Nels T Wold

Nels was born on the 24th of December, 1895 in Winger, Minnesota, where he was raised by his parents, immigrants from Norway, along with his seven brothers and sisters and one half-sister. When he enlisted in the US Army from Minnewaukan, North Dakota, he would join Company I, 138th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division. Nels was a Private when he deployed to France in support of the Great War and his battalion’s mission was to capture the village of Cheppy.

His platoon was supposed to stay in contact with the nearby 137th Infantry Regiment but due to the thick fog, his platoon lost contact both 137th and the 138th. Continuing on into the fog, Nels’ platoon joined up with American scouts and was led by Lieutenant John Wingate in order to attack the Germans from behind and clear a path for the American advance. It was his actions once the fog had lifted that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

He rendered most gallant service in aiding the advance of his company, which had been held up by machine-gun nests, advancing, with one other soldier, and silencing the guns, bringing with him, upon his return, 11 prisoners. Later the same day he jumped from a trench and rescued a comrade who was about to be shot by a German officer, killing the officer during the exploit. His actions were entirely voluntary, and it was while attempting to rush a fifth machine-gun nest that he was killed. The advance of his company was mainly due to his great courage and devotion to duty.

Because of his actions, the rest of the group were able to charge the position that had killed him, defeat its occupants, and recover his body. His body was returned to the States and Nels T Wold is buried in the Elim Cemetery in Winger, Minnesota. He was 22 years old.