After a time, however, the War Department decided to set up special units of US citizens from certain ethnic groups for operations in countries occupied by the Axis powers.
The following five battalions, established in 1942, were organized based on ethnic groups: A Polish unit was also proposed, but never created.
This is only partially correct; the original intention was to transfer as many voluntary "Norwegian nationals" who had begun the immigration process (a condition of enlistment) to the unit from existing armies as could be acquired.
The training there was for infantry purposes as D-Day approached, and it became increasingly clear that the battalion would receive its baptism by fire in Operation Overlord.
During the stay at Camp Hale in 1943, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) asked for volunteers from the battalion.
[citation needed] The 99th Infantry Battalion landed on Omaha Beach on the evening of 22 June 1944, and then took part in the final battle for Cherbourg.
The 99th Infantry Battalion's tasks consisted mainly of patrolling and the suppression of pockets of continued German resistance until 11 May.
It remained active for only a short while, however, and on 24 March 1958 it was inactivated, with its personnel and equipment being reorganized as the 2d Battle Group, 31st Infantry when the Army adopted the Pentomic organizational concept.