SSGT Irving C Ellingson Comes Home

Words cannot adequately describe the course of today's events.  It was certainly emotional as well as heartwarming and, may I say, truly amazing.   

Today, SSGT Irving C Ellingson, declared missing in action in May 1945, was escorted from Fargo, ND to Grand Forks, near the place where he was born.  And I was invited by his nephew, Lon, to attend the event, along with Marty.  You see, I was the genealogist who located Lon, which was the first step in the process.  And although I don't feel that I deserve any accolades for my small role, Lon was eager for me to attend so that he could introduce me to the family. And, I must say, I am touched by the attention that they have given to me.  So many came up to thank me.  And I felt honored. 

And, I feel very lucky to have been here today, as American Airlines decided to just cancel our flight out of Chicago after several delays. They could not get us a flight for several days.  I debated just going back home, but I had planned some extra time on this trip, and I didn't want to disappoint Lon. So, we rented a car and drove over 900 miles to get here. So, the enthusiasm shown to me was certainly appreciated more than anyone will know. Enough about me...let's get to the story about this amazing day. 

The entire community from these two towns, and in between, were aware of the significance of this day.  Many set out time from their day to honor this local hero. 

The hearse carried the casket, draped with a flag, and led a procession that began with a van filled with immediate family members, followed by countless automobiles and well over 300 motorcyclists at the end.  

I took this photo from the front of the car, and you can see the cyclists lined up in the background.  The group extended far into the distance.

We drove highway 29 north to Grand Forks for well over an hour. The local community had been alerted of the event, and words cannot express the emotions that I felt  as I saw crowds of people who had parked their cars on the sides of the highway in order to stop and offer their respect to this fallen airman. 

Nearly every overpass had an American Legion group represented to offer their respects. 

Imagine the planning and coordination that it must have taken to have so many groups represented.  

The North Dakota Highway Patrol led the procession, and were at intersections in the city of Grand Forks to control traffic for the motorcade to pass by. It was, needless to say, A BIG DEAL!

We finished at Veteran's Park in Grand Forks. 

Irvin's casket was set at the Air Force Memorial in the park.

There were two large canopy tents, filled with white chairs for people to sit upon while dignitaries were presented to offer a few words.  

These included the Mayor of Grand Forks, The Governor of the State of North Dakota Kelly Armstrong, Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak and United States Senator Kevin Kramer.  He had been instrumental in working with 16 other state senators to come up with the necessary means to get these Tokyo Prison Fire casualties identified. 

The Grand Forks City Band was situated under one of the tents and performed the National Anthem, America the Beautiful, Washington Post March, The Flickertail March, finishing with a lively rendition of Stars and Stripes Forever.   

An Echo version of Taps was played at a distance, bringing tears to many eyes. 

The park was bursting  with local residents who had come out to honor Irvin.  The camaraderie was electric, with dozens of family members who had come from far and near to celebrate the return of their lost uncle and cousin.  The story had been carried down to younger generations who were eager to be part of the events as well.  Irvin was one of eight children.  The children of all of his siblings, as well as their children, were determined not to to miss this historic event. 

Among those in attendance who had ridden as honor guards, were members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.   When DPAA announced a sudden change in the dignified transfer date and time for Irvins' return this week, this group dropped everything to make the 4 hour drive to Minneapolis to be there at 4:45 AM when his plane arrived.  They were determined to be on hand to escort Irvin home. 

The emotions of the day were obvious, as family members, one by one, laid a hand on the casket and offered a private prayer.  Irvin had not been forgotten.  His nephew, Lon, worked long and hard with many organizations to be sure that Irvin received the honors that he deserved. 

Today is only Day 1.  There are two more days of events to honor this airman, and we are looking forward to spending more time with the family tomorrow at the celebration of life. 

I'll be sure to keep you posted. 

Until next time.....

 

Just Ducky

 Wow! Here it is Friday and our annual family beach vacation is soon coming to a close, but I've been so busy enjoying this special time that Ive been lax on my gallivanting updates. 

Our drive on Saturday was quite pleasant and we somehow managed to avoid the insane backup onto the island that we’ve experienced in years past. That meant waiting for the cleaners to leave, but once they pulled out of the drive, you can bet it didn’t take long to get unpacked, settled, and even enjoy some time on the beach. 

You can tell by this photo, that the week was going to be loads of fun!

After dinner, we headed out to the beach. 

what began as a test of the toes

led to checking out the waves

to full submersion. And let me say....that water was COLD!

Marty and I opted to skip that part and stay dry. 

Sunday was hot hot hot...not what we expected, but the kids sure had a grand time enjoying the ocean. 

Monday was a complete flip....cold with a strong wind that resulted in a red flag day.  That meant no swimming in the ocean.  But you know this crew.....there's always fun to be had. 

This guy was all set to help his uncle James build a fort

Mission accomplished!

After the waves lapped over the sand and destroyed the structure, we opted to head up to the house as the winds were brutal, and the house had a nice cozy hot tub to enjoy.  Well....it wasn't actually that cozy.  98 degrees when we got in, which somehow dropped to 94 in short time.  But it was still relaxing. 

Afterwards, there was this game involving fish that Jim wanted to play. You can bet Marty was pretty excited about this. 

It took me awhile to catch on, but I'm fairly certain that I was ahead of the game when we had to quit for dinner.  Just saying. 

The evening offered some entertainment. 

Joshua designed a music trivia game for us all to enjoy.  Team Amy and Maddie took the prize! 

Tuesday looked promising, despite yellow flags flying. We noticed lots of clear floaty creatures bobbing in the surf, but didn't pay them much mind as the kids weren't in the surf anyway.  

They occupied themselves with some fort building

and sand creations.

Maddie was the creative artist.  Here you see Parker as a squid.

And that's Joshua under that creation but don't ask me what he is. 

We proved that we didn't need to be in the water to enjoy the surrounds. 

After dinner entertainment was karaoke, and believe me, there were a lot of giggles.

The whole gang was on the dance floor! 

Honestly....could you ask for more fun that that?

Wednesday brought a bit of a surprise.  Remember those clear floaty blobs?  It turns out that they were salps, which are gelatinous zooplankton.  The surf had deposited a layer of them on top of the sand, en masse, right in front of the beach house we were renting.  

They are harmless to humans.  Unless, of course, you downplay the effect of the horrendous odor that invades your nasal passages when even the slightest breeze sends the stench your way.  We managed to endure the stink, but when we read it could take a week to dissipate, we were a bit disheartened as it felt like we were immersed in an extremely stinky trash can....or worse. 

The ocean became our refuge.  The surf had calmed and the waves were welcomed. 

When it was obvious that we'd be subject to the stink for the rest of our trip, one of our crew stepped up to start scraping off the muck. It seemed an insurmountable task. 

Before we knew it, we had a shoveling crew helping to remove the massive amounts of salp into the ocean  in the hopes of containing the odor. 

The air calmed down enough for Maddie to create these two starfish. 

Aren't they cute?

Thursday and Friday were hot, stinky, and suddenly filled with flies.  That happens with the winds blow from the shore rather than the ocean.  But we didn't let that dampen our spirits as you can see by this lively crew. 

We simply figured out that time under the tent would be brutal, so why not relocate?

And there was always the pool for entertainment.  It was cool and not stinky!

Mornings once again involved baking with Gramma G.  Although my role at this point is pretty much supervisor. 

Didn't they do an amazing job? 

Fishing was a bust.  However, there was the excitement of a sea turtle surprising all by emerging from the ocean to lay its eggs.  

Marty was on hand to get the close up photos when the environmental crew arrived to check on the event.  They explained that they look for those tracks from the ocean to spot the nest.  Pretty amazing, don't you think? 

Finally, we had the excitement of Parker's 7th birthday!

That was the final event of the week, and certainly a happy one for this little guy.  

Afterwards, it was time to clean and pack up as we all head out early in the morning.  

The week certainly zoomed by quickly.  Before I go, let me share some photos of our beautiful grandchildren. 

Another fabulous week for the books!

Until next time....

Evenings were equally entertaining with a music quiz night created and MC’d by our grandson Joshua.