▁unit ▁until ▁leaving ▁for ▁Palest ine ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁He ▁lived ▁four ▁years ▁in ▁Palest ine , ▁fighting ▁for ▁the ▁under ground ▁Et zel ▁resistance ▁movement ▁against ▁British ▁rule . ▁Author ▁John ▁B . ▁Simon ▁calls ▁K lass ▁" both ▁a ▁Finn ish ▁patri ot ▁and ▁an ▁ar dent ▁Z ion ist ". ▁ ▁Service ▁in ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁Army ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁Finn ish ▁mobil ization , ▁K lass ▁returned ▁to ▁Finland ▁to ▁fight ▁in ▁the ▁Winter ▁War ▁against ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁He ▁commanded ▁a ▁company ▁that ▁def ended ▁M aks ima ▁Island ▁in ▁Lake ▁Lad oga . ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁unit ▁successfully ▁rep elled ▁a ▁Soviet ▁assault ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁that ▁was ▁using ▁t anks ▁as ▁snow pl ows ▁on ▁the ▁fro zen ▁lake , ▁after ▁Finn ish ▁art illery ▁sh atter ed ▁the ▁ice ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁t anks ▁fell ▁through . ▁However , ▁by ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁Finn ish ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁had ▁suffered ▁high ▁cas ual ties ▁and ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁put ▁more ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁def enders . ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁February , ▁a ▁Soviet ▁machine - gun ner ' s ▁bullet ▁entered ▁his ▁sk ull , ▁perman ently ▁dis abling ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁eyes . ▁He ▁rest ed ▁in ▁a ▁military ▁hospital ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Winter ▁War . ▁ ▁Despite ▁his ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁war ▁invalid , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁to