Summary history of The 99th Infantry Battalion (Separate) A Norwegian-American Unit formed during WWII. Army planners knew that they needed soldiers who could blend in with the local Norwegians. It was determined that the Army should recruit native speakers of Norwegian and Americans of Norwegian descent for a special unit. On July 10, 1942, the 99th Infantry Battalion was activated. Many of the men who volunteered for the unit came from Minnesota and the Dakotas.