Near Leadville in Lake County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Norwegian Memorial
99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial
| | Norwegian Operational Groups of the OSS Memorial | |
Photographed by Erik Brun, circa 2006
1. 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial Marker
United States Army
Ski Troopers
99th Infantry Battalion
(Separate)
The Viking Battalion
Office of Strategic Services
O.S.S. NORSO
(Rype Group)
Special Forces
The 99th Infantry Battalion (SEP) was:
Activated 10 July 1942 at Camp Ripley Minnesota
Deactivated 11 November 1945 at Camp Miles Standish, Boston Massachusetts
Camp Hale Colorado was the main ski trooper training area located 5 miles north of this site on route 24.
Campaigned in European Theater of Operations Battle Awards Presidential Unit Citation- Belgian Croix De Guerre Normandy Northern France Ardennes Rhineland Central Europe The Liberation of Norway 8 May 1945 The Rype Group parachuted into Norway on 24 March 1945 for sabotage missions and later joined the Underground for the liberation of Norway As quoted by an unknown but remembered 2nd Armored Division Major at the end of the attack thru Northern France This Viking Battalion is the only infantry outfit tanks have trouble keeping up with
Erected 1985 by 99th Infantry Battalion Veterans Association.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Military
this page online
Location. 39° 21.706′ N, 106° 18.64′ W. Memorial is near Leadville, Colorado, in Lake County. It is at the intersection of Hwy 24 and Tennessee Pass Road, on the right when traveling north on Hwy 24. Co-located with the 10th Mountain Division Memorial and the Office of Strategic Services Norwegian Section NORSO RYPE memorial. Touch for map. Memorial is in this post office area: Leadville CO 80461, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this memorial is in Colorado’s Arkansas River Valley, in the Colorado High Rockies and on the Continental Divide. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Norwegian Monument (here, next to this marker); Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) NORSO (Rype Group) Special Force (a few steps from this marker); 10th Mountain Division Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); A History of the 10th Mountain Division (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A History of the 10th Mountain Division (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A History of the 10th Mountain Division (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named A History of the 10th Mountain Division
Photographed by Erik Brun, February 20, 2014
2. 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial Marker
More about this memorial. The Saga of the Viking Battalion
In the two years following the German invasion of neutral Norway, in April 1940, Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans in the United States struggled to find ways to come to the aid of their homeland. Here begins the tale of over thousand men whose fate became tied to the War Departments secret plans.
The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated in August 1942, at Minnesotas Camp Ripley. The unit quickly grew and moved to Fort Snelling near Minneapolis. By mid-December the unit received orders to move to the newly completed Camp Hale, Colorado. The Battalion was identified as a separate unit since it did not belong to a regiment. Composed of Norwegian citizens and Norwegian Americans, the unit engaged in grueling winter and mountain warfare training at elevations above 10,000 feet. By August 1943 the unit was combat ready and moved to Europe.
Landing two weeks after D-Day, they fought across Northern Europe to the German border with the second armored division. With the 30th Infantry Division they helped encircle
Photographed by Erik Brun
3. 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial Marker
The 10th Mountain Division Association hosts two annual events at this monument site. The highlights of February's annual Ski-In are the Flag Run down the slope on a ski run, originally developed by the Army to train Ski Troopers for Camp Hale now run by nearby Ski Cooper and a memorial service. The second major annual event is every Memorial Day.
In January 1945, the Battalion joined the veterans of the First Special Service Force, Darbys Rangers and the 552nd Anti-Tank Company in the new 474th Infantry Regiment. In April the Regiment joined Pattons third Army for the final drive to Germany. Within hours of Germanys surrender, the 99th began its last secret mission when the Regiment started preparations for their movement to Norway.
For more information visit: http://www.99battalion.org/
Regarding Norwegian Memorial. Memorial stone reads:
World War II
United States Army
Ski Troopers
99th Infantry Battalion
(Separate)
The Viking Battalion
Officer of Static Services
O.S.S. NORSO
(Rype Group)
Special Forces
The 99th Infantry Battalion (SEP) was:
Activated 10 July 1942 at Camp Ripley Minnesota
Deactivated 11 November 1945 at Camp Miles Standish, Boston Massachusetts
Camp Hale Colorado was the main ski trooper training area located 5 miles
north of this site on route 24.
Campaigned in European Theater of Operations
Battle Awards Presidential Unit Citation- Belgian Croix De Guerre
Normandy Northern France Ardennes Rhineland Central Europe
The
Photographed by Erik Brun, 2006
4. 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial Marker
The site is the home of the 10th Mountain Division Memorial, 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Memorial and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Norwegian Special Operations NORSO RYPE Memorial.
8 May 1945
The Rype Group parachuted into Norway
on 24 March 1945 for sabotage missions
and later joined the Underground for
the liberation of Norway
As quoted by an unknown but remembered 2nd Armored
Division Major at the end of the attack thru Northern France
This Viking Battalion is the only infantry outfit tanks have trouble keeping up with
Also see . . . The 99th Infantry Battalion Foundation Website. (Submitted on June 3, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia.)
February 20, 2014
5. The 10th Mountain Division Memorial
Located to the left of the Norwegian Monument
Photographed by Erik Brun, 2014
6. Norwegian Memorial Marker, Memorial Day
Credits. This page was last revised on December 14, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,785 times since then and 88 times this year. Last updated on January 18, 2018, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 3, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. 3. submitted on June 4, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. 4. submitted on June 3, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. 5. submitted on July 14, 2016, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 6. submitted on September 8, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
