Bringing soldiers home: Eller student assists in World War II-era recovery mission

If Jonny Ellwanger learned one thing this summer, it's that sometimes the greatest triumphs come from toiling in the mud.

A cadet in the University of Arizona's Army ROTC Program, Ellwanger is one of four students who recently returned from a month in southwestern Poland working alongside an archeological crew to carefully excavate a B-17G "Flying Fortress" bomber that crashed during the final months of World War II. 

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The site, located near the Czech border, was identified in 2019. Six years later – and just a week after the students began their work – the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that the first crew member was identified from remains recovered there. Six of the 10 crew members aboard the plane, which crashed on March 22, 1945, are still unaccounted for.

The excavation is led by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, also known as the DPAA. The federal agency is tasked with identifying and recovering the remains of missing American military personnel, from World War II through the Gulf Wars. 

Ellwanger traveled alongside his younger brother, Zach, and Carson Criswell – who are also cadets. The trio were joined by anthropology student Max von Husen and Lt. Col. Rich Ingleby, professor of military science, who commands the U of A's Army ROTC program. The four students were selected to join the recovery mission, now in its sixth year, as part of a coordinated effort between the U of A and the DPAA.

"This work means a lot to the families of missing soldiers, and I was honored to be chosen for this trip," said Ellwanger, who studies operations and supply chain management in the Eller College of Management. "We are still looking for these people, 80 years later, and we will do anything we can to help out – even if it's just shoveling dirt. The Army is one big family, and we have to look after each other."

Shovel, rinse, repeat

The trip not only provided the Wildcats with a deeper appreciation for their studies and military history, but created the perfect template for future collaboration, said Jesse Stephen, chief of innovation for the DPAA.

"There are roughly 80,000 personnel missing in action, and we are always looking to amplify our efforts," Stephen said. "Now we can, while fostering a valuable, experiential learning opportunity that also provides cadets with some of the developmental leadership experience they need to become an officer in the United States Armed Forces."

With a long history of supporting the military and the ROTC program, Stephen said the U of A was the perfect partner with whom to model a new, nationwide initiative.

"A major research university like the University of Arizona offers great technical expertise and acts as the nexus for so many critical resources within the broader community," Stephen said. "That kind of support is incredibly valuable for our agency in accomplishing its mission."

From mud to memorials

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with archeologists and military personnel, Ellwanger and his fellow Wildcats worked six days a week sifting mud through large metal screens in the middle of a wheat farm, looking for anything related to the crash.

"Practically every day, we found plane parts as large as your hand – all the way down to the size of a fingernail," said Criswell, who studies political science in the School of Government and Public Policy. "We also found a lot of cool little things that aren't related to the plane, like a Roman coin."

The cadets enjoyed learning more about the labor involved in archeology, though the site was not von Husen's first experience in the field. An incoming junior, von Husen previously worked at anthropological sites across Europe – but said his time in Poland was a deeply enriching experience.

He wanted to share World War II history with his father and grandfather, both of whom worked in the aerospace industry, and cherished another opportunity to work in the field.

"I always look forward to putting my academic learning into practice," von Husen said. "I prefer to work outside rather than at a desk because that's how I learn: by applying methods and thinking critically under the 90-degree sun. This mission was a tangible way for people to see the good they are doing in the field, and I found that very rewarding."

The students consider their mission a resounding success, and ROTC commander Ingleby agrees.

A member of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, Ingleby in 2019 participated in the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, a military offensive intended to flank German forces in the Netherlands. The commemoratory event included airborne jumps to the original drop zones and ceremonies throughout the Netherlands. 

During his trip, Ingleby visited the Netherlands American Cemetery in the village of Margraten, where he attended a ceremony at the memorial wall honoring missing World War II soldiers. While there, Ingleby watched as a man pinned a metal flower beside the name of their loved one – who was also a member of the 82nd Airborne Division – signifying that the remains had been found and identified.

Ever since, Ingleby has searched for an opportunity to help recover and return the remains of service members lost during combat.

"I am proud that our cadets were able to, in essence, help bring home one of these men to their family," he said. "I can't think of a better mission or more rewarding experience. There are still people with photos of these soldiers on their walls, and we want to make sure they are never forgotten."

This article originally appeared in news.arizona.edu.