Camp Ripley in Morrison County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) activated at Camp Ripley August 1942

Photographed by Erik Brun

1. 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) activated at Camp Ripley August 1942 Marker

On 15 August 1942 the 99th infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated here at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. Made up of Norwegian and Norwegian Americans, the Battalion moved to Fort Snelling and then to Camp Hale Colorado in December to begin mountain and winter warfare training.

Inscription. Dedicated in honor of the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) Activated and formed at Camp Ripley August - September 1942

Erected 2014 by MN National Guard.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II.

Location. 46° 4.88′ N, 94° 20.857′ W. Memorial is in Camp Ripley, Minnesota, in Morrison County. It is on Infantry Rd, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 15000 Highway 115, Little Falls MN 56345, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial is in Central Minnesota.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Belle Prairie Church and Log Cabin (approx. 3.3 miles away); Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (approx. 3.3 miles away); Holy Family Parish (approx. 3.3 miles away); Log Cabin (approx. 3.3 miles away); Site of Foundation of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (approx. 3.3 miles away); The Bell (approx. 3.3 miles away); The Way of the Cross (approx. 3.3 miles away); The Monument (approx. 3.3 miles away).

Regarding 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep) activated at Camp Ripley August 1942. In the two years following the German invasion of neutral Norway, in April 1940, Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans in the United States struggled

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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 Department’s secret plans.
The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) was activated in August 1942, Here at Minnesota’s 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 the historic German capital of Aachen and held the line during the bitter winter fighting around Malmedy during the Battle of the Bulge.
In January 1945, the Battalion joined the veterans of the First Special Service Force, Darby’s Rangers and the 552nd

United States Norwegian Troop Reciprocal Exchange image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Erik Brun, 2014

2. United States Norwegian Troop Reciprocal Exchange

This nearby tablet memorializes the long relationship between the Norwegian Ministry of Defense and the Minnesota National Guard exemplifies the tradition of the 99th.

Anti-Tank Company in the new 474th Infantry Regiment. In April the Regiment joined Patton’s third Army for the final drive to Germany. Within hours of Germany’s surrender, the 99th began its last secret mission when the Regiment started preparations for their movement to Norway.

Also see . . . 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) Foundation. The educational foundation established to preserve the memory and sacrifices of these brave men. (Submitted on June 4, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia.)

Additional keywords. Norwegian American, NORSO, RYPE, 474th Infantry Regiment, Ft Snelling, Camp Hale,

Detail from 99th Battalion Foundation Educational Poster about Camp Ripley image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Erik Brun

3. Detail from 99th Battalion Foundation Educational Poster about Camp Ripley

A letter home from Lt. Allen Lindholm about life at Camp Ripley in September, 1942. Lindholm was killed in action with the battalion in France, in 1944.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,240 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 4, 2016, by Erik Brun of Chester, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?