Martti Miettinen

Knight of the Mannerheim Cross Martti Miettinen
Martti Miettinen the Finnish commander in chief
Personal details
Born	14 October 1903  Russia
Died	3 May 1976  Finland
Military service
Allegiance	Finland,  Russia
Years of service	1923–1966
Battles/wars	World War I (under Russia) Eastern Front World War II Winter War Lapland War

Martti Juho Miettinen (14 October 1903, Muuruvesi – 3 May 1976, Espoo) was a soldier from Finland. He became a lieutenant general in the Finnish Army and was also a Knight of the Mannerheim Cross, which is one of the highest military honors in Finland.^[1]

Miettinen was a Finnish coastal artillery officer who trained at the Reserve Officer Course and Cadet School in the 1920s, later serving in various coastal artillery posts and in staff duties, including as assistant to the Finnish military attaché in Moscow before WWII.^[2] During the Winter War he commanded the Saarenpää fortress and later continued his service at the Naval Academy. In the Continuation War he led Coastal Battalion 2, taking the Virolahti islands and Pukkio fortress, then helped plan and carry out the capture of Suursaari, later commanding Coastal Artillery Regiment 12 and defending Suursaari against a German attack in September 1944, for which he received the Mannerheim Cross.^[3] After the war he held several senior posts in the Navy and General Staff, served again as military attaché in Moscow, commanded coastal units and the Uusimaa Military District, and finished his career as artillery inspector in 1966, rising to the rank of lieutenant general.^[4]

Martti Miettinen married Marina Sventorzetski in 1936. She was the daughter of Minister Reinhold Svento.^[5] Their daughter, Irmeli Maria Tallila, was born in 1937 and later became a doctor.^[6]