History

‘Make sure someone writes it down’

MVL Veterans program speaks on the importance of storytelling

NEW ULM – Veterans, families and students at the MVL (Minnesota Valley Lutheran) Fieldhouse helped kick off the first of a slate of Veterans Day programs Wednesday morning.

The program opened with a presentation of the colors with both students and the New Ulm Area Veterans Color Guard.

MVL's choir and band performed "March America" and "The Star Spangled Banner" before attendees rose for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Following the Pledge, members of their respective military branches and families of those who have served were invited to stand for their branch's song.

Once "The Caisson Song," "Semper Paratus," "Marine's Hymn," "The U.S. Air Force" and "Anchors Aweigh" concluded, the keynote address was delivered.

Paul Wessel, the author of "They All Came Home: The Nolte Thirty-Six," was set to deliver the address, but due to unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to attend.

Wessel's address was instead delivered by Dean of Students Jim Buboltz.

Buboltz opened by explaining giving a bit of context to the Nolte family. The Nolte Thirty-Six refers to the thirty-one grandsons of Carl and Louise Nolte and five men who married into the Nolte family.

Wessel, who is the great-grandson of Carl and Louise Nolte, focused on four Nolte's in the presentation he created.

The first of the Nolte's focused on, Elmer, came to New Ulm from Fairmont with plans to attend Dr. Martin Luther High School, which eventually became Martin Luther College. His German-speaking household allowed him to go to Germany during World War II as a Ritchie Boy (a WWII intelligence unit skilled with a strong understanding of German and other European cultures and languages) where he interrogated German soldiers to gain intelligence.

Loren Wessel, a farmer from Martin County, was stationed in Buna, New Guinea during World War II.

"Imagine yourself in December 1942," Buboltz said. "Ran up to three feet, 90 degrees of humidity everywhere, foliage, shortage of food, every guy around him carrying malaria."

He earned the nickname "The Rev" after praying with a fellow soldier who was bleeding to death during a night patrol.

"Wessel wasn't a seminary angel," Buboltz said. "He was just a student. Like many of you."

Next, Buboltz talked about Clarence Luhmann, a B-24 Bomber Pilot who attended St. James Lutheran School in Rutland Township.

"At bombing altitude, the temperature inside the plane could be 40 to 50 degrees below zero," Buboltz said. "Their skin would freeze to the metal as well as the oxygen masks to their face. No bathrooms."

Luhmann flew 35 missions in an 80-day span which included D-Day and was given the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Lastly, Earl Nolte of Fairmont had his story told. On D-Day, all of the crewmen on Nolte's craft were shot by snipers, leaving Nolte to steer and land the boat at the beach of the Philippines himself. Shot five times, Nolte survived and helped destroy the guns that were pinning down his company.

Following the stories of four Nolte men, Buboltz spoke on the importance of keeping historical records and writing stories.

During Paul Wessel's research, he discovered that Earl Nolte was personally recommended for the Medal of Honor by General Innis Swift while reading Swift's letter in an old Fairmont newspaper.

In August, Representative Brad Finstad and Representative Tom Hammer introduced a bill to posthumously award Nolte the Medal of Honor.

"Earl's story was almost lost," Buboltz said. "It came back because somebody kept the newspaper, somebody saved the letter, somebody went looking."

Wessel created a nonprofit called the Nolte 36 which helps recover lost documents and records for families of those who have served.

"Every family has a chapter like this," Buboltz said. "Someone left, someone served, someone waited, someone came back. Now, make sure someone writes it down. That's Paul's message to you today."

The program closed with a collective singing of "My Country 'Tis of Thee," a moment of silence, "Taps" performed by MVL student Taylor LaGrow, and the Retiring of the Colors.