Jussi Kekkonen facts for kids
Uuno Johannes (Jussi) Kekkonen (born September 30, 1910 – died April 1, 1962) was a Finnish major and a business leader. He was also the younger brother of President of Finland Urho Kekkonen. Jussi Kekkonen fought bravely in the Winter War near Kuhmo. Sadly, he lost his eyesight when he was injured early in the Continuation War.
Kekkonen was born in Iisalmi, Finland. In the early 1930s, he attended the Cadet School. After his training, he became an officer in the Kuhmo border squad. People saw Kekkonen as a dedicated and down-to-earth officer.
Fighting in the Winter War
In October 1939, a special military group called Separate Battalion 14 was formed. It was based at the Kuhmo border squad's headquarters. Lieutenant Jussi Kekkonen was in charge of the second squad within this battalion.
When the Winter War began, Kekkonen's squad was working on defenses in Kalliojoki. The enemy, who had more soldiers, attacked Finnish troops at Lammasperä. Kekkonen's squad was sent to help. The Finns were about to lose their positions at Vääräjoki. But Kekkonen quickly gathered his troops for a counter-attack on December 6, 1939. They successfully took back the Vääräjoki positions. The Russians then pulled back behind the Vääräjoki river. The front lines were now at Vääräjoki, and the main defense was at Tyrävaara. On December 12, the Russians attacked again, reaching the open fields at Tyrävaara.
On Christmas Eve 1939, Kekkonen's group, with 270 men, attacked Russian soldiers. The Russians were hiding in the Ranta house and Kupsunen buildings. After a few hours of fighting, the Russians began to retreat towards the border. They stopped at Hukkajärvi, near the Kiekinniemi house. On December 28, Kekkonen, with 150 men, destroyed the rest of the Russian battalion at Kiekinniemi. The Russians were then forced to cross the border.
From January to March 1940, Kekkonen's group focused on protecting the Kiekinkoski area. They also took part in scouting missions and disrupted enemy activities on the Rasti-Saunajärvi-Riihivaara road.
The Continuation War and Injury
When the Continuation War started in the summer of 1941, Jussi Kekkonen was promoted to Captain. He led the Kuhmo border squad at Rukajärvi. Kekkonen's group, called Osasto Miinoa, crossed the border. They successfully captured the villages of Miinoa and Luvajärvi with only a few losses.
Their next goal was the village of Kiimasjärvi. They knew Russian soldiers were there. Kekkonen moved towards it with three groups and two machine guns. Near the village, his attackers met strong Russian defenses. They could not capture the village. The Russians then attacked Kekkonen's group from behind. His group had to pull back. The retreat became disorganized when Kekkonen was badly wounded in a Russian ambush. Later that evening, Kekkonen and his helper were found by a campfire during a search. He was quickly flown from Luvajärvi to a hospital in Kuhmo. Sadly, his eye injuries were too severe, and he lost his sight permanently.
Lieutenant Taskinen took over from Kekkonen as the leader of the border squad. He moved the squad to new positions along a river west of Luvajärvi village. A week later, the Lieksa border squad arrived, led by Captain Seitamo. The attack on Kiimasjärvi continued. But the village was heavily defended, and they couldn't capture it. Finally, the Russians left the village on their own. They were threatened from behind by Finnish troops on the Rukajärvi road. Before leaving, the Russians set the village on fire.
Life After the Wars
After his injury, Jussi Kekkonen was permanently blind. He was promoted to Major. After the war, he worked as a manager for a shipping company owned by Ragnar Nordström in Loviisa. Jussi Kekkonen passed away in Loviisa. He was buried in a military hero's grave in Kajaani.
Sources
- Did Kekkonen have brothers and sisters? Turun Sanomat 5 March 2005
- Battles of Kuhmo in the Winter War
- Antti Tuuri: 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
