June 19, 2026 • 19 mins
Senator Cramer, Staff Sgt. Irvin C. Ellingson Returned to ND & Iran Peace Deal.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Dacoda Mornings that I'm your host, Michael
Bell kfy R five fifty AM nine point seven FM.
We are joined on the phone by Senator Kevin Kramer. Senator,
thank you for taking the time again this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's a pleasure. I'm out on I ninety four right
now heading tour dall in North Dakota for a great
celebration of life later today. So if we if I
cut in and artists, because I'm in a valley, although
there aren't a lot of goals in ninety four, well.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I appreciate that, and you know, I'm glad you brought
that up. STEPH.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Sergeant Irvin Ellingson was his remains were were brought back
after you know, being a pow for you know, for all.
His remains were brought back after about eighty years.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah. Yeah, it's really quite a story. And it's by
the way, it's a fairly common story of World War
two and in the now existence of DNA and the
ability to identify remains, and I participated in a few
of these and it's just really really special. So Urban
Ellingson died in a fire in a prisoner war prison
(01:11):
in Tokyo, Japan in nineteen forty five. And interestingly, he
was a radar tech on a bomber. The fire in
the in the at the prison was caused by a
US bombing that started a fire in the prison and
killed sixty two American prisoners in Japan. But he was
(01:36):
Stessag and Ellingson was was in that prison. He had
he had actually was in a in the like I said,
a bomber, a radar tech. The bomber was shot down.
He safely parachuted, but was captured and then became a
prisoner up until his death. And in the remains of
those sixty two, those sixty two we called they were
(02:00):
soldiers at the time, that was the Army Air Corps
right before there's a Air force of course, right And
you know that when they after their deaths, there was
like almost half of them whose remains will be able
to be identified. The rest of them were buried in
a cemetery in Manila as unknowns. So there's been a
(02:22):
record of this and a record of the people who perished,
but not a specific identification of remains. In uh In,
I guess it was twenty twenty one a group of
US in the Senate to include Senator Hovin and me
as well as some others from our region signed a
letter to to the army and to others. There's there's
(02:45):
actually if there's actually not surprising to anybody in an
agency for these kinds of things called the Defense pow
m I a accounting agency, and we asked them for
a what's what it's called, really an exception to the
to a rule, a rule where you don't you can't
just in turn remains that are unidentified until they are
(03:07):
at least I think it's sixty percent or sixty yeah,
I think it's sixty percent of associated remains have some
sort of an identification availability from family samples. So again
the DNA, well, in this case it got to fifty
nine point sixty eight percent. Come on, we asked for
the I know, right, come on, even in government, that's
about to be one hundred percent. Yeah right, you think so, right,
(03:31):
But so we requested an exception that they immediately disinturned
and and and identify these remains now that we have
the capability of it. And the other thing to remember,
remember I said earlier that nearly half of the remains
were identified without having any type of family samples, which
still you know, still the sixty two were included in
the formula. So the reality is as much well over
(03:51):
sixty anyway, And I don't want to say it was difficult,
but it shouldn't take a bunch of senators right into
a bunch of beer crafts to get something like this done.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Well, that's bet of your job though, That's what you're
that's what you're really good at.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So Michael, it's funny you say that, because I this
is a whole another area of a show sometimes when
we can talk about constituent services and outreach and the
and the advantage that small states have having a more
intimate relationship, if you will, with the people that work
for them. It's such a great blessing. But anyway, having
said all of that, the reality is that that, yeah,
(04:24):
you know, his remains were flown to Minneapolis yesterday, picked
up by a grand forces, a Grandfirst funeral home, and
brought to Grand Forest there in Fargo this morning. There
will be a uh in fact that maybe it's all
happened already. It's hard to keep track of it all,
but there's a mortarcade and you know, uh, welcoming if
(04:47):
you will at the Air Museum in in Fargo. He's
heading to Dollin where we're having a major community event
this afternoon, and then his funeral is tomorrow at the
Lutheran Church. And and it's just I mean, it's such
a wonderful Americana North Dakota family story. Now a couple
(05:09):
of little tid That's that I find interesting about about
Irvin is that you know, he didn't he didn't marry,
He didn't have any children, so so clearly there's nobody
he has, you know, he has no direct heirrors. Now
he has nieces and nephews he had I think he
has two sisters and three brothers. So there's nieces and
nephews and great nieces and nephews. And they're all participating
today in the various ways in the service to include singing.
(05:32):
They must be a singing family from what I can
tell reading about them. And and I just think it's
such a wonderful testimony to a couple of things. One
the greatest generation. Two the pride and and the the respect,
uh you know, and the honoring, if you will, that
North Dakota's field towards somebody they don't know, right, it's
(05:56):
a representative. You know, it's just so cool.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I I just got chills.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I was thinking about the fact that the steph, Sergeant
Ellison is coming home. His soul is is he's probably
on han't looking in having looking down, being like you're
doing me right.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
And and and this is just a testament to a
lot of hard work by a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah it is. And and by the way, and thanks
for that, because the thing is so important is it
is a lot of hard work. There's people up and
down the chain of command. There are private organizations who
ultimately actually handle a lot of this that that are
contracted by the Department of Defense, and and and veterans
(06:40):
and veterans pairs, and there's all kinds of groups. But
everything from scientists, you know, to to soldiers to pilots
to you name it. There's a whole bunch of people
that are involved and work hard on it, and they
do it joyfully. And then and some people might say,
in fact, I suspect, you know, thinking about all of
the hundreds of thousands of Americans at the parish and
(07:01):
World War two to save not America, they did certainly
do that, but save the world and save freedom in
the world, that that many of them probably are looking really,
this is an awful lot of fuss for a bunch
of guys that did just that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Because you know, that's a good point. That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
We know. I've known many World War Two veterans, have
had the blessing of working with lots of them. But
they all even though when we when we take our
honor flights that in the early days, when I was
involved with a rough righter on a flight, we're all
World War Two veterans, probably about five hundred of them
in fact, that that I was able to work with,
(07:42):
they they couldn't quite get over the fuss we were
making about them in their eighties and nineties as we
were taking them to Washington, d c. And making sure
that they were well taken care of them, that they
got to see the memorial and participate the at Arlington.
And you know, because why they most of them landed
back home after the war and by the next day
(08:05):
they were milking cows on the farm, you know what
I mean. Absolutely kind of a generation that's part of
what makes the great generations. So yeah, I suspect a
lot of them are thinking what's this plus all about?
And yet what a what an awesome testimony, like I said,
to the patriotism, particularly of the prairies, of the prairie
people of North Dakota.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Amen. And that's one of the things that I enjoy.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You know. I've had the opportunity, the blessing to be
able to participate in a couple of different honor flights,
and I'm glad you brought that up Western n D
HF dot Org. I just wanted to make sure and
say that, you know, to give to give a highlight
to that. These these folks, they work really hard to
(08:46):
get these veterans the opportunity to go to Washington, DC,
you know, many of them for the first time.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
I just love the camaraderie.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yes, it's very cool. I can tell you in that
Roughrider on flight days when it was all just World
War Two Vetrians at the time, and of course people
were already their minds return going what about what about Vietnam?
What about Korea? And their time is coming. But the
thing that's in unique about World War Two veterans is
that the World War Two Memorial was built long after
(09:17):
the Vietnam Memorial YEP. And so you know, you had
we were losing veterans, World War Two veterans far faster
than we could even get them to go see the memorial.
Uh and and so there was an urgency at that
at that time. And for many of them in their
eighties and nineties, it was their first trip to Washington,
you see. Now, many of them were well traveled, lots
(09:40):
of you you know, we're we're in the in the
in the Pacific, Europe, various theaters, but they had not
been to Washington, d See to see that World War
Two memorial that was built long, long, long after their service.
And by the way, it took way too long to do,
but it's there now and it's beautiful, and yeah, it's
I'm remember the first group when we got to the
(10:02):
memorial itself, and we get there pretty early in our timeline,
in our time schedule all the time. But there was
one group ahead of us, and there was a group
of young students from a school someplace, and when they
saw these real life World War Two heroes walking into
the World War Two memorials, it was sort of like
going to to Graceland and Elvis, you know what I mean.
(10:25):
These kids just swarmed them. And took pictures of them
and asked, some of these beautiful ninety year old heroes
are like, what in the world where have I landed? Now?
It was really very cool, And there's lots of stories
like that I could talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
But we can spend an entire show on it.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, yeah, well someday we should. Anyway, Today it's all
about Irvan Ellingson and North Dakota and World War two
and heroes and a great tribute And I think, Michael,
more than anything from me, it's a celebration of one
of the most spectacular and consequential times in American history,
probably the most since the Revolution itself.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I couldn't agree with you more. And honoring those folks
from that period in any way that we can, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's the very least that we can do.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I'm sure there you know, as you characterize that, they're
wondering what the fuss is all about.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
But I really appreciate that the communities take care.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Of their own, yeah, for sure. And the other thing
I like about it, Michael, is that the kids get
to be there, the family.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Also, it's why Memorial Day is so special. You know,
we don't want any more children to lose a parent
to war. But I don't want any children to not
know the price of their freedom, because when you see
that decuriating in World War two, I think it was
as I recall the population basis, there's some like ten
percent of the population to participated in some way directly
(11:55):
in the war effort. And when you have ten percent,
that means you basically have one hundred percent of people
who are either directly involved or or indirectly involved or
have family members. In other words, everybody knew somebody. Yep.
It was all hands on deck, right, everybody from Rosie
de Rivetter, you know, to the to mom and and
to the to the brothers and sisters who had to
(12:16):
pick up the slack on the family farm or in
the factory that was left by you know, by the
other family member who had to go off to war.
And uh. And so anyway, I just think it's great
that we have these moments, and we had we had
to cherish them and seize upon them to both remember
but also in the process of educate, you know. Uh.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Shifting topics slightly here. We had John Guzzy on yesterday
from Newsmax Senior White as correspondents news back John Guzzy,
who I'm sure you know, really really well, talking about
the Iran Piece deal, and we we got to we
got to we got to spend some time on it.
What I wanted to talk to you about, which I
didn't have enough time to talk to you, John, about,
(12:59):
is the symbolism of signing the peace deal at Versailles,
with the potential for Ukrainian Russian war, for that piece
deal to be signed at Versailles, and the symbolism contained therein.
We need to go to a commercial break, but I'd
love to cover this on the other side of the break.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
This is Dakota Morning zime Your.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Host Michael Bell, kfy R five fifty Am, then A
nine point seven FM. We are joined on the phone
by Senator Kevin Kramer, his regular Friday segment, and we
will be back after this short commercial break.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Welcome back to Dakota Morning ANXIEME. Your host, Michael Bell.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
We are joined on the phone by Senator Kevin Kramer
and Senator before we went to break, we were talking
about this symbolism signing this Iran piece deal, which you know,
take a bit what you might or take of it,
what you will, but the symbolism and with the looming
peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, which my understanding is
is very very close given that the Russian economy has collapsed,
(13:55):
also being signed at Versai, you know, can you talk
a little.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Bit about the importance of the symbolism there.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, versaillas symbolic in lots of ways. That's as you
probably know, obviously the palace Versise where the the end
of World War one happened. That's where the treaty that
ended World were one app So if you needed any
if you didn't mean anything else, that's that's significant enough.
But it's also what sparked the French Revolution because it
(14:24):
was sort of the uh the ultimate symbol of the
monarchy and the revolt against the monarchy. And so you know,
the whole cause of freedom in the West, if you will,
I mean many respects was really born right there. And
so it's only appropriate that that the president did it,
(14:47):
you know that, Yet the G seven it's kind of
amazing how that the things wined up in terms of right,
you know, the day, the timing of everything. But that said,
and then when you in your in your context, when
you're talking about the possibility of an end to the
war in Ukraine. You're right, the people who said the
(15:09):
Ukraine first of all, going back to the Biden administration,
said Ukraine, this won't last seven days, So I'm not
going to help them, And didn't you know he talked
about late to the party. Yeah, you know, we could help,
We could help Ukraine win that war much quicker, but
no one thought they'd win it at all. Now you
see them taking land back from Russia. They're well into
(15:33):
Russian in many cases in terms of their their munitions
and and their attacks. The Russian to your point, economy
is absolutely collapsing, as by the way, as Iran's. And
we can get into all of those details that you'd like.
But but so, yeah, So the Palace of Versailles, it's
certainly living up to its its traditions, the good traditions,
(15:54):
that is. It's not I think it's more or less
a cultural center, uh know, basically preserved specifically for things
like this and for the celebration of you know, of
an outbreak of freedom and and what that means. So
it's it's it's an appropriate place for events like like
we're seeing unfold.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, and I don't want to belabor the point. France
has been a sometimes sometimes friend. But I really liked
that that this is becoming the bastion and the symbolism
of liberty and and I and I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
One more question for you, where are we on the.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Save en So? Yeah, so the Save America Act is
you know, we had a vote on it a couple
of weeks ago in terms of trying to get it
onto you Batyr Recciliation bill. Of course, it's not relevant
to reconciliation, so it would require sixty votes, but we
didn't get you we got fifty. Anyway, we got forty
nine Republicans and I think it was forty nine Republicans
(16:54):
and John Fetterman. Yeah, so, you know, to be completely
frank about it, we're not going to pass the Same
America Act. We can put it up one hundred times.
John Doon has put it up multiple times. He's happy
to put it up more times. That there's just not
enough support for it. And in the binary sense, there's
lots of sports for it around the country. You know,
probably most of the items are eighty twenty items. They're
(17:18):
just on high priority items, largely because we won the
last election. Without it by a lot. We took the
Senate by a lot, so it's not like it's not
like these issues have kept us from being successful politically.
The other issue, though, is that there's a lot on it,
and one of these I think he has been a
strategic error was piling so many things into it rather
(17:38):
than focusing on the two things that almost everybody supports. Right,
and so then the president consistently wants all five of
these items to include by the way of prohibition on
vote by mail. Well, I don't have to tell you.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, that's the problem.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, it sure is now any but I don't think
you have unsolicited vote by now. But we'll continue putting
up democrats. The reason it's not gonna pass because Democrats
are never allowed to pass even the items that that
they support or they say they support. This is why
what I'd like to see us do, Michael, is let's
take each one of those up. Let's take up the item,
(18:13):
you know, a standalone bill, bring it right to the
floor that requires proof of citizenship to register the vote. Again,
not relevant to North Kota since we don't register, but
it is to everybody else. Let's just bring that up.
It's wildly popular and put everybody on the record and
see if Democrats there kill that. Let's bring up, you know,
(18:33):
a requirement to show photo IDs on election day to vote.
Even if you vote by mail or vote you know,
remotely or early, you still have to prove you are
who you say you are and you're eligible. And let's
do that one as a stand alone vote. That's probably
a ninety ten right And so I'd like to see
(18:53):
us do that. I know the president wants a whole bunch,
but what we do is it becomes a poison pill
for the other important things that we have to get done,
like funding ice and funding border patrol, you know, reauthorizing
seven oh two program for example, and uh and show anyway.
So that's that's kind of where we are now. I
think we're gonna have to win this election the old
(19:14):
fashioned way. I get more votes than the other guys
do and and watch them really really carefully at every
polling place.
Welcome back to Dacoda Mornings that I'm your host, Michael
Bell kfy R five fifty AM nine point seven FM.
We are joined on the phone by Senator Kevin Kramer. Senator,
thank you for taking the time again this morning.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's a pleasure. I'm out on I ninety four right
now heading tour dall in North Dakota for a great
celebration of life later today. So if we if I
cut in and artists, because I'm in a valley, although
there aren't a lot of goals in ninety four, well.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I appreciate that, and you know, I'm glad you brought
that up. STEPH.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Sergeant Irvin Ellingson was his remains were were brought back
after you know, being a pow for you know, for all.
His remains were brought back after about eighty years.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah. Yeah, it's really quite a story. And it's by
the way, it's a fairly common story of World War
two and in the now existence of DNA and the
ability to identify remains, and I participated in a few
of these and it's just really really special. So Urban
Ellingson died in a fire in a prisoner war prison
(01:11):
in Tokyo, Japan in nineteen forty five. And interestingly, he
was a radar tech on a bomber. The fire in
the in the at the prison was caused by a
US bombing that started a fire in the prison and
killed sixty two American prisoners in Japan. But he was
(01:36):
Stessag and Ellingson was was in that prison. He had
he had actually was in a in the like I said,
a bomber, a radar tech. The bomber was shot down.
He safely parachuted, but was captured and then became a
prisoner up until his death. And in the remains of
those sixty two, those sixty two we called they were
(02:00):
soldiers at the time, that was the Army Air Corps
right before there's a Air force of course, right And
you know that when they after their deaths, there was
like almost half of them whose remains will be able
to be identified. The rest of them were buried in
a cemetery in Manila as unknowns. So there's been a
(02:22):
record of this and a record of the people who perished,
but not a specific identification of remains. In uh In,
I guess it was twenty twenty one a group of
US in the Senate to include Senator Hovin and me
as well as some others from our region signed a
letter to to the army and to others. There's there's
(02:45):
actually if there's actually not surprising to anybody in an
agency for these kinds of things called the Defense pow
m I a accounting agency, and we asked them for
a what's what it's called, really an exception to the
to a rule, a rule where you don't you can't
just in turn remains that are unidentified until they are
(03:07):
at least I think it's sixty percent or sixty yeah,
I think it's sixty percent of associated remains have some
sort of an identification availability from family samples. So again
the DNA, well, in this case it got to fifty
nine point sixty eight percent. Come on, we asked for
the I know, right, come on, even in government, that's
about to be one hundred percent. Yeah right, you think so, right,
(03:31):
But so we requested an exception that they immediately disinturned
and and and identify these remains now that we have
the capability of it. And the other thing to remember,
remember I said earlier that nearly half of the remains
were identified without having any type of family samples, which
still you know, still the sixty two were included in
the formula. So the reality is as much well over
(03:51):
sixty anyway, And I don't want to say it was difficult,
but it shouldn't take a bunch of senators right into
a bunch of beer crafts to get something like this done.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Well, that's bet of your job though, That's what you're
that's what you're really good at.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
So Michael, it's funny you say that, because I this
is a whole another area of a show sometimes when
we can talk about constituent services and outreach and the
and the advantage that small states have having a more
intimate relationship, if you will, with the people that work
for them. It's such a great blessing. But anyway, having
said all of that, the reality is that that, yeah,
(04:24):
you know, his remains were flown to Minneapolis yesterday, picked
up by a grand forces, a Grandfirst funeral home, and
brought to Grand Forest there in Fargo this morning. There
will be a uh in fact that maybe it's all
happened already. It's hard to keep track of it all,
but there's a mortarcade and you know, uh, welcoming if
(04:47):
you will at the Air Museum in in Fargo. He's
heading to Dollin where we're having a major community event
this afternoon, and then his funeral is tomorrow at the
Lutheran Church. And and it's just I mean, it's such
a wonderful Americana North Dakota family story. Now a couple
(05:09):
of little tid That's that I find interesting about about
Irvin is that you know, he didn't he didn't marry,
He didn't have any children, so so clearly there's nobody
he has, you know, he has no direct heirrors. Now
he has nieces and nephews he had I think he
has two sisters and three brothers. So there's nieces and
nephews and great nieces and nephews. And they're all participating
today in the various ways in the service to include singing.
(05:32):
They must be a singing family from what I can
tell reading about them. And and I just think it's
such a wonderful testimony to a couple of things. One
the greatest generation. Two the pride and and the the respect,
uh you know, and the honoring, if you will, that
North Dakota's field towards somebody they don't know, right, it's
(05:56):
a representative. You know, it's just so cool.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
I I just got chills.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I was thinking about the fact that the steph, Sergeant
Ellison is coming home. His soul is is he's probably
on han't looking in having looking down, being like you're
doing me right.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
And and and this is just a testament to a
lot of hard work by a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah it is. And and by the way, and thanks
for that, because the thing is so important is it
is a lot of hard work. There's people up and
down the chain of command. There are private organizations who
ultimately actually handle a lot of this that that are
contracted by the Department of Defense, and and and veterans
(06:40):
and veterans pairs, and there's all kinds of groups. But
everything from scientists, you know, to to soldiers to pilots
to you name it. There's a whole bunch of people
that are involved and work hard on it, and they
do it joyfully. And then and some people might say,
in fact, I suspect, you know, thinking about all of
the hundreds of thousands of Americans at the parish and
(07:01):
World War two to save not America, they did certainly
do that, but save the world and save freedom in
the world, that that many of them probably are looking really,
this is an awful lot of fuss for a bunch
of guys that did just that.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Because you know, that's a good point. That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
We know. I've known many World War Two veterans, have
had the blessing of working with lots of them. But
they all even though when we when we take our
honor flights that in the early days, when I was
involved with a rough righter on a flight, we're all
World War Two veterans, probably about five hundred of them
in fact, that that I was able to work with,
(07:42):
they they couldn't quite get over the fuss we were
making about them in their eighties and nineties as we
were taking them to Washington, d c. And making sure
that they were well taken care of them, that they
got to see the memorial and participate the at Arlington.
And you know, because why they most of them landed
back home after the war and by the next day
(08:05):
they were milking cows on the farm, you know what
I mean. Absolutely kind of a generation that's part of
what makes the great generations. So yeah, I suspect a
lot of them are thinking what's this plus all about?
And yet what a what an awesome testimony, like I said,
to the patriotism, particularly of the prairies, of the prairie
people of North Dakota.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Amen. And that's one of the things that I enjoy.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You know. I've had the opportunity, the blessing to be
able to participate in a couple of different honor flights,
and I'm glad you brought that up Western n D
HF dot Org. I just wanted to make sure and
say that, you know, to give to give a highlight
to that. These these folks, they work really hard to
(08:46):
get these veterans the opportunity to go to Washington, DC,
you know, many of them for the first time.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
I just love the camaraderie.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yes, it's very cool. I can tell you in that
Roughrider on flight days when it was all just World
War Two Vetrians at the time, and of course people
were already their minds return going what about what about Vietnam?
What about Korea? And their time is coming. But the
thing that's in unique about World War Two veterans is
that the World War Two Memorial was built long after
(09:17):
the Vietnam Memorial YEP. And so you know, you had
we were losing veterans, World War Two veterans far faster
than we could even get them to go see the memorial.
Uh and and so there was an urgency at that
at that time. And for many of them in their
eighties and nineties, it was their first trip to Washington,
you see. Now, many of them were well traveled, lots
(09:40):
of you you know, we're we're in the in the
in the Pacific, Europe, various theaters, but they had not
been to Washington, d See to see that World War
Two memorial that was built long, long, long after their service.
And by the way, it took way too long to do,
but it's there now and it's beautiful, and yeah, it's
I'm remember the first group when we got to the
(10:02):
memorial itself, and we get there pretty early in our timeline,
in our time schedule all the time. But there was
one group ahead of us, and there was a group
of young students from a school someplace, and when they
saw these real life World War Two heroes walking into
the World War Two memorials, it was sort of like
going to to Graceland and Elvis, you know what I mean.
(10:25):
These kids just swarmed them. And took pictures of them
and asked, some of these beautiful ninety year old heroes
are like, what in the world where have I landed? Now?
It was really very cool, And there's lots of stories
like that I could talk about.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
But we can spend an entire show on it.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Yeah, yeah, well someday we should. Anyway, Today it's all
about Irvan Ellingson and North Dakota and World War two
and heroes and a great tribute And I think, Michael,
more than anything from me, it's a celebration of one
of the most spectacular and consequential times in American history,
probably the most since the Revolution itself.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I couldn't agree with you more. And honoring those folks
from that period in any way that we can, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
It's the very least that we can do.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
I'm sure there you know, as you characterize that, they're
wondering what the fuss is all about.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
But I really appreciate that the communities take care.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Of their own, yeah, for sure. And the other thing
I like about it, Michael, is that the kids get
to be there, the family.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Also, it's why Memorial Day is so special. You know,
we don't want any more children to lose a parent
to war. But I don't want any children to not
know the price of their freedom, because when you see
that decuriating in World War two, I think it was
as I recall the population basis, there's some like ten
percent of the population to participated in some way directly
(11:55):
in the war effort. And when you have ten percent,
that means you basically have one hundred percent of people
who are either directly involved or or indirectly involved or
have family members. In other words, everybody knew somebody. Yep.
It was all hands on deck, right, everybody from Rosie
de Rivetter, you know, to the to mom and and
to the to the brothers and sisters who had to
(12:16):
pick up the slack on the family farm or in
the factory that was left by you know, by the
other family member who had to go off to war.
And uh. And so anyway, I just think it's great
that we have these moments, and we had we had
to cherish them and seize upon them to both remember
but also in the process of educate, you know. Uh.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Shifting topics slightly here. We had John Guzzy on yesterday
from Newsmax Senior White as correspondents news back John Guzzy,
who I'm sure you know, really really well, talking about
the Iran Piece deal, and we we got to we
got to we got to spend some time on it.
What I wanted to talk to you about, which I
didn't have enough time to talk to you, John, about,
(12:59):
is the symbolism of signing the peace deal at Versailles,
with the potential for Ukrainian Russian war, for that piece
deal to be signed at Versailles, and the symbolism contained therein.
We need to go to a commercial break, but I'd
love to cover this on the other side of the break.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
This is Dakota Morning zime Your.
Speaker 1 (13:16):
Host Michael Bell, kfy R five fifty Am, then A
nine point seven FM. We are joined on the phone
by Senator Kevin Kramer, his regular Friday segment, and we
will be back after this short commercial break.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Welcome back to Dakota Morning ANXIEME. Your host, Michael Bell.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
We are joined on the phone by Senator Kevin Kramer
and Senator before we went to break, we were talking
about this symbolism signing this Iran piece deal, which you know,
take a bit what you might or take of it,
what you will, but the symbolism and with the looming
peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, which my understanding is
is very very close given that the Russian economy has collapsed,
(13:55):
also being signed at Versai, you know, can you talk
a little.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Bit about the importance of the symbolism there.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, versaillas symbolic in lots of ways. That's as you
probably know, obviously the palace Versise where the the end
of World War one happened. That's where the treaty that
ended World were one app So if you needed any
if you didn't mean anything else, that's that's significant enough.
But it's also what sparked the French Revolution because it
(14:24):
was sort of the uh the ultimate symbol of the
monarchy and the revolt against the monarchy. And so you know,
the whole cause of freedom in the West, if you will,
I mean many respects was really born right there. And
so it's only appropriate that that the president did it,
(14:47):
you know that, Yet the G seven it's kind of
amazing how that the things wined up in terms of right,
you know, the day, the timing of everything. But that said,
and then when you in your in your context, when
you're talking about the possibility of an end to the
war in Ukraine. You're right, the people who said the
(15:09):
Ukraine first of all, going back to the Biden administration,
said Ukraine, this won't last seven days, So I'm not
going to help them, And didn't you know he talked
about late to the party. Yeah, you know, we could help,
We could help Ukraine win that war much quicker, but
no one thought they'd win it at all. Now you
see them taking land back from Russia. They're well into
(15:33):
Russian in many cases in terms of their their munitions
and and their attacks. The Russian to your point, economy
is absolutely collapsing, as by the way, as Iran's. And
we can get into all of those details that you'd like.
But but so, yeah, So the Palace of Versailles, it's
certainly living up to its its traditions, the good traditions,
(15:54):
that is. It's not I think it's more or less
a cultural center, uh know, basically preserved specifically for things
like this and for the celebration of you know, of
an outbreak of freedom and and what that means. So
it's it's it's an appropriate place for events like like
we're seeing unfold.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Yeah, and I don't want to belabor the point. France
has been a sometimes sometimes friend. But I really liked
that that this is becoming the bastion and the symbolism
of liberty and and I and I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
One more question for you, where are we on the.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Save en So? Yeah, so the Save America Act is
you know, we had a vote on it a couple
of weeks ago in terms of trying to get it
onto you Batyr Recciliation bill. Of course, it's not relevant
to reconciliation, so it would require sixty votes, but we
didn't get you we got fifty. Anyway, we got forty
nine Republicans and I think it was forty nine Republicans
(16:54):
and John Fetterman. Yeah, so, you know, to be completely
frank about it, we're not going to pass the Same
America Act. We can put it up one hundred times.
John Doon has put it up multiple times. He's happy
to put it up more times. That there's just not
enough support for it. And in the binary sense, there's
lots of sports for it around the country. You know,
probably most of the items are eighty twenty items. They're
(17:18):
just on high priority items, largely because we won the
last election. Without it by a lot. We took the
Senate by a lot, so it's not like it's not
like these issues have kept us from being successful politically.
The other issue, though, is that there's a lot on it,
and one of these I think he has been a
strategic error was piling so many things into it rather
(17:38):
than focusing on the two things that almost everybody supports. Right,
and so then the president consistently wants all five of
these items to include by the way of prohibition on
vote by mail. Well, I don't have to tell you.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, that's the problem.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, it sure is now any but I don't think
you have unsolicited vote by now. But we'll continue putting
up democrats. The reason it's not gonna pass because Democrats
are never allowed to pass even the items that that
they support or they say they support. This is why
what I'd like to see us do, Michael, is let's
take each one of those up. Let's take up the item,
(18:13):
you know, a standalone bill, bring it right to the
floor that requires proof of citizenship to register the vote. Again,
not relevant to North Kota since we don't register, but
it is to everybody else. Let's just bring that up.
It's wildly popular and put everybody on the record and
see if Democrats there kill that. Let's bring up, you know,
(18:33):
a requirement to show photo IDs on election day to vote.
Even if you vote by mail or vote you know,
remotely or early, you still have to prove you are
who you say you are and you're eligible. And let's
do that one as a stand alone vote. That's probably
a ninety ten right And so I'd like to see
(18:53):
us do that. I know the president wants a whole bunch,
but what we do is it becomes a poison pill
for the other important things that we have to get done,
like funding ice and funding border patrol, you know, reauthorizing
seven oh two program for example, and uh and show anyway.
So that's that's kind of where we are now. I
think we're gonna have to win this election the old
(19:14):
fashioned way. I get more votes than the other guys
do and and watch them really really carefully at every
polling place.
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