Viking Magazine - August 2021 - 28

On the morning of April 9, 1940,
Nazi Germany invaded the independent
nation of Norway, occupying it
and officially bringing it into World
War II. The occupation forced some
Norwegians to be trapped outside
of Norway and it also inspired the
descendants of Norwegian immigrants
who had left the motherland years
before to get involved.
Early in the war, the United States
recognized the need for special units
with cultural and linguistic background
to assist warfare operations in occupied
countries, including Norway. The
99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was
made up of Norwegian citizens and
Americans of Norwegian descent who
could ski and speak fluent Norwegian.
Many hailed from Minnesota, Iowa
and the Dakotas. They were trained
as special forces and tasked with
infiltrating occupied Norway to execute
sabotage missions and weaken the
German hold.
Preparing for Battle
On July 10, 1942, an order was sent
out in which the U.S. Army created
an Infantry Battalion (Separate) to be
formed at Camp Ripley in Minnesota
" without delay, " and to be made up of
soldiers who were either Norwegian
ex-patriots or who spoke Norwegian.
The Brave
99th
The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) is the
only unit of the U.S. Army with a Norwegian
history. Here's a look at where they trained
and fought for their homeland.
28 VIKING AUGUST 2021
sonsofnorway.com
Under the command of Captain
Harold D. Hansen, a small group
of enlisted men, and officers met at
Camp Ripley to start training. They
were made a " Separate " Battalion and
not connected to any larger military
units, as part of the War Department's
Foreign Legions program that also
created Japanese-American, Austrian
and Greek units.
Top to bottom:
99ers on skis in the mountains
surrounding Camp Hale.
Tobias Briseid, Clarence Mortenson
and Arne Espedal (HQ Company)
donning 90-pound rucksacks with
snowshoes at Camp Hale, Marck
1943.
99ers training in snow conditions.
After a brief stint at Camp Ripley,
the 99th moved to Fort Snelling in
Minnesota where their numbers
continued to grow. They were soon
ordered to Camp Hale in Colorado.
At the new Mountain Training Center
high in the Rocky Mountains, the
99th faced some of the most difficult
training any American soldier
experienced during World War II.
They were trained above 9,000 feet
to use skis, snowshoes and mountain
climb, all while constantly marching,
hiking and camping in the wilderness
to simulate fighting in a mountainous
region.
While the intent seemed to be to
prepare the 99th for battle in Norway,
some researchers now argue there may
have been another reason this unit was
formed. This reason would impact
the final outcome of one of the most
significant battles of the war, helping to
defeat Nazi Germany.
April 9, 1940
Germany invades Norway.
Aug. 15, 1942
Battalion forms at
Camp Ripley (MN).
Oct. 1942
Training at
Fort Snelling
(MN).
Right: Men of
the 99th during
their training at
Fort Snelling,
Minnesota,
before training in
Colorado.
PHOTOS COURTESY 99TH INFANTRY BATTALION (SEP) WWII EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ARCHIVES
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - August 2021

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