A mural that depicts American soldiers from the 10th Mountain Infantry Division has been relocated to New Milford Town Hall. When the U.S. Military Museum, formerly the Military Museum of Southern New England, closed its doors in 2017, many of the museum’s 10,000 artifacts were gifted to the Museum of American Armor in Bethpage, NY.
The wall mural painted by WWII veteran Earl Norem, who lived in New Milford and was an illustrator for Marvel Comics, was left behind. The mural shows the men returning from a reconnaissance patrol against a backdrop of the snowy peaks of the Apennines in northwest Italy during WWII.
Norem saw military action in World War II with the 85th Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division. Famed skier Torger Tokle died on the battlefield and Norem was one of the men assigned to retrieve his body from the mountain. Norem received a battlefield promotion to Tech Sergeant during the assault on Mount Belvedere and he himself later was wounded going into the Po Valley, ending his military stint. Upon returning to the US, Norem embarked on an illustration career.
Andrea Norem-Thompson of New Milford, who is Norem’s daughter, and Lee Teicholz contacted Mayor Pete Bass to see if the Town would be interested in the mural. The mural is now displayed on the 2nd floor outside of the E. Paul Martin Room in the hallway.
