Oscar Niilo Norgord

Lilah Crowe2019-12-31T09:20:35-06:00

Name: Oscar Niilo Norgord
Location of Birth: Trout Lake Township, Itasca County, Minnesota
Date of Birth: December 13, 1914
Date of Death: March 14, 1990
Parents: Jacob Norgord & Maria (Soronen) Norgord
High School and Class:
College:
Highest Rank: TEC 5 (Technical 5)
Branch: Army
Other Branch:
Date Sworn In: October 26, 1942
Place Sworn In: Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Date of Discharge: February 4, 1946
Place of Discharge: Camp McCoy, Wisconsin
Military Awards:
American Theater Service Medal
European African Middle Eastern Theater Service Medal
Good Conduct Medal
Bronze Star Medal

Military Highlights:
WW II Draft Registration Cards – 10/16/1940 – 03/31/1947
State: Minnesota
Name: Oscar Niilo Norgord
Race: White
Age: 25
Birth Date: December 13, 1914
Birth Place: Itasca, Minnesota, USA
Residence Place: Bovey, Itasca, Minnesota, USA
Registration Date: October 16, 1940
Employer: Iron Range Improvement Company, Virginia, St. Louis, Minnesota
Weight: 140
Height: 5-6
Complexion: Light
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Brown
Next of Kin: Jacob Norgord, father, R.F.D. #1, Bovey, Itasca, Minnesota

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - November 13, 1942 - "Bovey Service Men's Club: Received your diary before I left home, and must thank you an awful lot. This army life so far has been pretty good. Never a dull moment, always something new going on and you're always kept busy. One thing I've gotten plenty of sleep, 9 P.M. to 6 A.M. The weather here in Kentucky is very damp and there is plenty of red sticky clay. I'd rather have some of that good old Minnesota snow, as it would be easier on the shoe polish. Just picture an old farmer boy brushing away each night. The boys all feel pretty good about the way the Axis has been getting a licking these last few days and we all hope we can do our share soon. Be seeing you all after the Axis is smashed. (Ex-farmer boy) Pvt. Oscar Norgord."

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - December 18, 1942 - "Dear Friends: Thank you an awful lot for the Christmas package which I received a week ago. The articles sent will come in mighty handy and especially the sewing kit which the Girl Scouts sent. So far I haven't had to sew buttons or patch my clothes, but there will be a day for it. I did get to use the kit to sew our 12th Armored division patches or insignias on the sleeves of my clothes, of which there is plenty. Gee, I never had so many clothes as Uncle Sam has supplied so far. Now don't any of you up there think that we're in the sunny south, with suntanned, barefoot hill-billies running around. The last week or two has been rather chilly. Had 1 1/2 inches of snow last week and several mornings the ground has been frozen. Our company officers are all nice and see that we wear the proper clothing for each lesson. Of course, last Saturday afternoon they made a slight mistake. We went out for about a four or five mile hike, round trip, and we had on our long johns, regular pants, shirt, tie, combat suit and raincoat, as there was a slight drizzle, and boy, did we all sweat, but the officers suffered with us. When we got back at 3 o'clock, they let us have the rest of the day off and boy I just highballed for the barracks, peeled off and hit for the shower. A good soldier, as the army says, never gives excuses, so I tried not to give one while writing this short letter. Thanking you all again for remembering the boys in service. Have been receiving the Bovey Press regular and the letters the other boys have written are very interesting. Yours, Pvt. Oscar Norgord."

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - December 3, 1943 -"Dear Friends on the Home Front: Thanks a lot for the good work that you people have devoted your time toward us, and especially Ann, for her morale building letters. Last night I received the Nov. 12th Press, which reminded me I'd better send my new address, if I want to receive it on time again. Finally got into new pasture and have traded the beautiful hills of Kentucky and Tennessee for the wide open spaces of Texas, with its rattlesnakes, cactus, and last, but not least, dust. Some may call this state their home, but to us it's just another place to roam. While going through Arkansas, seen some very nice scenery, as the trees were just turning color on the mountain sides, and enough pine to set it off pretty. Reminded me of the autumns back home, but no lakes thrown in. I'll be back there to help eat some of your snow sometime next week, and if the snow hasn't chased the deer too far back into the swamps, how-about someone locking up the game wardens. My furlough came unexpected, so hoping to see you soon. Oscar Norgard."

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - February 4, 1944 - "Pyote, Texas, January 1, 1944. Hello Friends: The two of us brothers had the rare opportunity of getting together to ring out the old and ring in the New Year, so will also take this opportunity to jointly thank you for the Christmas card and news of a subscription to the Readers Digest. We certainly do appreciate something like that and think it's a grand gift. Thanks also to the Press for the handy pocket calendar. Yours, Oscar & Iver Norgord."

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - March 16, 1945 - "With The Seventh Army, France: Technician Fifth Grade Oscar N. Norgord, son of Mrs. Marie Norgord, Rt. 1, Bovey, Minn. has recently been promoted from grade of Private to his present grade. He is serving with the 12th Armored Division. The local soldier's unit is a part of the Seventh Army under the command of Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch. On the 15 of August 1944, the men of the Seventh Army began their record-breaking drive thru France from the beaches of the Riviera. Prior to the invasion many of the troops of the Army, which had been known as the "Mysterious Seventh" since its whirlwind swoop through Sicily, had been either fighting in Italy or training for the impending operation. At the conclusion of two and one half months' fighting in France, the Seventh Army forces had wrested 660 French towns from the hands of the Germans and restored them to France. During the first sixty days of combat the Seventh Army advanced approximately 450 miles from its beachhead to the Vosges Mountains, Prisoners captured from D-day to Christmas day inclusive total approximately 130,000. Today Seventh Army troops continue their drive with "Destination Berlin" and Victory their goal."

Newspaper article: Bovey Press, Bovey, Minnesota - June 15, 1945 - "OSCAR N. NORGORD IN WURZBURG, GERMANY AT FINAL BATTLE. 6th Army Group, Germany - The city of Warzburg, in southwestern Germany, lays in ruins after receiving terrible pastings from the air. The rubble-strewn streets and gutted buildings were deceivingly quiet. But hidden in doorways and behind walls, the enemy was waiting with machine guns trained on advancing American doughboys of an infantry division. On the outskirts of the city, Combat Command "A" of the 12th Armored "Hellcat" Division, stood poised, ready to act as trouble shooters in case the Krauts proved difficult to rout. A short time later the quiet was shattered as the well-entrenched Germans poured round after round of fire into the American infantry. Combat Command "A" moved in swiftly, its advanced tank element led by 1st Lt. Thomas F. Johnson, 712 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn. The tanks moved from one infantry sector to another, blasting out the stubborn enemy in one of the last actions in crushing Germany. "I don't know how many Krauts we killed or captured in Wurzburg, but we didn't take many prisoners," Lt. Johnson said the next day. "We just kept driving through the town, shooting at everything we saw." The Seventh Army's 12th Armored Division, a component of General Jacob L. Devers' 6th Army Group, had three battalions - one of tanks, one of infantry, and one of field artillery - in its hard-hitting Combat Command "A". The fighting unit is supported by companies of medics, ordnance and combat engineers. Among the members of Combat Command "A", 12th Armored Division is Cpl. Oscar N. Norgord of Bovey."

Oscar Norgord was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on July 10, 1945 by General Order No. 69 from Headquarters of 12 Armored Division - U.S. Army. "Oscar N. Norgord, Technician Fifth Grade, Company D, 43d Tank Battalion, for heroic achievement on 9 April 1945 in the vicinity of Werneche, Germany. When two of his comrades were wounded by shrapnel from an artillery barrage, Technician Fifth Grade Norgord and another soldier went forward on their own initiative and recovered the two wounded men. He also helped to render first aid to one of the wounded men who was seriously wounded while being subjected to intense artillery fire. Later they changed a wheel that had been knocked off the vehicle by artillery fire. His courage and devotion to the comrades resulted in the evacuation of the two wounded men for much needed medical attention. Entered military service from Grand Rapids, Minnesota."

Wars Involved:
World War II

MIA / POW:

Civilian Life:
Oscar Norgord returned to his parent's home in Trout Lake Township, Itasca County, Minnesota after his military service was completed. He helped maintain the family farm for a period of time and owned and operated Oscar's Conoco and DS Station in Coleraine, Minnesota for 10 years. He had also worked 20 years roofing and siding for Kelso's in Duluth and Norgord Brothers in Trout Lake. He was a member of the Grand Rapids Veterans of Foreign Wars Ponti-Peterson Post No. 1720.

Oscar died in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and is buried in Trout Lake Community Cemetery, Bovey, Minnesota (Block 11, Lot 57). He is survived by four brothers, John, Henry, Theodore and Iver; and one sister, Vera Arneson.

Tribal Affiliation(s):