RIP Knut Haugland, Norwegian badass

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Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 5727

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/04haugland.html?hpw

Dude was the only man alive that could kick the butt of Chuck Norris. A few items from the obit:

As a radio engineer, Mr. Haugland had fought the invading Nazis at the battle of Narvik in 1940 and then, while pretending to be a typical worker at an Oslo radio factory, took a leading role in the anti-Nazi resistance, training radio operators and setting up secret transmitters.

Twice he was captured and escaped, once by back-flipping over a snow bank and running off into the woods before his guards could use their weapons. A third time, surrounded by the Gestapo at a maternity hospital in Oslo where he had set up a transmitter in a chimney, he shot his way to freedom with a pistol.

Stranded, Mr. Haugland and his companions hunkered down for the winter in a hunting cabin, surviving on reindeer and oatmeal mixed with moss and lichen that they scraped from rocks. After identifying himself with the code words “three pink elephants,” Mr. Haugland transmitted back to Britain every night on a radio fashioned from a car battery and stolen fishing rods.

At sea, Mr. Haugland showed the same pluck that carried him through the war. In one of the most gripping episodes related by Mr. Heyerdahl in his book “Kon-Tiki,” he leapt into a storm-tossed sea to rescue Herman Watzinger, who had been swept overboard. Holding a life belt secured to the raft by a long line, he reached the struggling crew member just as the raft threatened to leave him behind forever.

Mr. Haugland was twice awarded the War Cross with Sword, Norway’s highest combat decoration, and received the Distinguished Service order and the Military Medal from Britain.

He lived a full life, that's for sure. Here's to you Mr. Haugland! beers!

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:39 pm

Jayhawk wrote:

Mr. Haugland transmitted back to Britain every night on a radio fashioned from a car battery and stolen fishing rods.

As someone who's quite proud of my ability to build stuff out of what others consider to be useless scrap, I am considerably impressed.

*respectfully raises a beer*
beers!

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:34 pm

Jayhawk wrote:

Twice he was captured and escaped, once by back-flipping over a snow bank...

That sentence alone sums up how awesome the dude was.

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jul 2006 Posts: 5727

In reading about his life I came away with the impression that death finally said "I'm done trying take you", and left him to Father Time. Even so, it took Father Time 92 years before he finally got the job done.

I can't even imagine doing just one of the things that he did in his life. The man was amazing.

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:34 pm

Thanks for posting this Smile

I only read the Kon-Tiki book just in 2002 when Thor Heyerdahl died. I didn´t even know one of that expedition was still alive, let alone did I also know their biographies Surprised

And the movie with Kirk Douglas, yes, of course Surprised

Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:17 pm

Well, I'm having a drink for Mr. Haugland.
He never considered himself a hero but simply, he was!

A bit of a Knut too Laughing

Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:16 am

You know you're destined to make Bond, Rambo, uh, Shorts-a-negger look like a pussy when your first name is kNUT. I'd spill an entire brewery for you, Knut, man of men.

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