Emil Lewis Holmdahl (1883 - 1963)

Born 26 Aug 1883 in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ruth Josephine (Plimpton) Long — married 16 Dec 1929 in Maricopa, Pinal, Arizona, United States

Died 8 Apr 1963 at age 79 in Van Nuys, California, United States

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Biography

Emil Holmdahl is Notable.

"Soldier of Fortune"

Profile written by Allan Harl Thomas

Emil Lewis Holmdahl (August 26, 1883 – April 8, 1963^[1]Emil L Holmdahl, 04 Apr 1963; Department of Public Health Services), Sacramento.) was a soldier of fortune, spy, gun runner, machine gunner, and treasure hunter.

Emil was born on August 26, 1883, in Fort Dodge, Iowa of Swedish-American parents, Frans Frank Emil Holmdahl and Cecilia Andrina Olson

Spanish–American War

Private Emil Holmdahl served with the United States Army during the Spanish-American War.
Service Started: 1898
Unit(s): unknown
Service Ended: 1906

With little formal education at the age of 15, he joined the 51st Volunteer Iowa Infantry Regiment in 1898 together with^[2] his older brother Monty. (Monville A Holmdahl 1879–1956)^[3]

Emil fought under Frederick Funston and John J. Pershing in the Spanish–American War in the Philippine Islands and the subsequent Philippine–American War (Philippine Insurrection). The 51st Volunteer Iowa Infantry Regiment after eight months, returned to Iowa, departing Manila September 23rd, 1899. ^[2]

Emil Holndahl remained behind in Manila still yearning for adventure, he hooked up with a British soldier of fortune "General" Edmund F. English who was recruiting a foreign legion of experienced soldiers. They were hired by a group of western-oriented China men and San Francisco businessmen to usher the Chinese military into the 20th Century. Emil was appointed an ensign in the "Royal Imperial Guard, Sinim Order of Dragoons" and was to serve the ancient Manchu dynasty as an imperial bodyguard. When they arrived in Shanghai the "Boxer Rebellion" had erupted and Emil was forced to high tail it back to the Philippines.^[4]

He reenlisted with the 20th Regular Infantry. He had become an expert in jungle warfare by the time he left the Philippines.

He returned to the United States in 1906, 22 years old, and one of the youngest sergeants in the Infantry.

San Francisco Earthquake

Holmdahl's unit was based in San Francisco. Within a month of settling into camp life in Monterrey, an earthquake and fires almost destroyed San Francisco on April 18, 1906. Holmdahl's unit rushed into the smoldering remains of the city to rescue residents and maintain order. "It was worse than soldiering in the Philippine Islands. "I was on guard at the United States Sub Treasury Building for 125 hours with little sleep," Holmdahl commented on his service in San Francisco. The army discharged him in January 1907.^[5]

Central America

Holmdahl was skilled in jungle warfare and soldiers with machine gun knowledge were sought after in Central America. Under "General" Lee Christmas, a Louisiana native and railroader, Emil honed his skills as a machine gun expert. Christmas was down in Honduras stirring up a coup.

With financing by Samuel Zemurray, of New Orleans, Christmas tried overthrowing President Davila, with hopes to establish a "banana republic" to compete with the United Fruit Company. At the Battle of La Ceiba on January 25, 1911, Christmas used machine guns for fire support of the infantry. This is the first time automatic weapons were used in this manner and the Battle of La Ceiba model was used in WW ^[6]

Mexican Revolution

Holmdahl headed north into Mexico and was a Captain in dictator Porfirio Diaz's Rurales under General Kosterlisky, the "Russian Cossack" . Holmdahl fought under Francisco Madero in 1910 after Madero defeated President Diaz and became a Major in the Madero army. In 1912 he was on campaign in Sonora, Mexico to quell a Yaquis uprising when news spread of the assassination of Madero.

Venustiano Carranza came to power, Holmdahl hastily switched sides and achieved the rank of Colonel in the Constitutionalist Army. Carranza ordered Colonel Holmdahl to Chihuahua to serve on the staff of his right-hand man, Pancho Villa, commander of the División del Norte.^[7]

Pancho Villa sought power and became very wealthy as a caudillo and Governor of the mineral-rich state of Chihuahua. Villa eventually turned on Carranza. Along with loot from the rancheroes, he was also receiving financing from the United States. The US abandoned Villa's army in favor of Carranza. Villa's treasurer, Tomas Urbina tood Villa's treasure and hit it. 1915, Fierro died when his horse threw him in quicksand. Villla's treasure hiding place was lost.

Holmdahl considered himself of a higher moral caliber than a marauder so it wasn't long before he joined Carrancista general Álvaro Obregón 's Constitutionalist forces (again), and he helped smuggle arms and ammunition across the border into Mexico. He was caught and tried in El Paso, Texas in the fall of 1915 for gunrunning.

Holmdahl joined the Pancho Villa Expedition under the command of Black Jack Pershing as a scout while out on bail.^[8]He tried to re-join the US army but was rejected as a result of his felony conviction.

In 1916 Jose Orozco, cousin of General Pascual Orozco, Victor Ochoa and Holmdahl were convicted on charges they were conspiring to violate the neutrality laws by smuggling guns to the Carrancista faction to combat Villa's forces. He was imprisoned at Leavenworth Prison.^[9]

WW I

Captain Emil Holmdahl served in the United States Army in World War I
Service started: July 18th, 1918
Unit(s): Company A, 97th Engineers; 211th Engineers
Service ended: October 28th 1919

As A. E. F. forces began to escalate, Major Sam Robertson of the 16th Engineers (Lightrail) telegraphed Congressman A. Jeff McLemore and Frank Polk of the State Department on June 6 & 7, 1917:

Won't you see the Attorney General and try to get Holmdahl pardoned at once, Regiment needs his services badly and he will be more valuable to the country in France than in prison Major Sam Robertson^[10] Holmdahl received a pardon from President Wilson.^[11][12]

On July 18th, 1917 Emil Holmdahl enlisted at Washington Barracks, Washington, D.C. with the rank of Private, then Sargent in Company E, 16th Engineers. Holmdahl is mentioned in the History of the Sixteenth Engineers (Railway): American Expeditionary Forces 1917-1919,16th Engineers Veterans Association . He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in March 1918 then 1st Lieutenant in May and Captain September the 13th all in the same year.

He remained with the 16th Engineers until October 10th, 1918 when he was assigned to Company A, 97th Engineers. He served with 211th Engineers from December 1918 until his discharge October 28th 1919.^[13]

After the war, he was a manager for selling off the military surplus. In this capacity, he was issued two passports. One for Mexico City^[14] and one to Poland, France, Spain and England^[15]. Holmdahl left the US Army in 1920.

Chester Chope, associate editor of the El Paso Herald-Post said Holmdahl "was in the army that saved Paris and was cited for bravery in action. But he never told anyone; he never bragged about it." ^[16]

Treasure Hunter

In 1926 Holmdahl was accused of having stolen Francisco Pancho Villa's head. Lore has it that his client was allegedly Senator Prescott Bush and Yale's Skull and Crossbones Society. Mexican federales arrested Holmdahl and charged him with having vandalized Pancho Villa's grave and taken his head. Holmdahl professed his innocence, talked his way out of the arrest and through the Mexican lynching mob. Holmdahl denied any involvement in the theft the rest of his life.^[17]

In the 1930 census Emil is found, age 46, married, in Burbank, Los Angeles, California. His occupation was listed as a mining supervisor.

For the rest of his life, Emil organized mining expeditions and treasure hunts down in old Mexico.

"Fifty years ago a man could go down to Mexico or Central America and take his pick of a dozen wars, insurrections, and marauding expeditions. But the rules changed and soldiers of fortune have to admit that free-lance fighting is a thing of the past. The world has gone to hell." Emil L. Holmdahl, 18 Aug 1962^[18]

Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) 10 Feb 1929, Sun Page 5

He died April 8th, 1963 at the home of his step-daughter, Mrs. Ramona Foster in Van Nuys. He was buried in Forest Hills.^[19][20]

The Emil Lewis Holmdahl papers, 1905-1958. UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

The collection contains correspondence, army records, photographs, clippings and papers relating to his experiences as a soldier of fortune with Pancho Villa in Mexico and an officer in World War I. Included are letters from Sherburne G. Hopkins, Keith Wakeman, Julio Mitchell, Atkins McLemore, John J. Pershing, James A. Ryan, Frederick Funston, Emilio Kosterlitzky and others.

Sources

1. ↑ "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGRN-L4L : 26 November 2014),
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt/search?id=njp.32101050739455;view=1up;seq=12;num=10;start=1;sz=10;page=search;sort=seq;orient=0;ptsop=OR;q1=Mexican%20Punitive%20Expedition
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #66160978
4. ↑ Soldier of Fortune: Adventuring in Latin America and Mexico with Emil Lewis Holmdahl By Douglas V. Meed, page 11
5. ↑ National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Returns from Regular Army Infantry Regiments, June 1821 - December 1916; Microfilm Serial: M665; Roll: 217
6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Christmas
7. ↑ The Daily Gate City (Keokuk, Iowa)21 Jun 1914, Sun, Page 2
8. ↑ Soldier of Fortune, Douglas Meed; p. 120
9. ↑ El Paso Herald (El Paso, Texas), 05 Jun 1917, Tue, Page 8
10. ↑ Soldier of Fortune: Adventuring in Latin America and Mexico with Emil Lewis Holmdahl, By Douglas V. Meed page 160
11. ↑ The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California)26 Feb 1967, Sun Page 306
12. ↑ The Morning New Bernian (New Bern, North Carolina)21 Aug 1917, Tue Page 3
13. ↑ "Texas, World War I Records, 1917-1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV18-Z25N : 3 April 2015), Emil L Holmdahl, 18 Jul 1917; citing Military Service, Washington Barracks, , Texas, United States, Texas Military Forces Museum, Austin.
14. ↑ Roll 1253 - Certificates: 51376-51749, 10 Jun 1920-11 Jun 1920
15. ↑ 1919 Volume 13: Military, Civilian, Federal Employees and Dependents
16. ↑ El Paso Herald-Post (El Paso, Texas)18 Aug 1962, Sat, Page 2
17. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Lewis_Holmdahl
18. ↑ El Paso Herald-Post (El Paso, Texas)18 Aug 1962, Sat Page 2
19. ↑ The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California) 26 Feb 1967, Sun Page 306
20. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #85427137

• Soldier of Fortune: Adventuring in Latin America and Mexico with Emil Lewis Holmdahl, Douglas V. Meed Halcyon Press Ltd., 2003

• https://books.google.com/books?id=4Oiz8_NjGQIC&q=Robertson#v=snippet&q=Robertson&f=false

• http://tomahawksadventuretravel.blogspot.com/2015/02/emil-holmdahl-american-adventurer.html

• In Plain Sight: Felix A. Sommerfeld, Spymaster in Mexico, 1908 to 1914 by von Feilitzsch, Heribert Published 2012 by Henselstone Verlag LLC inc Amissville, Virginia 20106 .