Born: December 17, 1905

Birthplace: Rautjärvi, Finland

Occupation: Finnish Sniper

Nickname: White Death

Dead Or Alive: Died April 1, 2002, age 96

Simo Häyhä is a man who didn't discover what he was truly good at until he had to rise to the occasion. He lived a normal life in Finland as a farmer, and did a mandatory year in the military. It wasn't until 1939 when the Soviet Union invaded his country, Häyhä decided not to back down. Instead, he went into the trees with a rifle, in -20 degree weather, and shot Russians. The Russians tried to respond by sending out teams to specifically kill Häyhä, and he would kill every last one. In 1940, Häyhä was finally stopped when he was shot in the face, remaining unconscious for a week, waking up the day the war ended.

Highlights:

"Using a modified Mosin–Nagant in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills – 505 – in any major war.

During the Winter War (1939–1940) between Finland and the Soviet Union, Häyhä served as a sniper for the Finnish Army against the Red Army in the 6th Company of JR 34 during the Battle of Kollaa. In temperatures between −40 °C (−40 °F) and −20 °C (−4 °F), dressed completely in white camouflage, Häyhä was credited with 505 confirmed kills of Soviet soldiers. A daily account of the kills at Kollaa was made for the Finnish snipers. Remarkably, all of Häyhä's kills were accomplished in fewer than 100 days – in other words, approximately five kills per day – at a time of year with very few hours of daylight."

"The Soviet's efforts to kill Häyhä included counter-snipers and artillery strikes, but on March 6, 1940 Häyhä was shot in his lower left jaw by a Russian soldier. He was picked up by fellow soldiers who said "half his cheek was missing", but he did not die, regaining consciousness on March 13, the day peace was declared. Shortly after the war, Häyhä was promoted from Alikersantti (Corporal) to Vänrikki (Second Lieutenant) by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. No one else has gained rank so quickly in Finland's military history."

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