1936 U.S. Olympic Skiers Turned Soldiers

Battling Hitler's Forces on European Snow

Roy Mikkelsen (middle) and James Hendricksen (right) of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Ski Team served as officers in the 99th Infantry Battalion during WWII.

In 1936, Roy Mikkelsen and James Hendrickson, both of Norwegian descent, were chosen for the U.S. Olympic ski team for the games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Hendrickson suffered a broken leg just be…