MATTOON, Ill. (AP) — David Champion knew he couldn’t miss Mike
Elliott’s funeral.

Like Elliott, who was born Edwin C., Champion also flew in a
B-25 bomber more than 60 years ago in World War II. Champion
returned home to Coles County after the war with plenty of memories
from the wild blue yonder, but it took 66 years for Elliott’s
bittersweet return from Europe this week.

At age 24, Elliott died with four others when a B-25 crashed on
a mountain on Corsica during a noncombat mission. He and others
killed in the May 10, 1944, crash have been identified through DNA
testing through the efforts of the Missing In Action Accounting
Command, which conducts retrieval of military remains across the
globe each year.

“As soon as I heard about them bringing back his remains I knew
I was going to be here,” said Champion as he greeted people at the
door of Mitchell-Jerdan Funeral Home prior to Elliott’s funeral. “I
grew up here, but I didn’t know the man.”

Outside the funeral home, Glenn Poorman of Humboldt was
confident the skies would remain clear for the procession to the
Rest Haven gravesite with other Patriot Guard motorcyclists.

“We have a good turnout today for a weekday. We’re going to be
there for these veterans whether it’s been 66 years or 40 years
when they come home. These serve as closure for the families. It’s
really an honor and a privilege to be here today,” said
Poorman.

Glenn Elliott, Mike’s lone surviving sibling, was glad to see so
many people out to honor the brother he barely knew. He was in
grade school when the telegram came informing his parents of Mike’s
death.

“I don’t actually remember talking to Mike when he was home on
leave before he went overseas,” the silver-haired kid brother said
Tuesday morning.

Elwin “Mike” C. Elliott came to Mattoon at age 8 with his family
from Kentucky, where he was born. The Elliott family lived on North
Fourth Street in Mattoon and Mike went to school with his brothers
and sisters. Records show he was of slight build, weighing 128
pounds.

With America’s entry into the war, Elliott enlisted at Camp
Grant and went into the Army Air Corps before his assignment to the
Mediterranean. That fatal flight claim his life and the lives of
First Lt. Ray F. Fletcher, Capt. Lewis J. Gerrings, Pvt. Richard H.
Loring and Red Cross nurse Carolyn Chapin. Military data indicates
the bomber was on a mail run and Chapin was en route to assignment
for the Red Cross.

Champion said the risk of a crash was always there for aviators,
but they tried to block it out.

“When you were on a flight you didn’t think about it,” he
recalled. “It was just a job to do. Whatever happened,
happened.”

Selena Griffith and Jewel Gilbert, both of Mattoon, are Mike
Elliott’s nieces. They agreed to DNA-related blood draws to confirm
some of the remains recovered from the mountaintop in Corsica were
those of Elliott. For Griffith there was irony to the return of the
remains to a military personnel identification center in Hawaii
five years ago.

“I learned that Dave (her husband) and I had been to Hawaii the
same time his remains came back. Then around Thanksgiving of 2005
we had a call asking if I’d agree to DNA tests,” Griffith said.

Army Sgt. Jarrod Taylor, Elliott’s great-nephew, accompanied the
body on the flight to Illinois. Taylor experienced a strange
coincidence during the flight.

“I met a woman who had been on a flight carrying a World War II
veteran’s remains to Boston for a funeral. I found out it was Pvt.
Loring’s funeral,” Taylor said.

At Rest Haven, there were many veterans, including Mattoon
American Legionnaires of Post 88, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post
4325, Windsor American Legion Post 725 member and Sons of the
American Legion and Legionnaires with Post 71 in Urbana.

Dan Schmidt and Gus Robertson of the Urbana detachment thought
it was important to honor the man they never met because he’s from
a generation that was as tough as nails.

“They were millions of brave men and women. If it wasn’t for
them we’d be speaking German or Russian today,” Robertson said.

Off in the distance past the bugler, the soldiers firing the
honor volley and the American flags fluttering in the wind, Ray
Hoffman of Mattoon, a Vietnam veteran, stood erect as a sentry
throughout the ceremony.

“I think all veterans deserve some respect, especially those
from the World War II. They did so much. It’s still good we
recognize them,” he said as he tried to control his voice after the
ceremony.