Near Leadville in Lake County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The Norwegian Monument

Welcome to Your National Forest

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2025

1. The Norwegian Monument Marker

Inscription.

The Norwegian Monument. Welcome to Your National Forest. , The Saga of the Viking Battalion , In the two years following the German invasion of Norway in 1940, Norwegians around the world struggled to find ways to help their homeland. , The Viking Battalion was born in August 1942. Composed of Norwegians and Norwegian Americans, the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated at Camp Ripley, Minnesota and moved to Fort Snelling near Minneapolis. , By mid-December, the unit moved to the recently completed Camp Hale, Colorado for mountain and winter warfare training before moving overseas. , Landing in France, two weeks after D-Day, they fought across northern Europe and at the Battle of the Bulge, at Malmedy. In January 1945 the battalion joined the veterans of the First Special Service Force, Darby's Rangers and the 552nd Antitank Company in the 474 Infantry Regiment for the final drive into Germany. Within hours of the German surrender, the regiment received orders for Norway and its final mission. , Norwegian Operational Groups , Major General "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of Strategic Services (OSS) came to Camp Hale in the summer of 1943 and selected a hundred Norwegian speaking volunteers from the 99th for clandestine operations in Europe. , These soldiers became the Norwegian Operational Groups, known as NORSO. In the fall of 1944, teams parachuted into France, behind enemy lines. One group was ordered to China and the other focused on Norway. In March 1945 Operation RYPE, led by Major William Colby, parachuted into Norway to interdict German troop movements. , The men of the 99th and NORSO served as honor guards to welcome the Norwegian Royal Family on their return home, proudly cementing the bonds between these two great nations. , [photo captions] , . Soldiers of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) enjoy Minnesota's Norwegian-American culture in the fall of 1942. , . The Army's shoulder sleeve insignia for its Norwegian forces, worn by 99th soldiers. , . Major William Colby and RYPE members fire a salute to the victims of the B-24 crash in Norway. , . OSS men welcomed, 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) world war two Educational Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization , Special Forces Association, Chapter 4-24, Rocky Mountain

The Saga of the Viking Battalion
In the two years following the German invasion of Norway in 1940, Norwegians around the world struggled to find ways to help their homeland.

The Viking Battalion was born in August 1942. Composed of Norwegians and Norwegian Americans, the 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated at Camp Ripley, Minnesota and moved to Fort Snelling near Minneapolis.

By mid-December, the unit moved to the recently completed Camp Hale, Colorado for mountain and winter warfare training before moving overseas.

Landing in France, two weeks after D-Day, they fought across northern Europe and at the Battle of the Bulge, at Malmedy. In January 1945 the battalion joined the veterans of the First Special Service Force, Darby's Rangers and the 552nd Antitank Company in the 474 Infantry Regiment for the final drive into Germany. Within hours of the German surrender, the regiment received orders for Norway and its final mission.

Norwegian Operational Groups
Major General "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of Strategic Services (OSS) came to Camp Hale in the summer of 1943 and selected a hundred Norwegian speaking volunteers from the 99th for clandestine operations in Europe.

These soldiers became the Norwegian Operational Groups, known as NORSO. In the fall of 1944, teams

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parachuted into France, behind enemy lines. One group was ordered to China and the other focused on Norway. In March 1945 Operation RYPE, led by Major William Colby, parachuted into Norway to interdict German troop movements.

The men of the 99th and NORSO served as honor guards to welcome the Norwegian Royal Family on their return home, proudly cementing the bonds between these two great nations.

[photo captions]
• Soldiers of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) enjoy Minnesota's Norwegian-American culture in the fall of 1942.
• The Army's shoulder sleeve insignia for its Norwegian forces, worn by 99th soldiers.
• Major William Colby and RYPE members fire a salute to the victims of the B-24 crash in Norway.
• OSS men welcomed

99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) WWII Educational Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Special Forces Association, Chapter 4-24, Rocky Mountain

Erected by Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in this topic list: War, World II.

Location. 39° 21.707′ N, 106° 18.639′ W. Marker is near Leadville, Colorado, in Lake County. It is at the intersection of 10th Mountain Division Memorial

Marker detail: Insignia of the 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate) image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Insignia of the 474th Infantry Regiment (Separate)

Pays tribute to the 99th, the First Special Service Force and Darby’s Rangers

Highway (U.S. 24) and Tennessee Pass Road, on the right when traveling north on 10th Mountain Division Memorial Highway. The marker is beside the Norwegian Monument at the Tennessee Pass Summit wayside. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Leadville CO 80461, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and monument 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: Norwegian Memorial (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 (within shouting distance of this marker); Tennessee Pass (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Leadville.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. The Norwegian Monument

Also see . . . 99th Infantry Battalion (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was a battalion of Norwegian-speaking

3. Marker detail: Special Force wing worn by NORSO Members
soldiers in the US Army. Created in July 1942 at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, the battalion originally consisted of 1,001 soldiers. The battalion was attached to the First Army; however, it was labeled "Separate" because it was not attached to a specific regiment.
During the stay at Camp Hale in 1943, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) asked for volunteers from the battalion. The OSS selected 80 enlisted men and twelve officers for what would become OSS Norwegian Special Operations Group (NORSOG). OSS special operations groups were the Americans' counterpart to Britain's Special Operations Executive. NORSOG was initially intended for action in Norway, but, by 1944, the group was instead used in operations behind German lines in France. In early 1945, NORSOG operated in Norway where they performed railway sabotage until the liberation.

(Submitted on December 15, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: 99th soldiers in Oslo in 1945 image. Click for full size.

4. Marker detail: 99th soldiers in Oslo in 1945

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 27, 2025

5. The Norwegian Monument & Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 12, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 67 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 15, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.