NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The remains of a 26-year-old Marine who died in WWII were finally brought home to Neenah this week, and Saturday the funeral took place on a very fitting Memorial-weekend.
Sergeant Elden Grimm’s funeral consisted of full military honors.
A salute and shots of rifles from the local Honor Guard paid respects to the Marine.
Grimm’s closest living relative is a niece Margaret Kersten.
She was presented with the burial flag by Captain Nicholas Pecoraro.
“It’s amazing, it’s amazing,” Pecoraro tells FOX 11.
“It’s my first time doing a repatriation for a “Marine from WWII.”
The Kersten family didn’t know the Grimm family, still, they get emotional.
“When you think about it he was 24 years old,” said nephew-in-law Gerard Kersten.
“It’s hard to think about, 24 years old, he gave mom a hug and walked out the door, and for 75 years he didn’t come back.”
A tombstone already at the cemetery made it clear to his family that this is where he belongs.
People from around Wisconsin and local veterans gathered in Neenah Saturday to say goodbye to a man they never knew.
This weekend the country observes and pays tribute to the many people who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Grimm’s memory is a representation of what this holiday is all about, and he’s proof that it’s never too late to come home.
