi Kekkonen served as the leader of the Kuhmo border squad at Rukajärvi. The Miinoa group (Osasto Miinoa) under Kekkonen's command moved across the border and conquered the villages of Miinoa and Luvajärvi with minor losses. The next target was the village of Kiimasjärvi where the Russians were known to be in position. Kekkonen started to move there with three groups and two machine guns. Near the village, the attackers ran into fortified Russian positions and failed to conquer the village. The Russians struck at the group's back and the group had to withdraw. The withdrawal became a retreat and the group disassembled when Kekkonen was severely wounded in a Russian ambush. Kekkonen and his envoy were found at a campfire when the terrain was being searched in the evening and Kekkonen was soon transported by aeroplane from Luvajärvi to the Kuhmo field hospital. Having been wounded in the eyes, Kekkonen's sight was beyond rescue.Lieutenant Taskinen, succeeding Kekkonen as the leader of the border squad, moved the squad to positions along a river west of the Luvajärvi village. After one week, the Lieksa
Lieksa
Lieksa is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
border squad led by Captain Seitamo arrived. The attack at Kiimasjärvi was resumed, but attempts at conquering the heavily fortified village failed, until the Russians left the village themselves, being threatened from the back by Finnish troops on the Rukajärvi road. Before the Russians left the village, they set fire to it.
After the war
After being wounded, Kekkonen lost his sight permanently. He was promoted to Major, and after the war he served as a manager in the shipping company of Ragnar Nordström in Loviisa. Jussi Kekkonen died in LoviisaLoviisa
Loviisa is a municipality and town of inhabitants on the southern coast of Finland. About 43 per cent of the population is Swedish-speaking.The municipality covers an area of of which is water...
and was buried in a military hero grave in Kajaani
Kajaani
Kajaani is a town and municipality in Finland.It is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi , which drains to the Gulf of Bothnia along the Oulujoki . There are inhabitants and city surface area is of which is water. The population density is . The town is...
.
Sources
- Did Kekkonen have brothers and sisters? Turun SanomatTurun SanomatTurun Sanomat is the leading regional newspaper of the region of Finland Proper. It is published in the region's capital, Turku, and is read daily by about 280 000 people, or 70% of the inhabitants, in the city and its surrounding municipalities, making it the third most widely read morning...
5 March 2005 - Battles of Kuhmo in the Winter War
- Antti TuuriAntti TuuriAntti Elias Tuuri is a Finnish writer, known for his works dealing with Southern Ostrobothnia....
: Rukajärven tie. Otava 1990, ISBN 951-1-11060-8, pp. 97–116. - Erkki Aho's Finnish history blog 2 March 2009: Jussi Kekkonen, the President's brother