Background
He was the son of Mr. and Mistress O. T. Skogstad of Barron, Wisconsin.
He was the son of Mr. and Mistress O. T. Skogstad of Barron, Wisconsin.
He graduated from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and was studying law at the University of New York when he enlisted in the military.
He served in the Army Air Corps in with the 307th Fighter Squadron. He began his overseas service in June 1944 as a first lieutenant. By the end of the war, he was a captain and the leader of a squadron.
As an ace, Skogstad had 12 confirmed kills, piloting a P-51.
His first occurred August 7, 1944 in Blechhammer, Poland where he destroyed two enemy aircraft. On August 18, 1944, he destroyed two Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Ploiești, Romania.
Ten days later in Austria, he destroyed one transport. On September 2, 1944, he was credited with destroying one Junkers Ju 52.
On December 17, 1944, he was credited with destroying two Focke-Wulf Fw-190s over Blechhammer, Poland.
His last confirmed kills occurred on March 25, 1945 where he destroyed four FW-190s over Olomouc, Moravia. From August 12 to 16, 1944, he flew in support of Operation Dragoon, the Allied invasion of southern France. He also earned the Presidential Unit and Silver Star for Gallantry.
He retired in 1982.
Norman Skogstad died on May 12, 2001 at the age of 80 and was buried in Washington Park East Cememtery, Indianapolis, Indiana. He had five children: Leif, Britt, Sigrid Luther, Ingrid Dinsmore, and Lisa Skogstad.