▁– ▁ 3 ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 9 ) ▁was ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁General ▁of ▁The ▁Salv ation ▁Army ▁( 1 9 8 1 – 8 6 ). ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁to ▁Colonel ▁Rafael ▁Wahl ström , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁five ▁children . ▁He ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Finland , ▁as ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁the ▁training ▁principal . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁Christian ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁seven ▁years ▁old . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁he ▁entered ▁the ▁International ▁Training ▁College ▁in ▁London , ▁England , ▁as ▁a ▁cad et ▁in ▁the ▁En th us iast s ▁session , ▁becoming ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁His ▁first ▁appointment ▁was ▁assistant ▁officer ▁at ▁the ▁O ulu ▁Corps . ▁When ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁began , ▁he ▁was ▁cons cript ed ▁into ▁the ▁military ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁The ▁last ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁military ▁service ▁were ▁spent ▁as ▁batt alion ▁chap lain . ▁ ▁Upon ▁his ▁return ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁he ▁married ▁Lieutenant ▁Ma ire ▁Ny berg . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Finland ' s ▁territorial ▁sc out ▁organ iser ▁when ▁the ▁war ▁ended . ▁Seven ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁was ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁Hels ink i ▁division ▁as ▁the ▁youth ▁secretary . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁training ▁principal ▁for ▁Finland . ▁A ▁year ▁later , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁Knight ▁of ▁the ▁Order ▁of ▁the ▁Lion ▁of ▁Finland ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁work