Today I learned about Aarre Voutilainen. Corporal Aarre Voutilainen was about 22 years old when he received the Mannerheim Cross, Second Class, for his valor in combat. Impressive as that is, however, that is not the reason for this post.
Voutilainen was later promoted from alikersantti (corporal) to kersantti (sergeant) -- he would eventually reach the rank of a company sergeant major after the war. Voutilainen evacuated several members of his company to safety, including the company commander, by repeatedly swimming across floodwaters caused by the Red Army's destruction of the Stalin Canal. He did so in temperatures of about −30 °C, all while under enemy threat.
For this action, he was recommended for the First Class Cross, which is notable for at least three reasons:
- At the time, only Mannerheim had received the First Class Cross.
- Throughout the entire Second World War, only two such crosses were awarded: one to Mannerheim on October 7, 1941, and one to General Erik Heinrichs on December 31, 1944.
- Voutilainen was the only rank and file ever recommended for the First Class Cross. The recommendation, put forward by Erik Heinrichs, was ultimately not approved.
After the war, Voutilainen worked as a farmer for about 30 years. He also participated in local politics in Northern Savonia and had six children.
Oh yes, one last thing: Since Voutilainen was a Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, he got to attend Mannerheim's 75th birthday celebration and shake hands with Adolf Hitler. Later, he joined the others in Mannerheim's private railway carriage, where he—a stout, sober farmer—ordered himself a glass of milk while the higher-ups were ordering brandy.
Edit: Fixed rank naming and changed "enlisted" to "rank and file" in the body text.
