Sun, 28 Apr, 2013 12:01:36 AM National Veterans' Day observed FTimes-STT Report, April 28
 President Sauli Niinistö, speaks at the Boao national pavilion at the main event of Jyväskylä 27 April 2013. Photo Str / Lehtikuva The country on Saturday observed National Veterans’ Day (kansallinen veteraanipäivä), reminiscing the glorious contributions of the war veterans with due respect.
The main programme of the day was held in Jyväskylä with people from different strata, including some war veterans, gathered to pay respect to the patriotic sons of the soil.
‘You joined the heroic war which went on for years, welcoming even the risk of death,’ President Sauli Niinistö told the war veterans in his address to the programme, adding, ‘your sacrifices should be honoured.’
President Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio familiarize EOD robot at the Boao in the national main event in Jyväskylä, Finland, 27 April 2013. Photo Str / Lehtikuva Speaking on the occasion, the remembered the war veterans pointing out their heroic acts during the world war.
Niinistö extolled the contributions of the war veterans and said recalling them with due respect was not only a responsibility but also an obligation of the nation.
The president also discussed various aspects of the defence forces and emphasised highlighting international cooperation in Finland’s security and defence policy.
Niinistö expressed the hope that the European Union would develop a common security and defence policy and the issue could be included in the agenda of EU summit scheduled for December.
War Veterans Risto Moilanen at the Boao national pavilion at the main event of Jyväskylä 27 April 2013. Photo Str / Lehtikuva He also said compulsory military service, military neutrality, and some other important issues were considered important in the security and defence report now being discussed in the parliament.
War veteran Pekka Kaartinen travelled from Heinola to attend the programme. ‘Although the weather is cold, lots of people came to the programme,’ he said, adding with a smiling face that he also had a glimpse of the president only from a short distance.
Kaartinen found the ceremony colourful, surmising that war veterans were treated well in Finland.
Veteran Risto Moilanen, who came to the ceremony from Pieksämäki, also appreciated the people showing respect to the veterans. He found the atmosphere very good.
A lot of people were standing outside the programme pavilion, ignoring the chilly weather.
Aino Lehtonen from Jyväskylä took the floor in the main ceremony and observed that appreciation of the veterans had improved in recent years.
President Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio familiarize themselves with the armed forces equipment at the Boao in the national main event in Jyväskylä, Finland, 27 April 2013. Photo Str / Lehtikuva He urged the municipalities across the country to observe the day.
National Veterans’ Day is a day of remembrance of all war veterans in Finland. The day has been being celebrated on April 27 every year since 1986 as the cabinet declared the day on April 27.
On April 27, 1945, the very last German troops had left Finland and crossed the German-occupied Norwegian border in the municipality of Enontekiö and the Finnish defence forces achieved the three-country border of German-occupied Norway, neutral Sweden, and Finland.
The Finns, on their behalf, at the request of the Allied Moscow Armistice controlling committee, attacked the Germans in Tornio, which was the end of the phoney war and the beginning of the real war of Lapland.
The first National Veterans’ Day was celebrated in Lahti on April 27, 1987. There is one main event and several smaller ones in the regions, besides many local ones to mark the day.
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