The 99th Infantry Battalion
Digital Archive
Bridging the Past: Reconnecting the Bonds with Descendants of the 99th Infantry Battalion Soldiers
Honoring Norwegian-American WWII veterans with a cross-national digital archive.
The clock is ticking, and the sacrifices of the courageous young men from the Norwegian immigrant community in the US, along with exiled Norwegians, who volunteered for the 99th Infantry Battalion in World War II, have been long overlooked.
They fought valiantly on European battlefields for democracy and Norwegian freedom, enduring wounds and even death. Their efforts not only contributed to the war but also helped forge strong bonds between the US and Norway. Yet, despite their importance, no official register or roster exists to honor these heroes in either country, and their stories have faded from public memory.
Now is the time to act! NAHA, the Norwegian Emigrant Museum, and the Vest-Agder Museum in Norway are working together to create a cross-national digital archive, preserving the memory of those who served and reigniting the transatlantic connection.
As part of the 2025 commemoration of Norwegian Emigration to North America, we're digitizing letters, photographs, interviews, diaries, documents, and unpublished biographies to create a comprehensive digital archive that pays tribute to the 99th Infantry Battalion's WWII heroes.
But we urgently need your help. With most veterans no longer with us and their descendants aging and scattered across the US and Norway, time is running out. We've launched a campaign to reach as many descendants as possible and uncover personal collections of photographs, letters, diaries, and other documents to enrich the upcoming database.
It's crucial that we act now. Help us honor the memory of these brave soldiers and strengthen the bonds between our nations. If you are a relative or decendant of one of the soldiers in the battalion - please register by contacting us at post@99thbattalionarchive.com.
Norwegian Emigrant Museum | Norwegian-American Historical Association | Vest-Agder Museum