James Wold Papers, 1943-2003

James Wold Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: James Wold Papers, 1943-2003

ID: OGLMC1524

Primary Creator: Wold, James (1932-2003)

Extent: 12.25 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 05/23/2007

Subjects: Legal, Military History - Prisoners of War (POW), Military History - Vietnam War, University of North Dakota - Alumni

Languages: English

Abstract

1932-2003; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs and Director of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The James Wold Papers date from 1943 to 2003 and have been divided into eleven series as follows:

Series 1: Personal History and Military Career

Series 2: Legal Career

Series 3: Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office

Series 4: POW/MIA Organizations

Series 5: Legislative Documents and Materials

Series 6: United States Russian Joint Commission

Series 7: Correspondence

Series 8: POW/MIA Reports and Media Documents

Series 9: Oversized Materials

Series 10: Photographs

Series 11: Artifacts

Collection Historical Note

James William Wold was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on April 18, 1932 to Peter and Hulda Christine (nee Olson) Wold. Peter, a native of Lillehammer, Norway, immigrated to the United States in the summer of 1923 and farmed briefly in North Dakota before permanently relocating his family to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hulda Christine, an American by birth, was originally from Colfax, Wisconsin. As a teenager, Wold attended Minneapolis South High School for two years before transferring to Hillcrest Academy in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. While studying at Hillcrest Academy, he became acquainted with Joan (JoAnne) Abigael Norheim, a fellow student who would later become his wife. Following graduation from Hillcrest Academy in 1949, he attended Augsburg College for one academic year.

In 1951, Wold enlisted in the United States Air Force wherein he attended the Russian Language Program at Syracuse University. After the language studies were completed, in August of 1952, Wold entered the Aviation Cadet Program. He received his aeronautical instruction through the 3505th Pilot Training Wing at Greenville Air Force Base located in Mississippi. On September 16, 1953, Wold received his commission with the rank of Second Lieutenant and the rating of Pilot. Less than a week after being commissioned, Wold married JoAnne in Pasadena, California.

As a result of being newly commissioned, Wold was briefly stationed at Mather Air Force Base in California, followed by another short assignment at Shaw Air Force Base located in South Carolina, where he flew the RB-45C reconnaissance aircraft. Once Wold became familiar with the new aircraft, he relocated to RAF Sculthorpe in the United Kingdom, where he flew missions with the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron from May 1954 to June 1956. Following the completion of this placement, the Air Force assigned Wold to study mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Wold completed his bachelor's degree in two years, graduating in August 1958, whereupon he entered service with the 9th Bombardment Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho where he remained until 1961.

Thereafter, Wold was assigned to March Air Force Base in California to serve on staff, Headquarters, 15th Air Force. During Wold's various assignments worldwide, his four children were born: daughter Christine Annette (at Norton Air Force Base, California), son Kevin Daniel (in the United Kingdom), daughter Lisa Karen (while studying at the University of Michigan), and daughter Holly Susan (at Mountain Home Air Force Base). Following completion of his headquarters assignment in May of 1964, Wold was once again assigned to study engineering. Wold's second stint in the engineering field occurred while studying at the Air Force Institute of Technology located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio where he would complete his Master of Science degree in March, 1966. The Air Force immediately utilized Wold's technical background by posting him to the Test Requirements Branch and Acquisition Test Branch, Directorate of Operations, United States Air Force Headquarters, where he remained for three years.

In July 1969, Wold was deployed to South Vietnam, where he served as operations officer for the 6th Special Operation Squadron operating out of Pleiku. He then went on to command units at Pleiku and Da Nang air bases. While in Vietnam, Wold personally flew 241 combat missions in the A-1H attack bomber, many of them providing direct air support to American ground forces engaged in close-quarters combat with enemy guerillas. For his service in Southeast Asia, Wold received the Bronze Star, six Distinguished Flying Crosses, and sixteen Air Medals.

During the summer of 1970 and after returning from Vietnam, Wold he served one year as the chief of the Test Operations Branch and the Test Support Division at Strategic Air Command Headquarters, Offutt Air Force Base located in Nebraska. Thereafter, Wold worked in the Pentagon where he was assigned to the Air Force's Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel handling colonel assignments, earning a Legion of Merit in the process. In August of 1974, Wold attended the Defense Language Institute and the Defense Intelligence School at Anacostia Annex in Washington, D.C. in preparation for an assignment as the Defense and Air Attaché to the Soviet Union. Upon completion of Russian language training, in the summer of 1975, Wold was stationed at the United States Embassy in Moscow. After serving two years in the Soviet Union, Wold returned to the United States and settled on a 420 acre farm near Luverne, North Dakota. Wold retired from the Air Force on August 31, 1977 at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Shortly after retiring from the United States Air Force, Wold enrolled in courses at the University of North Dakota School of Law eventually graduating in the spring of 1981. Wold established a law practice in Luverne, North Dakota eventually securing the appointment as Griggs County State’s Attorney.

In 1994, Wold was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs, acting as the Director of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (hereinafter DPMO). The main function of the DPMO is to ensure that the United States government achieves the fullest possible accounting for POW/MIA United States servicemen. In this capacity, Wold traveled widely, meeting frequently with the families of missing service members, and coordinating investigation and remains-recovery efforts with foreign governments in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

While serving as the Director of the DPMO, Wold was embroiled in the controversy over the POW/MIA issue, with many members of the public (particularly family members of the missing and numerous United States Senators and Congressmen) alleging that the government was not doing enough to repatriate lost Americans as well as claiming that there existed evidence of live Americans still being held prisoner in Southeast Asia.

After serving three years as the Director of the DPMO, Wold tendered his letter of resignation to President Bill Clinton on June 26, 1997. Following his resignation from the DPMO, Wold returned home to Luverne, North Dakota, where he died on February 11, 2003.

Subject/Index Terms

Legal
Military History - Prisoners of War (POW)
Military History - Vietnam War
University of North Dakota - Alumni

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: JoAnne Wold, Luverne, North Dakota

Acquisition Method: Donation, Acc.2007-2918

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). James Wold Papers. OGLMC 1524, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in July 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal History and Military Career],
[Series 2: Legal Career],
[Series 3: Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office],
[Series 4: POW/MIA Organizations],
[Series 5: Legislative Documents and Materials],
[Series 6: United States Russian Joint Commission ],
[Series 7: Correspondence],
[Series 8: POW/MIA Reports and Media Documents],
[Series 9: Oversized Materials],
[Series 10: Photographs],
[Series 11: Artifacts],
[All]

Series 8: POW/MIA Reports and Media Documents

The contents of this series primarily cover the media response to the issues that Wold was encountering on a daily basis including critiques of the DPMO and the POW/MIA recovery efforts.

Sub-Series 1: Reports and Memoranda

The first sub-series contains the reports and memoranda issued by American governmental agencies and other private entities about the POW/MIA recovery efforts of the United States government.

Box 7

Folder 64: Yale Cambodian Genocide Project Documents Including Correspondence to/from DASD Wold, Articles, Other Correspondence, Hand Notes from DASD Wold: 1996-1997
Folder 65: Memoranda, Documents, Correspondence to/from DASD Wold about Dr. Tim Castle's Memorandum Regarding The Loss of LS-85: Eleven Unaccounted For Americans: 1997

Sub-Series 2: China, Belarus, Korea, World War II, Cold War, Desert Storm

Box 8

Folder 1: Information about World War II Casualties
Folder 2: Project Checo Report: The Fall of a Shau: 18 April 1966
Folder 3: Magazine Article Entitled Secrets of the Cold War in the United States News and World Report: 15 March 1993
Folder 4: Documents on the Declassification of Desert Storm Records: 1994
Folder 5: Correspondence, Memoranda about Reports of Chip Beck on the Cuban Program: 1995-1996
Folder 6: Correspondence, Articles about Reported Living POWs and Defectors in Korea : 1996
Folder 7: Documents, Correspondence about China Initiative: 1996
Folder 8: Documents, Correspondence about Belarus Initiative with Notes from DASD Wold: 1996-1997
Folder 9: Correspondence, Archival Research about World War II POW/MIAs in China : 21 January 1997
Folder 10: Document on the People's Democratic Republic of Korea Regarding the Archival Research Team at the Liberation War Museum : 4-8 August 1997

Sub-Series 3: Vietnam

This sub-series contains information regarding Vietnam, including the efforts to establish more normalized diplomatic relations with Vietnam which would aid in the joint recovery efforts of unaccounted-for Americans.

Box 8

Folder 11: Incidents in Vietnam : Last Known Alive Reports
Folder 12: Confidential Report Entitled Prisoners of War in Indochina
Folder 13: Report on Remains Discrepancies
Folder 14: Vietnam War POW/MIA Review
Folder 15: Vietnam War POW/MIA Document Entitled Remains Query
Folder 16: General Vessey's Trip Book Folder Contents Entitled Vietnamese Knowledgeability: Casualty ID Cards and Unidentified Remains
Folder 17: Individual POW/MIA Cases from Vietnam War Including Family Conference Reports
Folder 18: Documents about the Fullest Possible Accounting of United States Personnel Unaccounted for From the Vietnam Era with Memorandum from DASD Wold
Folder 19: Names of Unaccounted For Americans Which Appear on Dog Tag Report from Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam
Folder 20: Newspaper Articles, Correspondence about the Loss/Recovery of Baron 52 Shot Down During the Vietnam War Including Articles with Comments from DASD Wold
Folder 21: Reports, Articles on the Exhumation and Forensic Identification of United States POW/MIAs
Folder 22: Documents, Articles about Bob DeStatte's Position as Researcher in Hanoi, Vietnam Including Hand Notes by DASD Wold and Correspondence to DASD Wold
Folder 23: Newspaper Articles on Individual POW/MIA Cases as a Result of the Vietnam War with Notes by DASD Wold and Correspondence
Folder 24: Articles about United States-Vietnamese Diplomatic Relations Normalization with Comments about DASD Wold
Folder 25: Newspaper Articles about the Fullest Possible Accounting of United States Personnel Unaccounted For From the Vietnam Era
Folder 26: Newspaper Articles about Vietnam POW/MIA Matters Featuring Comments by/about DASD Wold
Folder 27: Articles about Vietnam POW/MIA Rescue Cases
Folder 28: Articles Critiquing the Vietnam War in General and the POW/MIA Response from the United States Government
Folder 29: POW/MIAs Missing from North Dakota and Related Documents with Correspondence from DASD Wold
Folder 30: Intelligence Officer's Report on Alleged Evidence of Remaining POW/MIAs after Operation Homecoming: 1973
Folder 31: Newspaper Articles about Miscellaneous POW/MIA Matters Featuring Comments about/by DASD Wold
Folder 32: Magazine Articles Entitled Deceit and Dishonor
Folder 33: Documents Relating to Brian Bulldog Burke
Folder 34: Magazine Article Entitled Soldier of Fortune: POW/MIA Special: Spring 1983
Folder 35: Magazine Article Entitled The Myth of the Lost POWs in the New Republic: 1 July 1985
Folder 36: Correspondence to B. Gen. Shufelt from Thomas A. Brook Regarding POW/MIA Issue: 25 September 1985
Folder 37: Magazine Article Entitled The POW/MIA Myth in The Atlantic : December 1991
Folder 38: American Prisoners of War and Civilian Internees: 1992
Folder 39: Magazine Article Entitled The Men We Left Behind in the Legion: March 1992
Folder 40: Vietnam War POW/MIA Documents Entitled Remains and Records Brief: 22 May 1992
Folder 41: Reports, Articles about Vietnam-Era Distress Signals/Symbols with Correspondence from DASD Wold: 1992, 1995
Folder 42: Report on the Locations/Remains of Robert Garwood: 1993
Folder 43: Group 559 Shootdown Record Preliminary Report: 23 September 1993
Folder 44: MIA: Accounting for the Missing in Southeast Asia by Paul Mather: 1994
Folder 45: Documents Relating to Jerry Mooney: 1994
Folder 46: Magazine Article Entitled The MIA Cover-Up in the American Spectator; February, April and May 1994
Folder 47: Response to the Magazine Article Entitled The MIA Cover-Up: 1994
Folder 48: Magazine Article Entitled Seeking in the Retired Officer: April 1994
Folder 49: Report, Documents about Vietnamese Mortician's POW/MIA Findings: 1995
Folder 50: American Prisoners of War and Missing in Action from the Vietnam War Era, 1960-1994: 1995
Folder 51: Articles Alleging Hanoi , Vietnam Withheld Information Regarding United States POW/MIAs: 1995
Folder 52: Current News Supplement: 14 July 1995
Folder 53: NBC 4 News Segment on Identifying Remains of POW/MIAs (Videotape): 1996
Folder 54: United States Air War College Research Project Entitled United States National Interests in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam : 1996
Folder 55: Newspaper Articles, Other Documents about Allegations of Vietnam Receiving Kickbacks to Help in Search for POW/MIAs: 1996
Folder 56: Paper Entitled POWS and Politics: How Much Does Hanoi Really Know: 19 April 1996
Folder 57: Newspaper Article Entitled Latest Tales Flawed in the Palm Beach Post: 20 October 1996
Folder 58: Document Article by Robert Bush Entitled Vietnamese Storage of Remains: 25 October 1996
Folder 59: Documents Entitled Status of Southeast Asia Archival Research: 1996-1997
Folder 60: Newspaper Articles about Hanoi Spy During the Vietnam War Era: 1997
Folder 61: Declassified Document about Military Proselytizing in Vietnam : January 1997
Folder 62: Memorandum about Assessment of Text Purported to be Translation of 26 June 1972 Speech by Vietnamese Lt. Gen. Tran Van Quang: 11 March 1997
Folder 63: Vietnam 's Collection and Repatriation of American Remains: June 1999

Sub-Series 4: Laos

Box 8

Folder 64: Incidents in Laos : Last Known Alive Reports and Knowledge Expected Reports
Folder 65: Paper on Lt. Col. Ted Guy and POW/MIAs Captured in Laos
Folder 66: Newspaper Article on POW/MIA Searches in Indochina Especially in Laos

Sub-Series 5: Cambodia

Box 8

Folder 67: Incidents in Cambodia : Last Known Alive Reports and Knowledge Expected Reports
Folder 68: Indochina Issues: February 1985
Folder 69: Documents, Correspondence about DPMO Cambodia Research Initiative: 1996-1997
Folder 70: DPMO Memorandum Entitled Cambodia Report 1A: 25 August 1997

Sub-Series 6: Korea

Box 8

Folder 71: Individual POW/MIA Cases from the Korean War with Family Conference Reports
Folder 72: Newspaper Articles about United States-Russian Relations Regarding POW/MIAs from the Korean War Featuring Comments by/about DASD Wold
Folder 73: Newspaper Articles about Korea POW/MIAs Featuring Comments about/by DASD Wold
Folder 74: Newspaper and Magazine Articles about Korean War POW/MIAs
Folder 75: Findings of the Korean War Working Group: 1992-1996
Folder 76: War, Wake and Waiting Book Presented to DASD Wold by Author Rodney Kephart: 1994
Folder 77: Documents about The List of 389 from the Korean War Including Notations by DASD Wold: September 1996
Folder 78: Memorandum on Gaining Access to Chinese Archives on Korean Prisoners of War: 22 November 1996
Folder 79: Signed Joint Agreement and Press Release with North Koreans Signed by DASD Wold: May 1997
Folder 80: CILHI North Korea Update 97-1KN: July 1997
Folder 81: Korean War POW/MIA Document Entitled The Effect to Account for United States Servicemen Missing from the Korean War: 11 November 2000
Folder 82

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