JOURNEY INTO WINTER

In the winter of 1939, a tiny country of slightly less than four million people
defended itself against an empire of over two hundred million, a military giant.
The heroic struggle of democratic Finland to defend its homeland against the
invading Soviet armies is one of the most inspiring stories of the twentieth
century. A courageous people refused to compromise their freedom and chose
to fight.
World War II is just one month old as a young American, though half Finnish,
JONATHAN MERI, returns to Finland to visit his grandfather who has had a recent
heart attack. His grandfather had brought him back to Finland when he was five
years old after his father had left his American mother with the understanding
Jonathan would be returned to Newport, Rhode Island when he was fifteen. He
arrives in Helsinki finding the capital in turmoil owing to the fact that the Soviet
Union has demanded specific Finnish territory for defensive purposes. The
Finns soundly reject the Soviets offer, having only recently in 1917 thrown off
the Russian yoke they wore for a hundred years. The threat of war is imminent.
Consequently, Jonathan is urged by his grandfather to return to America. By
this time, however, he has met the exciting LANYA KOVADA and as a result keeps
postponing his decision. Then on November 23, 1939 the Soviets attack in full
force, outnumbering the Finns by twenty to one, and Jonathan’s decision is
made. He will stay and fight