Rovaniemi to honor 166 war veterans on Veteran´s Day

Veterans Day will be celebrated across Finland on April 27 to commemorate and celebrate the contributions of veterans of the Lapland War and World War II.

Veterans Day became an official holiday in 1987 in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of Finland’s independence. The day, April 27, was chosen to honor the last day of the war in Finland, which was in 1945.

Different organizations including City of Rovaniemi, Rovaniemi congregation, garrison as well as student, veteran and defense organizations will coordinate a series of events, sources at the City of Rovaniemi said. The theme for this year’s celebration is “It’s time to remember.”

“Veterans Day usually begins with the raising of the flag at the Someroharju Air Defence Memorial. The honorary festivities will continue at Rovaniemi Church with Veterans Day Church Service where the veterans are given medals for their honorary services for the country. After the service, wreaths are placed on the soldiers’ graves,” Roosa Nevala, cultural producer for City of Rovaniemi, told Daily Finland.

Church services and honorary cemetery visits will be held at other churches in the greater Rovaniemi area.

The main celebration will take place at Korundi House of Culture. There will be the screening of a newly produced commemorative video, interviews with three veterans about their experiences and memories, and a variety of performances.

“There will also be welcoming words from Heikki Autto, the chairman of the Rovaniemi City Council, performances from local dance group Rimpparemmi, poem recited by honorary veteran Jorma Savukoski, oration by Riitta Rissanen, head of Lapland University of Applied Sciences as well as music from Lapland Military Band, with visits from Finland’s first king of tango Kauko Simonen and Rautiosaari School choir,” Nevala added.

The events are free and will remain open to all.

Rovaniemi is home to 257 veterans. This year, 166 war veterans are set to receive medals in honor of their service. Order of the White Rose of Finland First Class Medal conferred by the President of the Republic of Finland. The attending veterans will be escorted by current members of the Defense Forces.

Finnish involvement in World War II is divided into three different parts — the Winter War (1939–40) and the Continuation War (1941–44) both against the Soviet Union, and the Lapland War (1944-45), against Germany.

According to statistics, around 600,000 men and 100,000 women fought in these wars. One out of eight died in battle and one out of four survivors were left with disabilities.

There were fears about the contribution of these veterans being forgotten in the decades immediately following the war. Veterans Day thus represents the efforts made by the Finnish people and their government to remember and appreciate the sacrifices made by veterans during this difficult period in history.