When Simo became 20 years old, he left home to serve in the military.
In Finland, young men were required to serve in the army. It was something many people expected, and Simo knew that it would be his turn one day.
The morning he left, the farm was quiet.
His family woke up early to see him before he went. His mother gave him food for the trip, and his father spoke with him outside near the barn.
"Work hard," his father told him.
Simo nodded.
He picked up his bag and started the trip to the training area.
Simo was sent to a place called Bicycle Battalion 2. It was a unit where soldiers often moved quickly using bicycles, most of the time on long roads and trails.
When Simo arrived, there were many other young men there.
Some talked loudly and laughed with each other. Others looked nervous about the training.
Simo stayed quiet and listened.
The training started quickly.
The soldiers woke up early each morning. They cleaned their equipment, ran long distances, and practiced drills together.
Simo didn't complain about the work.
During training, the soldiers also practiced shooting.
He had already spent many years practicing with rifles while hunting and competing in shooting contests. So when the soldiers began shooting at the targets, Simo stayed focused.
He took a slow breath.
Then he fired.
His shots landed very close to the center of the target.
Some of the other soldiers noticed.
One of them looked over at Simo's target and was impressed.
"You're pretty good at that," the soldier said.
Simo only shrugged a little.
"I just practice a lot," he replied.
The soldiers continued training for many weeks.
They learned how to move through forests quietly. They practiced working together as a unit. They also spent time skiing across snow-covered land during winter training.
Simo was already used to most of these things because of his life on the farm.
The cold didn't bother him very much.
Using his rifle a lot was normal for him.
And he knew his way around the forests.
Because of this, his officers began to notice him.
Simo followed instructions and stayed calm during difficult training.
He didn't try to stand out.
But his skill with a rifle was hard to ignore.
By the time his training was finished, Simo had become a strong and disciplined soldier.
Soon he would return home to the farm.
But the skills he learned in the army would stay with him.
At the time, Simo believed his life would continue the same way it always had.
Farm work.
Hunting.
Quiet days in the forests.
But he didn't know that in a few years, Finland would have trouble.