Tour Sites

• At Fort Snelling, the Plank Museum and Visitor Center has a large collection of displays on the history of the Fort including a panel on the 99th Infantry Battalion (Sep).  Visit the Website for more information.  Located near Minneapolis & St Paul, Minnesota.  

• Fort Snelling cemetery is the final resting place for 77 veterans of the 99th (see 99th map of grave-sites).  Located near Minneapolis & St Paul, Minnesota.

• Minnesota Military Museum website.

• Location of the Minnesota Military Museum: Google map link

• Location of the 99th Memorial at Camp Ripley: Google map link

• Please note that a new Minnesota Military Museum is under construction, so the sites will be moving by 2026.  The new site is less than a mile from the current site.

• The U.S. Army selected a high elevation mountain training site and built a “city” in 7 months that housed 15,000 men at an altitude of 9,400 feet.  The camp provided a headquarters, barracks, PXs, stables, gymnasium, hospital, warehouses, ranges, and training areas.  It had full infrastructure support with sewer, water, power, roads, telephone exchange, rail spurs and sidings.

• Camp Hale was jointly used by the 99th as well as the 10th Mountain Division.  The site of the camp is now a U.S. National Monument having been dedicated by President Biden in 2022.  Efforts are planned to restore some of the buildings and turn the remainder of the camp area into it's original natural setting.

• Location of the Camp Hale site: Google map link

• Location of the memorial signs: Google map link

• Vesterheim Museum website and web page about the 99th linked here.

• Location of the Vesterheim museum: Google map link 

• Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, with over 33,000 artifacts, 12 historic buildings, and a library and archives. (Source: Wikipeda)

• The 99th has long had a relationship with Vesterheim, including programs that have been held there and tours for 99th members.  Many items have been donated over the years and there is an excellent display of these materials.

• Claus Hoie was a member of the 99th and an accomplished artist.  The Brooklyn Museum has a biographical sketch of Hoie, and photographs and descriptions of paintings done by a Norwegian-born artist who emigrated to the United States in 1924. Hoie served in the 99th Infantry of the United States Army in World War II, a battalion composed of Norwegian nationals and U.S. citizens of Norwegian background. Hoie's work has been shown in different museums in the United States. There is a permanent collection of his works at the Brooklyn Museum.  Includes contact sheets (photocopies of photos and artwork) of 99th Infantry Battalion of the U.S. Army in World War II. (Source: https://norwegianamericanhistory.org/catalog/items/show/12746)

• Location:  320 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72901 (Google map link)

• Website: https://www.fortsmithmuseum.org/copy-of-on-the-air

• Over four hundred members of the famed Darby’s Rangers went to Norway in the same Regiment as the 99th. 

• At this museum you can "learn about Fort Smith’s famous son and WW II hero, William O. Darby. Darby organized and trained the First Ranger Battalion, the elite combat force also called 'Darby’s Rangers'.  You will discover the fascinating story of General William O. Darby's life, from his childhood in Fort Smith to his service in the military. Explore his heroic efforts as he organized and trained the First Ranger Battalion, an elite combat force also known as "Darby's Rangers". Through the use of artifacts and historical documents, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the remarkable contributions that Darby made to the war effort and his lasting impact on the military." (Source: Fort Smith Museum website)

• More information coming regarding the 99th's time in Scotland and sites to visit.

• More information coming regarding Cherbourg and sites to visit.

• There is a Facebook post from March 30, 2019 by Larry Holten that garnered a lot of info about Elbeuf, the battle there and possible sites/buildings to see.

• The Canal Drive is the name of the battles in a region of Belgium where the 99th Infantry Battalion fought between two canals.  They were pushing German forces out of the area during September 15-20, 1944.

• Neerharen / Fosses, Belgium:  One of the men lost during the Canal Drive was the newly assigned Doctor Gordon Fischer, who was killed on September 16, 1944 in Neerharen, Belgium. The memorial to Captain Fischer can be viewed on the Traces of War website (link here). The actual memorial is located here.  The memorial is right next to the church where Capt Fischer was killed.  

• Bridge at Neerharen - either gone or replaced.  Site where one of the 99th men had the infamous story of a soldier leading the charge across the bridge while intoxicated. There is a Facebook post about a memorial in Neerharen.  The post talks about the bridge that was crossed by the 99th under heavy German fire.  Memorial at that bridge site: Google map link  

• Memorial to recognize the liberation of village of Lanklaar by the 99th: 3650 Dilsen-Stokkem, Belgium (confirm).  Google map link. Photo of the Memorial on the Traces of War website (link here).  

• Interview with 99th soldier Captain Charles Asgaard on YouTube about his experiences at the Canal Drive. 

• Karsten Conaert’s book had a showing at the local library, Bibliotheek Maasmechelen, in 2019. Facebook post 

• One plaque lists 99th men that stayed at a house.

• One monument lists Dutch soldiers shot by mistake by Belgian soldiers at the canal.

• Aid station - address is correct, but the actual house is in question in Neerharen.

• Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Homburg, Belgium.  Location where a number of US Servicemen’s graves are located.  

• Website: https://www.abmc.gov/Henri-Chapelle 

• Location: Google maps link

• See also: Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville sur-Mer, France

• See also: Brittany American Cemetery, St James, France

• Going to the heights on either side of the road gave a good impression of the struggle to gain control of the area.  And to isolate the Germans from their path of retreat to Cologne.  Volker was very familiar with the hillsides and the history.  Locations of foxholes, bunkers, where German families had lived.  There are now running and biking trails that traverse the area.  Parts of the area are active wild boar hunting grounds.

• Wurselen video from the podcast series by Ken and Chris Cangilla (link here).  

• Malmedy is one of many sites within the broader Battle of the Bulge.  The battle of the bulge included massive confusion with the advancing German troops, artillery and armored tanks.  German soldiers wore American uniforms putting up road signs with incorrect name or nonexistent place names. Dense forest and hills made for difficult movement of soldiers, artillery and vehicles.  Ragged battle lines made it difficult to determine where the lines were. Some fighting within Malmedy itself, however much of the damage in Malmey was the result of misguided Allied bombing.

• 99th was moving through the forested area to gain control of the high ground in order to prevent the Germans from attacking Malmedy.

• Used the railroad embankment as defensive position. Railroad bridge with long embankment going in either direction.  Made for a good defensive position.

• Malmedy Massacre occurred at early part of the assault.  Can see the field where it occured and there is a memorial.  There is an effort to update the memorial and to gain control of the actual site. There is a nearby site where residents of Malmedy were massacred as well.  Malmedy Massacre Memorial: Rte de Luxembourg 11, 4960 Malmedy, Belgium and Google map link

• In Malmedy, there is a monument to the Viking Battalion (aka 99th) that is on a street named Avenue de Norge (Norway Avenue). Google map link  

• Video fly-over of a monument at Malmedy: YouTube link  

Hedomont

• Ken Cangilla suggested stopping by Hedomont since it is close to Malmedy and 99th Inf Battalion C Company assaulted that village out of Malmedy.

Saint Vith

• St Vith is a site near Malmedy.  There was Allied bombing there after the Germans had left.    Might have been more related to the story of the 106th and not the 99th.  However, one of the 99th newsletters had an article about it.

Stavelot 

• Battlefield near Malmedy 

Bastogne

• Large museum of the Battle of the Bulge.

• Website for the Merker Mine  

• Website information on tours of the mine.  Tours are not in English and are approximately 2.5 hours.  Merker mine tours emphasize the history of mining, the geology, etc.  Need reservations in advance and there are no English tours.

• Many exhibits with information displays available in English.

• Website https://www.buchenwald.de/en/   

• There are four exhibitions to visit at the memorial – a historical and an art exhibition about the concentration camp, the history of Soviet Special Camp No. 2, and the history of the memorial.

• There is an Information Center, a Cafe, a Bookshop, and a Cinema (with shows every hour on the hour from 10 AM to 4 PM).

• More information: information@buchenwald.de, +49 (0)3643 430 200

• Exhibits with information displays available in English.  Currently, there is no known reference to the 99th Infantry Battalion in this museum.

• Website for Norway's Resistance Museum

• Location: Google map link

• The site includes several memorials to Norwegian Emigrants to include one to the 99th Infantry Separate Infantry Battalion and members of an OSS Team that conducted “Operation Rype” in Norway during WW2.

• Website with information on the memorial: Link here

• Location: Google map link

• Address: Fv411, 5939, Sletta, Norway

• "At Gjefsjøen mountain farm in Snåsa you will find a historical building by the name of “Gammelstua”, the old living room. During WW2 the house was used as a base for the military operation RYPE which had the goal of sabotaging the railway to slow the retreat of the German troops. The house was set up for the first time in 1873 as a classical living room with three other rooms with half a 2nd floor. In 1907, the house had additions built into it and it was moved. In this house the ones who ran the farm lived there and hunted a variety of animals as well as grouse prominently and fish. Today you can visit Gammelstua and learn more about the history about Operation RYPE." (Source: Visit Norway website)

• Website with information: Link here

• Location: Google map link

• Address: Gjefsjøen Fjellgård, Postboks 85, Snåsa, Norway