100th Anniversary of Medal of Honor recipient Wold's funeral will be remembered with a service

One hundred years ago, an American hero was laid to rest in a small cemetery near Winger. 

On September 21, 1921, remains of Nels T. Wold, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, were buried in Elim Cemetery.

On the 100th Anniversary of his funeral, a remembrance service will be held on Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 1:00 pm in the Community Center in Winger.

The son of Norwegian immigrants, Nels T. Wold was born December 24, 1895 in Winger, Minnesota, the 8th of 10 children born to Tidemand E. and Klara (Tharaldsrud) Wold who both immigrated to the United States from Norway in 1883. After Klara died when Nels was just six years old, Tidemand had an 11th child with his second wife, Osse Lee. Tidemand died when Nels was 16.

When Nels registered for the draft on June 5, 1917, he was living in Akron, Ohio, and working for Goodyear Rubber Company. He was described as tall, with blue eyes and light hair.

Nels was living in Minnewaukan, North Dakota when he enlisted in the Army. He was inducted at Crookston, Minnesota on April 2, 1918, and sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa. His emergency contact was his stepmother who was living in McIntosh, Minnesota at the time.

Wold served as a private in Company I, 138th Infantry Regiment, 35th Division. At the start of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on September 26, 1918, his battalion was tasked with capturing the French village of Cheppy. 

Wold's platoon, at the battalion's far left flank, was to act as a communication link between the battalion and the neighboring 137th Infantry Regiment. 

However, thick fog caused the platoon to lose contact with both the 137th and its own battalion immediately after the advance on Cheppy began. The platoon continued forward as a combat patrol until encountering a group of American scouts led by Lieutenant John Wingate. 

Wingate combined the two groups and led them behind German lines, with the intention of attacking the Germans from the rear and thus clearing the way for the American advance.

Upon reaching the German rear outside Cheppy, with the fog lifted, the group began destroying enemy positions one at a time. 

One well-placed machine gun nest, located in a clump of bushes, was deemed too dangerous to attack head-on. Wold asked for and received permission to crawl up to the position and investigate. 

While the rest of the group took cover, he crept up to the rear of the emplacement, killed two occupants, and captured the remaining three. As the group continued on, clearing ambuscades, sniper posts, and gun emplacements, Wold volunteered four more times to single-handedly attack machine gun nests. He was successful each time except the last. 

He was killed by machine gun fire while penetrating a camouflage screen which concealed the fifth emplacement. His comrades then charged the position, killed the occupants and recovered Wold's body.

Wold was initially buried in France. Wold, aged 22 at his death, was returned to Minnestoa and buried at Elim Cemetery in his birthplace of Winger, Minnesota.

Private Wold's official Medal of Honor 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 1 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 5th machine gun nest that he was killed. The advance of his company was mainly due to his great courage and devotion to duty."

Wold was called “one of America’s 100 bravest” by Gen. John Pershing.

Fengstad-Solie American Legion Post 200 of Winger will host the centennial observance. The public is encouraged to attend. Again. the service will be held on Saturday, September 25th at 1:00 pm at the Winger Community Center.

For more information on the remembrance service, call Craig Espeseth at 218-563-2628 or 218-230-4909.