Aimo Koivunen
Aimo Koivunen | |
|---|---|
 Koivunen in 1943 | |
| Born | 17 October 1917 Alastaro, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire |
| Died | 12 August 1989 (aged 71) Jyväskylä, Finland |
| Allegiance | Finland |
| Branch | Finnish Army |
| Years of service | 1939–1944 |
| Rank | Corporal[1] |
| Conflict | |
Aimo Allan Koivunen (Finnish pronunciation: [ɑi̯mo ɑlːɑn koi̯ʋunen]; 17 October 1917 – 12 August 1989) was a Finnish soldier in the Continuation War and the first documented case of a soldier overdosing on methamphetamine during combat.[1]
Early life
[edit]Aimo Allan Koivunen was born in Alastaro, Grand Duchy of Finland, on 17 October 1917 to Frans Vihtori Koivunen and Aune Sofia Koivunen. They had six children, of which Aimo was the eldest.[2]
Experience during the Continuation War
[edit]Koivunen was a Finnish soldier, assigned to a ski patrol on 15 March 1944 along with several other Finnish soldiers. Three days into their mission on 18 March, the group was attacked and surrounded by Soviet forces, from whom they were able to escape.[3] Koivunen became fatigued after skiing for a long distance but could not stop. He was carrying his patrol's entire supply of army-issued Pervitin, or methamphetamine, a stimulant used to remain awake while on duty.[4] He consumed the entire supply of Pervitin, and had a short burst of energy, but soon entered a state of delirium and eventually lost consciousness. Koivunen later recalled waking up the following morning, separated from his patrol and having no supplies.[5]
In the following days, Koivunen escaped Soviet forces once again, was injured by a land mine, and stayed in a ditch for a week, waiting for help.[5][4] In the week that he was gone, he subsisted only on pine buds and a single Siberian jay that he caught and ate raw.[5][4] Having skied more than 400 km (248.5 mi), he was later found and admitted to a nearby hospital, where his heart rate was measured at 200 beats per minute, and he weighed only 43 kg (94.8 lbs).[5][4]
Private life
[edit]Koivunen and his wife Elsa had nine children and the family later settled in Central Finland.[4] He died in 1989 at the age of 71.[5]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Aimo Allan Koivunen". sotapolku.fi. 2016. Archived from the original on 4 November 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ "Aimo Koivunen". MyHeritage.com. 27 April 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ Länkinen, Tiina (9 March 2015). "Onko mummolassa metamfetamiinia kaapin perällä? – "Ei todellakaan kannata kokeilla"". yle.fi. UUTISET. Archived from the original on 13 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Mikkonen, Nadja (4 December 2019). "Aimo annos". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Rantanen, Miska (28 May 2002). "Finland: History: Amphetamine Overdose In Heat Of Combat". mapinc.org. Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2018.