Jonas Wærn

Wærn was born on 23 July 1915 in Spånga, Sweden, the son of lawyer Olof Wærn and the journalist {{ill|Gerd Ribbing|sv}} (née Rehn). He passed studentexamen in 1934.

Wærn became a reserve officer in 1936 and an officer in 1940. He was commissioned as an officer into Värmland Regiment (I 2) in 1941.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemarvem/sthlm62/1362.html |editor1-last=Harnesk |editor1-first=Paul |date=1962 |title=Vem är vem? |volume=1, Stor-Stockholm |trans-title=Who is who? |edition=2nd |location=Stockholm |publisher=Vem är vem |language=sv |page=1338}} During World War II he served as a ranger platoon leader at the Norway–Sweden border.{{cite web |url=http://www.kongoveteranerna.se/nyheter/2015/5/15/jonas-waern-i-helfigur.html |website=www.kongoveteranerna.se |title=Jonas Waern i helfigur |trans-title=Jonas Waern in full-length |first=Bror Richard |last=Svärd |access-date=15 November 2015 |language=sv}} He was promoted to captain in Värmland Regiment in 1945,{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1955/0357.html |title=Sveriges statskalender för året 1955 |year=1955 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |page=357}} and attended the Royal Swedish Army Staff College in 1947. Wærn served as deputy military attaché in Copenhagen in 1948 and as second teacher at the Swedish Infantry Combat School the same year. Wærn attended the School of Infantry in Warminster, England in 1950 and served in Värmland Regiment (I 2) in 1951. Wærn served in the Army Staff in 1955 and in Västerbotten Regiment (I 20) in 1956 and was promoted to major the same year. He was first teacher at Infantry Combat School in 1957 and the same year he was appointed ADC to King Gustaf VI Adolf.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/1993/1133.html |editor1-last=Uddling |editor1-first=Hans |editor2-last=Paabo |editor2-first=Katrin |year=1992 |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993 |location=Stockholm |publisher=Norstedt |isbn=91-1-914072-X |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|8261513}} |page=1133}}

File:Swedish military during the Congo Crises 1961.jpg salute the Swedish flag on his arrival in Élisabethville, Congo.]]

Wærn held an acting rank of colonel and served as commander of the XII K Battalion from June 1961 to December 1961 and of the XIV K Battalion from December 1961 to May 1962 in Congo.{{cite book |url=http://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3516816/file/3941179.pdf |last=Tullberg |first=Andreas |title='We are in the Congo now': Sweden and the trinity of peacekeeping during the Congo crisis 1960–1964 |series=Studia historica Lundensia, 1650-755X |year=2012 |publisher=Lund University |location=Lund |isbn=978-91-7473-364-8 |id={{LIBRIS|13520443}} |page=92}} which cites {{cite book |last=Sköld |first=Nils |author-link=Nils Sköld |title=Med FN i Kongo: Sveriges medverkan i den fredsbevarande operationen 1960-1964 |trans-title=With the United Nations in the Congo: Sweden's participation in the peacekeeping operation 1960–1964 |year=1994 |publisher=Probus |location=Stockholm |isbn=91-87184-31-1 |id={{LIBRIS|7762917}} |at=p. 262, Appendix 12.6 |language=sv}} At the same time, he was brigade commander of the Swedish, Indian and Irish troops in southern Katanga, which was part of the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC) from June 1961 to May 1962. On 12 May 1962, Wærn left the Congo and returned to Sweden.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1962-05-13/16/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=90 FN-svenskar hem från Kongo |page=16A |date=1962-05-13 |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} Back in Sweden, Wærn served as section chief of the staff of the IV Military District in 1962. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1962 and was assigned to Northern Småland Regiment in Eksjö between 1962 and 1969.{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1963/0356.html |title=Sveriges statskalender 1963 |year=1963 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |page=356}}{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/65665/gupea_2077_65665_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |editor-last=Sköldenberg |editor-first=Bengt |title=Sveriges statskalender 1969 |year=1969 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Uppsala |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3682754}} |page=386}} Wærn served as commander of the Swedish UN Battalion in Cyprus in 1964, part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). He then served as infantry commander of the Stockholm Coastal Artillery Defence (Stockholms kustartilleriförsvar) in 1966.

Bo Pellnäs wrote the following about Wærn: "At its core, Wærn's leadership was characterized by words of wisdom uttered in China over four thousand years ago: 'Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death'."{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/2003-12-09/30/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Jonas Wærn |first=Karl-Olof |last=Fransson |first2=Bror |last2=Svärd |page=30 |date=2003-12-09 |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}

Wærn continued serving as aide-de-camp in His Majesty's Military Staff until 1973.{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/59464/gupea_2077_59464_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |editor-last=Sköldenberg |editor-first=Bengt |title=Sveriges statskalender 1973 |year=1973 |publisher=Almqvist & Wiksell |location=Uppsala |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|3682755}} |page=412}} In 1974 he was appointed cabinet chamberlain. Wærn continue to be active at the court as governor of Gripsholm Castle and Strömsholm Palace from 1975 to 1983. In 1976 he received a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Wærn was a member of the Samfundet SHT, the Charles John Association (Karl Johans förbundet), and the {{ill|Bernadotte-Musei Vänner|sv}}, a Swedish association of friends to the {{ill|Bernadotte museum|fr|Musée Bernadotte}} in Pau, France.

Wærn has recounted his experiences in the books Katanga (1980) and Cyprus (1995). In spring 1998, the TV program {{ill|Röda rummet (TV show)|lt=Röda rummet|sv|Röda rummet (TV-program)}} did a viewing poll about the century's most significant Swedish books. Wærn's book about Katanga was placed in 84th place out of 100 titles.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1998-05-25/22/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Utvandrarsviten "Århundradets bok" |page=22 |date=1998-05-25 |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}

In 1939, Wærn married the royal housekeeper Lissie Ehnström (1916–2012), the daughter of Axel Ehnström and Stina Larsdotter. He was the father of Stina (born 1942), Olof (born 1944), Peder (1950–1998) and Lotta (born 1957).

File:Jonas Waern 16 21 05 014000.jpeg]]

Wærn died on 6 November 2003. The funeral service took place on 21 November 2003 in the Royal Chapel in Stockholm.{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/2003-11-12/26/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Döda |trans-title=Deaths |page=26 |date=2003-11-12 |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} He was interred on 12 December 2003 in the family grave at Norra begravningsplatsen in Solna Municipality.{{cite web |url=http://svenskagravar.se/gravsatt/45757108 |website=www.svenskagravar.se |title=Waern, CARL JONAS |access-date=27 April 2021 |language=sv}}

• ???? – Second lieutenant
• ???? – Lieutenant
• 1945 – Captain
• 1956 – Major
• 1962 – Lieutenant colonel
• 1961 – Colonel (acting rank)

• 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} King Gustaf VI Adolf's Commemorative Medal{{cite web |url=http://veteranarkiv.fba.se/waern |publisher=Folke Bernadotte Academy |title=ÖVERSTE WAERN, ÖVERFURIR STÅLNACKE OCH KAPTEN CIPOLAT |access-date=27 April 2021 |language=sv}} (29 August 1967)
• 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight of the Order of the Sword (1958){{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/65026/1/gupea_2077_65026_1.pdf |title=Sveriges statskalender för skottåret 1968 |year=1968 |publisher=Fritzes offentliga publikationer |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|8261599}} |page=148}}
• 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Knight of the Order of Vasa (6 June 1969){{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/arkiv/1969-06-07/11/SVD |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |title=Belöningar till 1051 på Gustavsdagen |page=11 |date=1969-06-07 |access-date=6 March 2024 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}}
• 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Home Guard Medal of Merit in gold
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Värmland Officers Association's Silver Medal (Värmlands befälsförbunds silvermedalj)
• {{flagicon|Sweden}} Army Shooting Medal (Arméns skyttemedalj)

• 50x50px {{flagicon|France}} Officer of the Legion of Honour
• 50x50px {{flagicon|UN}} United Nations Medal (ONUC; Congo)
• 50x50px {{flagicon|UN}} United Nations Medal (UNFICYP; Cyprus)
• 50x50px {{flagicon|UN}} United Nations Emergency Force Medal
• {{flagicon|Italy}} Italian Red Cross' Silver Medal

• {{cite book |last=Wærn |first=Jonas |title=Katanga: svensk FN-trupp i Kongo 1961-62 |year=1980 |publisher=Atlantis |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9174861573 |id={{SELIBR|7644335}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Wærn |first=Jonas |title=Jonas Waerns rapport till Försvarsstaben |year=1984 |publisher=Dokumentär |location=Hyltebruk |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|2203331}}}}
• {{cite book |last=Wærn |first=Jonas |title=Cypern: svenskarnas inledande FN-aktion 1964 |year=1995 |publisher=Atlantis |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9174862219 |id={{SELIBR|7644386}}}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvGV7idEUWo Interview with colonel Jonas Wærn] {{in lang|sv}}

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{{S-mil}}

{{Succession box

| title = {{no wrap|Battalion Commander in the Congo}}

| years = June 1961 – May 1962

| before = Gösta Frykman

| after = Sten-Eggert Nauclér

}}

{{S-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Waern, Jonas}}

Category:1915 births

Category:2003 deaths

Category:Swedish Army colonels

Category:Military personnel from Stockholm

Category:People of the Congo Crisis

Category:Knights of the Order of the Sword

Category:Burials at Norra begravningsplatsen