Nelson M . Holderman Nelson Miles Holderman ( November 10 , 1885 – September 3 , 1953 ) was an officer in the United States Army most notable for commanding a company of the Lost Battalion during World War I for which he received the Medal of Honor . He was considered by many to be one of the most decorated American soldiers of the war . Biography . Nelson Miles Holderman was born in Trumbull , Nebraska in 1885 and named Nebuchadnezzar . Upon reaching his 18th birthday he requested permission from his parents to legally change his name to Nelson Miles after a military officer that his father had served under who had been a Civil War hero and Medal of Honor recipient . He was the second oldest son in a family which included three older sisters and two brothers . In 1893 , his family moved to Tustin , California where his parents bought of land to grow oranges , walnuts and apricots . Early military career . In 1916 , Holderman enlisted as a private in the Santa Ana unit of the California National Guard . From June to October of that year , he participated in patrols on the United States – Mexico border during the time of Pancho Villa ' s raids . Holderman quickly rose through the ranks and by the time the United States entered World War I , he had become captain in charge of Company L of his Santa Ana unit . World War I . Company L was assigned as replacements of Company K , 307th Infantry Regiment , 77th Division of the American Expeditionary Force . Even though Holderman was a replacement officer for Company K , he was very well respected by the soldiers under his command due in part to his previous experience prior to the war . As an officer he was regarded as a " soldier ' s soldier " who never turned down a patrol and saw his military service as " an adventure " . His unit was part of the Meuse - Argonne Campaign . On October 3 , 1918 a major offensive began whose purpose was to break the German line in the Argonne forest . Of all the units who took part in the initial assault , elements of two battalions under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey were able to break through . However , as the only units to have reached their objectives they had gone too far into German territory and were subsequently cut off . Initial attempts were made to reach Whittlesey and his men but all the units were met with heavy resistance and had to pull back . Only Holderman ' s Company K , composed of 97 men , had managed to reach Whittlesey ' s units which , incorrectly became known as " The Lost Battalion " even though there were two such units of that size . With not enough men able to close the distance between Whittlesey and the American lines , Holderman and his company subsequently became part of the Lost Battalion . Holderman was tasked to command the right flank . Though severely wounded early in the five day siege , Holderman continued to lead his men until finally being relieved . After World War I . After the war , Holderman rejoined the National Guard and continued to serve for many years eventually retiring with the rank of Colonel . He was appointed as the commandant of the Veterans Home of California Yountville in Yountville , California taking caring of veterans . He served from 1923 until his retirement in 1953 during which time he greatly expanded the home . After his death , the Veterans Home was renamed to the Nelson M . Holderman in his honor . Though he was regarded as a national hero , he never used his status for personal gain . Medal of Honor citation . Rank at time of receipt : Captain , U . S . Army . Unit : 307th Infantry Regiment , 77th Division . Place and date : Northeast of Binarville , in the forest of Argonne , France , 2 - October 8 , 1918 . Entered service at : Santa Ana , California . Medal credited to : California . Authority : War Department General Order 11 , 1921 . Citation : Awards and recognitions . Among Holderman ' s decorations and medals were the following : Namesakes . The Captain Nelson M . Holderman U . S . Army Reserve Center in West Los Angeles , California is named in his honor , as is the main building on the grounds , Holderman Hall . In Popular Culture . In the 2001 made for TV movie " The Lost Battalion " , Holderman was played by Adam James .