Editor’s Note: Tony Leone posted this descriptive note on
the old CNYForum.proboards.com before his death a few years ago. Recently I was contacted by Erik Brun, the
son of a soldier in Oslo in 1945. You’ll see
Erik’s addition at the end of Tony’s article.
By Tony Leone (Archangelo)
Our Coast Guard LST
( Landing
ship,tanks)
transported elements of the 99th Infantry Battalion made up of 2nd
and 3rd generation Norwegians who were to be stationed in the Oslo-Drammen area.
At the time, it was estimated that 375,00 Germans were still running around
fully armed. We were there to insure repatriation of the Germans into Sweden. Many of the 99th's instructors were officers of the Royal
Norwegian Army and wore a sholder patch with a Viking ship depicted on it.
During my brief stay in Oslo, I had the good fortune to meet an ex-member of the US
Merchant Marine who was operating a puppet show in the center of the city and
also a night club next door.
I still have the ticket to the
puppet show, believe it or not! I also sat down with a German Port Security
officer who treated me to the first cold beer in years. I was amazed to find
the little children of Oslo so polite. By the way, more than 50 of your ladies
returned home as brides of the guys from the 99th. Incidently, the 99th left Le Havre, France on the 30th of May 1945, arrived in Drammen, Norway on the 4th of June 1945 then Oslo on the 5th of June 1945. On the 15th of October, the unit left for the USA, arriving in Boston, Mass. on the 1st of November 1945.
The Norwegian outfit had fought in
the Normandy campaign, the North
France campaign, the Rhine
campaign and the Ardenne-Alsace campaign. 52 had been killed in combat and 207
wounded. 6 were lost in action. They earned 15 Silver Stars, 20 Bronze Stars
and 305 Purple Hearts for suffering wounds in action. I wish I knew someone who
could tell me more of these splendid Norwegian troops while they were stationed
in Oslo from 5 June to 15 October 1945. And I always
wondered about the identity of the officer as he was no die-hard Nazi but an
educated man who had relatives who fought in the Battle of Jutland during the
first World War.
Is the American
University still on the hill in Oslo? I loved the children of Oslo. Is it possible to obtain a map of Oslo during WWII? A lot to ask but I
have so little time left to complete the books I want to write. Cheers.
signed,
Tony "Archangelo" Leone
77 year-old body with a young mind
Erik writes:
Here is the rest of the story Tony was looking for:
Tony Leone,
CSC, had been featured on most D-Day websites and filmed on many local
veteran programs and on Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation."
Featured speaker on local school programs and the subject of newspaper
stories by the local paper, the Glens Falls Post-Star reporter David
Blow. “Archangelo” was a columnist and cartoonist for a California
industrial newsletter and was the former editor/post adjutant of the
American Legion Post 553 newspaper. He died in 2010.
To learn little more about Tony, you can read my salute to him here:
http://morestories.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=frontporch&action=display&thread=329
