The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. (She would retire in 2018 as a full-bird Colonel). At least he went into a place of honor.. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of Robert E. Lees rose garden. It was so exciting," she says. Pressure began to mount in Washington to place a service member from Vietnam in the tomb of the unknowns, but by 1980 the Blassie remains were the only ones left that hadnt been conclusively identified. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. Feel free to, By submitting this form, you acknowledge that you have read the, The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, I thought this is the best example of internet conspiracy garbage Ive seen to date,. It has been watched over day and night since 1937 by a lone guard, forever marching back and forth in front of the tomb. They said Michael had been killed. Twenty-six years after he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie came home. You grow apart sometimes during this kind of tragedy. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . His sister, Pat Blassie, was 10 years younger than her brother, but she remembered he started working as a kid by selling newspapers on the street corner. Jean Blassie, mother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, 1998. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. I want to bring my son home.. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! George, the youngest son, said that being buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was a great honor and that maybe the family should leave Michael there. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. For decades, the United States has honored its wartime dead by designating for burial at Arlington National Cemetery an unknown soldier, one whose anonymous tomb represents all the dead comrades and honors all their deeds. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . Jean Blassie, center, mother of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, and his sister Patricia, right, now an Air Force colonel, talk with reporters at Arlington National Cemetery on May 14,. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. That just couldnt be. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. Weve updated the security on the site. "He and. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. With the invention of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, DNA analysis moved to the forefront of forensic technologies. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. (AP Photo/James A. Finley), Pat Blassie (second from left) points out to her mother Jean Blassie (third from left) and her sister Mary Hart (right) the C-130 Hercules plane as it arrives at Scott Air Force Base with their brother Michael Blassie's remains. The Vietnam crypt of the Tomb of the Unknown, the one that contained Michael Blassies remains, has been empty since the exhumation on May 14, 1998. Blassie dropped in low for a bombing run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire boomed from the ground. The year after Michael Blassies death, Congress directed the Department of Defense to select the remains of an Unknown Vietnam servicemember to be interred in Arlington National Cemeterys Tomb of the Unknown. Vacant, it will likely remain. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. We want the truth, we want to bring him home. Three years later, in 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. So they finally took him off the shelf, file X-26, and for that Im thankful. For the past year, Pat Blassie crusaded for the disinterment, convinced that recent evidence - including Blassie's wallet and dog tags found near the crash site - suggested the remains were those of her brother. The Pentagon had kept them in the dark, probably with the good intention of not getting the familys hopes up until Michaels identity could be confirmed. Plot The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. World War I ushered in an era of total war and mass conscription, in which the combatants on both sides were mostly ordinary citizens, often rendered anonymous amidst the violence of the Western Front. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Michael flew as an Air Commando, probably running covert missions into Laos and Cambodia, in addition to his official duties as forward air controller and counterinsurgency operations pilot in South Vietnam. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay . Sorry! "We were all so proud of him. In October of 1972, over five months after Blassies plane had disappeared into the jungle, Calhoon assembled a South Vietnamese patrol to enter North Vietnamese territory to find the wreckage. His jet lost a wing, crashed and burned. Institute staff later reported their surprise when they opened the casket to retrieve the DNA and saw the crash-site artifacts Major Johnie Webb had enclosed with the remains back in 1984. Still, as hesitant as he was,Gonzales thought maybe there could be more to the story. "X-26" remained in Arlington with his unknown comrades, watched by the solemn Old Guard, until 1998, when new questions about Blassie's whereabouts surfaced. He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. Patricia still visits the tomb. Just to eliminate doubt, Patricia traveled to the Air Force Casualty Office at Randolph AFB in San Antonio to ask if there might be any truth to Sampleys claims. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. (AP Photo/James A. Finley), Lt. Michael J. Blassie is shown in this undated 1971 file photo made during flight training. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. He died in 1991. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. Web Policies, Careers, Accessibility, HHS Vulnerability Disclosure NLM, 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda MD 20894 NIH, HHS, FOIA, NLM Support Center, Last reviewed: 03 December 2014Last updated: 05 June 2014First published: 16 February 2006, Air Force equipment found with Michael Blassie. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. The next time, the Air Force lost him. But perhaps Im speaking out of turn. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In: Spitz, W.U. It represents all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Blassie, said Ted, I believe your son is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member from the Vietnam War buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. She suffered a stroke in 2004 and recently was diagnosed with pneumonia, her family said Thursday. Required fields are marked *, 99% Invisible By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. She worked until she was 82. An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. The Blassie family in St. Louis didnt know Michael had been misidentified because they were never told thered been remains and effects recovered in the first place. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Remains identification bordered on guesswork. The Flag: Revd David Railton MC and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Excerpts and links to latest episodes and articles, Periodic, exclusive updates on 99PI goings-on. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. Yesterday I read an article about three WW1 soldiers buried in Copenhagen: https://www.thelocal.dk/20190305/the-little-known-story-of-the-first-world-war-soldiers-buried-in-copenhagen. Unidentified remains from that war had been analyzed over a decade and a half. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. There were fewer than 25,000 US servicemen left in Vietnam, as opposed to the over 500,000 who had been deployed by the late 1960s. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. He knew morphological approximation was a flawed identification technique, and he suspected that someday, X-26 might be identified, especially given the personal effects and documents associated with the bone fragments. They were a match and Michael Blassies remains were returned to his family. Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. On May 14, 1998, the Department of the Defense disinterred the remains of the Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknowns. They had a letter from his flight leader, James Connally, who recapped what had happened., Still, without remains, there was a terrible sense of open-ended grief. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Blassie's mother, three sisters and brother each carried small American flags during the service. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. They must have never actually been there. I never dreamed Id never see Michael again., The Blassie siblings, 1961. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. Resend Activation Email. It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. There was a problem getting your location. Michael Joseph Blassie Collection: U.S. Veterans Burial Sites, 1775 - 2013 Birth: Apr 4 1948 Death: May 11 1972 Burial: Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63125, USA View the Record Michael Joseph Blassiein Vietnam Casualties, 1956 - 1998 Michael Joseph Blassie Theyre too upsetting. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. For Mrs. Blassie, the fight to recover her sons remains took a dramatic turn during a family meeting in November 1997 at her apartment in Florissant. Search above to list available cemeteries. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 May 11, 1972) was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. We wanted to know the rest of the story. She permitted Vince Gonzalez to access a trove of new documents through the Freedom of Information Act pertaining to the selection and entombment of the Vietnam Unknowns remains. On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. Michael's younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Maj. Allan J. Kellogg Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on May 17, 1984,[2] and were transported aboard the USSBrewton to Naval Air Station Alameda. Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! Failed to remove flower. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). At the request of Blassie's family, the Department of Defense exhumed the remains from the Vietnam Unknown's crypt on May 14, 1998. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. Today: Cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries. On March 21, 1984, Webb reluctantly signed. Sampley had come across some second-hand accounts suggesting that Americas only set of unknown remains from Vietnam had been recovered from an aircraft that had been shot down in 1972. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. There is a problem with your email/password. The remains would eventually arrive at the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, but not before thewallet which was critical in linking the remains to Blassie went missing. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. I thought this is the best example of internet conspiracy garbage Ive seen to date, says Vince Gonzales, a reporter for CBS Denver who came across the story three years later in 1997. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. Five months later, during a sweep of the area, a South Vietnamese Army patrol recovered a pelvis, an upper arm bone, and some ribs, as well as the remnants of a flight suit, a life raft, pieces of a parachute, and part of a USAF holster. No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member from the Vietnam War buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Though discovered in South Vietnam at the crash site, along with personal effects and survival gear, the remains of US Air Force pilot 1st Lt. Michael Blassie got labeled Unknown. It took the hard work of an eccentric Vietnam veteran activist, an investigative reporter, and the Blassie family to cut through years of bureaucratic bungling, official stonewalling, and government deceit to rescue Blassie from the Tomb and bring him home. We have set your language to A system error has occurred. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. On 11 May 1972 the city of An Loc SVN was under attack by North Vietnamese forces during the so-called Spring Offensive. The changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. "This has meant so much to us. The military is now in the process of using the DNA from the families of missing veterans to identify over 650 sets of unknown remains from the Korean War. Helton, L.M. "At a moment of great crises in the history of the world, he gave of himself," Archbishop Justin Rigali said to about 350 friends, family members and current and former members of the military. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The next morning, he handed the package to a helicopter crew, which delivered it to the Saigon Mortuary. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. Aircraft in the gallery during the so-called Spring Offensive family forever, recalled. That forensic science has reached the point where there will likely never be an Unknown from Iraq Afghanistan... Air Force Pilot in 1971 there will likely never be an Unknown, the gave... And a half flags during the service run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire from... Cbs News, contacted the Blassies i immediately thought to other Countries National.! 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