Family shares disappointment after WWll remains to be flown in further from home

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — For over eighty years, a North Dakota family has been waiting to reunite with a family member who was lost in World War II. The remains of Irvin Ellingson are set to arrive in Minneapolis this week, a last-minute change in plans that the family wasn’t prepared for.

“With all this planning and all the coordination that we have done, we’re very disappointed. And his casket now will come home Wednesday, this coming Wednesday morning at the Minneapolis airport,” said Lon Enerson, Nephew of Staff Sergeant Irvin Ellingson and Power of Attorney. “And instead of 150 Ellingson families, we have 11.”

Enerson knew of Irvin’s remains since 2018, when he was first contacted by someone searching for their grandfather’s remains from Manila. Families were asked to submit their DNA to be tested to coordinate with the remains. After confirming the remains within the last year, Enerson’s family had coordinated to be present, but the company involved in shipping gave short notice on the change.

“We’re going to go ahead with that plan. We’re going to make the best of it. We’re going to cherish this plan because not many families get a chance to do this. You know there’s still 81,000 missing in action from World War 2 to today, so we feel very fortunate,” said Enerson.

When hearing that things had to be rearranged, a veterans’ motorcycle group stepped up and plans to provide an escort from the Twin Cities to North Dakota.

“It’s quite the honor we get to do this. Follow somebody that’s been gone that long and somebody that died in a war zone in such tragic circumstances in a POW camp that we get to honor him and bring him home properly. That’s going to be a huge honor for us. We have the honor of being his pallbearer, after the park program, that we get to carry him into the funeral home, and that’s a huge honor for us as well,” said Tom Krabbenhoft, Public Relations Officer for Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association 42-3.

Enerson is writing a book dedicated to his uncle Irvin. And with his remains set to return, he says he gets to finish the final chapter.

Ellingson’s remains will arrive in Minneapolis early Wednesday. The motorcycle escort will arrive in Fargo Thursday afternoon.