Today was another busy day for us as we joined the many Ellingson family and friends to celebrate the life of Irvin.
The rain was coming down in sheets as we made the drive from Grand Forks to Dahlen, the town where Irvin's family owned the farm where he grew up. We were headed to the event center which was built on the property of one of the family members who raises and auctions off steer.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the rain stopped, and we arrived at the location that our GPS deemed was correct, and, honestly, it sure seemed like it should be the right place. After all, why would this be displayed right next to the driveway?
It didn't take long for us to realize that we were obviously at the wrong location. The first clue was the lack of cars, We had been told that 240 people were expected to be in attendance.
We did an about turn, headed south, and within a short distance our GPS re-routed us to the correct destination. (It is kind of confusing as to why it just didn't lead us to the right place the first time, but it certainly was cool to get to see the place where the family homestead still stands. )
Pulling down the long drive, there was no doubt that we were at the right place. We ended up having to park quite a distance from the event center due to the number of cars were lining the drive.
This banner greeted us at the door:
We headed inside, where true to form, there was a very large group of people sitting along dozens of tables lined in white and decorated with honorary centerpieces.
And, as you can see, this venue serves multiple interests. Terry, the gracious host and owner of this building, raises Simmental Steer, which is pretty obvious from the interesting wall decor. He is a nephew of Irvin and he and his wife volunteered to open their even center for use for Irvin's celebration.
As fascinating as that might seem, I was drawn to the family history that was adorning the entrance wall of the facility. This family tree might just explain the crowds attending these events. Irvin was one of eight children born to this farming family with strong Norwegian roots. Every one of his siblings were involved in the planning to make this event like no other.
A large placard stood highlighting Irvin's service and medals.
A family photo was blown up. Please forgive the glare.
The local library helped to set up a table with books that would have been from Irvin's childhood era. He loved to read and was often found in a corner somewhere with his nose in a book.
Irvin was second born and can be seen here with his older sister, Alpha, and his younger brother, Omer.
What a treasure to have such beautiful photos to highlight their childhood!
Included was a photo of Irvin's bomber crew.
On April 15, 1945, on Irvin's 16th mission, the plane was shot down by Japanese forces. Five of the crew members perished in the crash. The remaining six were taken prisoner by the Japanese and were held in the Tokyo Prison. When fire ensued in late May, and the prisoners were locked in their cells, unable to escape, all of them died. Three were identified shortly after the war. Three were declared MIA. Of those three, two, including Irvin, have been identified, leaving one crew member awaiting identification.
Lon Enerson, one of the nephews of Irvin, spent countless hours working to put together what I consider to be an outstanding program.
The event began with Terry, the host, singing the Star Spangled Banner in perfect tune, without any music accompaniment. That was followed by an opening prayer from one of the family members who is a pastor.
United States Senator Kevin Cramer was in attendance and gave a short speech. Then we were treated to Trombone Solo, Medley of Patriotism, performed by one of Irvin's great nephews.
He received a well deserved standing ovation.
Col Jimmy Schwabach, the Commander of the 91st Missile Wing spoke about the tribute that will take place tomorrow when a scheduled flyover of a B-52 will take place during the outdoor cemetery ceremonies.
Then there were brief speeches made by several in attendance who had been invited as part of the celebration. These two women are forensic anthropologists who work at DPAA in the laboratory in Hawaii. They were on the team that identified Irvin's remains and Lon had invited them to attend.
Michael Krehl, who spearheaded this campaign to get these airmen identified, spoke about the mission to continue until all have been repatriated.
This woman was invited to speak about her role in the process.
Obviously, that is me, and I was taken by surprise when I was suddenly being introduced to talk to this crowd. I was certain to mention that never had I been welcomed so exuberantly by strangers, and made to be felt so special, and so important. My role was minuscule, but important, as finding family is imperative to bodies being identified.
From here, Lon began a power point presentation that told the story of Irvin from that of a baby through his early years growing up. It was family history at its best. Honestly, a genealogist's dream. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute.
Slide after slide gave glimpses into the life of this obviously very loved man. In this photo, Irvin is seen smoking a pipe while enjoying time with his cousins.
This slide featured Irvin's mother's family. It was obvious that he was very close to his aunts as there were several letters that were read from family members that were written by Irvin to them.
Irvin had a cousin, Con Thoe, who was stationed in Saipan with him, but who worked on the ground rather than in the air. With every mission, Con would wait until Irvin's crew returned before going to bed.
But Irvin's crew never returned on April 15. Con waited 10 days before writing to his aunt, Irvin's mother, to give her the sad news regarding her son. Con's son read the letter with raw emotion. He had his grandson at his side, just in case he broke down in remembrance.
One of those in attendance was a 98 year old man who had delivered the telegram to the farm that gave the news that Irvin was missing in action. How amazing is that?
Other family members spoke of their family members who were so strongly affected by their uncle's loss. Many would not have known him, but they were quite aware of the struggle that their parent faced always wondering Irvin's fate. They had been told that he was killed in the fire, but no one ever knew that he had been buried in Manila Cemetery.
One of the musical performances was by the Brothers in Harmony Quartet. They are brothers who are nephews to Irvin and they are an accomplished Barber Shop Quartet. They sang, Proud to be an American and Bring Him Home (Les Miserables) along with a few other beautiful songs.
I was happy to have my photo taken with them.
Marty also took my photo with the DPAA anthropologists. They were a delight to speak with and had such passion and love of their chosen career. Believe me, it's quite unusual for the staff to make the trip to a reinterment ceremony like this, but Lon and his family had visited the lab in Hawaii several times during the identification process, and had made such an impression on these two ladies, that they felt compelled to come just for the experience.
It dawned on me that here you see the start and the finish. I found Lon and his sister, which triggered the donation of DNA. These two young ladies worked with that DNA to find the match to Irvin. It was truly an honor to meet these dedicated women and how special for me to have played a small part.
Tomorrow is the final event: the funeral and burial of Irvin. It's bound to be an emotional day, but one this family has waited over 80 years to complete.
Thanks for following along, and I'll be sure to keep you posted.
