Minnesota Marine missing since World War II returns home for burial

The remains of a Minnesota Marine who has been missing since World War II have returned home to his family ahead of burial services this weekend.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS was at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) on Thursday morning where the remains of Marine Pvt. Ernest Laverne Lund arrived just after 4:30 a.m.

Lund was killed at Pearl Harbor on May 21, 1944, after an explosion on a U.S. ship while Americans were transporting ammo and fuel at West Loch. The blast caused other explosions and fires were ignited on other tank landing ships killing more than 100 Americans.

After the explosion, Lund’s body could not be identified so he was listed as missing in action for years.

In 1985, kayakers found human remains in one of the ships that was partially submerged and scientists were eventually able to confirm Lund’s identity.

Many of Lund’s family members were at MSP for the ar...