World War II
-
Fallen

County:
Cass

Date of Loss:

Branch of Service:
Army

Rank:
Captain

Battalion / Task Group / Squadron or equivalent:
357th Fighter Squadron

Regiment / Group / Brigade:
355th Fighter Group

Listed on/in the:
Register of North Dakota Veterans World War II 1941-1945 and Korean Conflict 1950-1953, published 1968

Major Battle/Theatre:
European African Middle Eastern Theater

Circumstances:

Killed in action in Germany

Biography:

When Norman E. Olson was born on March 19, 1915, in Canada, his father, John, was 28 and his mother, Marie, was 23. He had one brother and two sisters. Captain Olson began his studies at the university in Marquette before interrupting them to join the Army Reserve. He qualified as a pilot with the rank of Second Lieutenant on May 20, 1942 at Foster Field, Texas, with Class 42-E. Assigned to the 313rd Fighter Squadron, 50th Fighter Group , he was transferred to the 357th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group in March 1943. On April 8, 1944, he was killed by flak aboard his P-51B (43-6589) in the Celle area. During his stay in this unit, he had won 6 confirmed victories in aerial combat and destroyed 2 ground units. He is now buried in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA