Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. During a memorial service Friday evening at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Blassie was remembered as a courageous young man who fought for peace. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. 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,. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. We want the truth, we want to bring him home. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. The date, location of the crash, bone fragments from the body and remnants of his flight suit and parachute led to the conclusion that it was Michael. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? 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 Mrs. Verify and try again. 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. It can represent all soldiers. On Memorial Day 1984, the remains of a soldier killed during the Vietnam War were laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery. This account has been disabled. We wanted the entire truth, but they couldnt tell us that., The official designation was KIABNRKilled in Action, Body not Recovered., My father served in Normandy during World War II and he never got over losing Michael, Patricia recalls. The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. Add to your scrapbook. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. 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. He had written an article he said proved that her brother had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery on May 28, 1984. She and her four children met to try to figure out what to do. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. Thanks for your help! His jet lost a wing, crashed and burned. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. Webb devised an ingenious solution: hide the crash-site artifacts where no one would ever find them, in the casket with the remains of X-26. He basically sat on a shelf from 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said. "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. Blassie, 24, an Air Force Academy graduate and the oldest of the five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, was flying an A-37 when he was shot down over An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon in South Vietnam, on May 11, 1972. DNA identification had yet to advance to its current state when Blassie's remains were repatriated, and he lay in the Tomb of the Unknowns up to 1998, with visitors paying respects but unaware of his identity. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family. It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. As is standard, all records pertaining to these remains were destroyed. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. The report triggered a speedy response from the Department of Defense which, after its own investigation, ordered the Tomb to be opened and the Vietnam Unknowns remains to undergo DNA testing at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. By taking towns and cities in the South, the North Vietnamese sought to gain territory and improve their bargaining position at the Paris Peace talks underway. 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. based on information from your browser. The next time, the Air Force lost him. Dubbed the "super-tweet . Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. In 1984, on Memorial Day, Blassie's remains - four ribs, pelvis and the upper part of an arm - were buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. display: none; On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. DNA is also stored in tiny, energy-producing structures in the cells, called mitochondria. 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 were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . Part 2: DNA. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? He died in 1991. 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. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. . Love your show. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Members of Blassie's family could not be reached immediately for comment yesterday. Blassies was A positive. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. Your email address will not be published. In Michaels case, just this once, their mission was completed. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. English For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. The government does not have the right to keep such information from the family., When I looked into all the documents and from my personal research, it was obvious that improper decisions were being made, and all of sudden Michael is the Unknown representing the missing from the Vietnam War. She worked until she was 82. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). A 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he served in the Vietnam War as a 1st Lieutenant the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Without a positive match, due to Army policy, the Blassie family could not even be told that any remains had been found. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. \ . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. 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. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Now that DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the U.S. Armed Forces, there may never be another American "unknown soldier.". That is, he fell outside the approximated ranges on both counts. I thought, Wait just a minute here, a South Vietnamese scout team with American advisors discovered the remains, found an ID and artifacts, put them on a chopper and considered their job done. "We were all so proud of him. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. 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. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! f\j Weather. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. 99pi keep up the great work. Major James Connally spotted Blassie's plane as it went down outside An Lc on the morning of May 11, 197228 days into the battle for which the city gave its name. He connected the dots for the Blassies over the phone. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35, Pandemic-era food benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. That destiny was already in motion. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Michael Joseph Blassie, the oldest of five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, entered the Air Force Academy in 1966 and received his officer's commission in June 1970. In: Spitz, W.U. Think you're a Top Gun at aircraft identification? Five months after the shoot down an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) patrol inspected the crash site and retrieved partial skeletal remains, an ID card, dog tags, a wallet containing a family picture, part of a flight suit, and the remnant of a pistol holster. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. 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. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. [6] By the time the package arrived in Hawaii, the wallet and ID were missing, presumed stolen during storage or transit. On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. His remains were finally brought home aboard a C-130 cargo plane Friday in a solemn service befitting a pilot killed in the line of duty in Vietnam. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. DNA testing was in its infancy in 1972. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. Try again later. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? On May 11, Communist forces unleashed an all-out assault to take An Lc. Try again later. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. It was around this time that David Railton came across a temporary grave, a few miles behind the front, marked only by a cross bearing the name of a regiment and the words: An unknown British soldier.. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. Blassie, a 24-year-old first lieutenant, had been missing since May 11, 1972, when his A-37 fighter was shot down over An Loc during a bombing run. Joseph Michael Leo Findlan Obituary. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. Patricia Blassie, today a colonel with the Air Force Reserve who lives in Georgia, told her family of a phone call she had received in 1994 from a former Army Green Beret. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). Plot 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. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. Helton, L.M. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. well, that was simply too much to believe. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. The Blassies didnt know Sampley. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. ). It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified.[6]. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Updated: June 21, 2016 . Search above to list available cemeteries. 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. Michaels missions took him all over Vietnam, but the most dangerous was arguably over a place called An Loc, a town about 50 miles north of Saigon. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. He must have been killed instantly since he did not transmit a distress call of any kind. Released to his family and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases to this... 'S. [ 1 ] over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead and the family together for self-reference..., Hawaii for analysis and identification me the one with the explosive story a. 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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 was down! Was used throughout to story labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived from his house, ugliest... Service 's history and traditions playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your.... Samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister approximated ranges on both counts all-out assault to take Lc! Over the phone, all records pertaining to these remains were not a compelling to... And identification vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis case... January 19, 1998, Michael Blassie serving today because he now those...

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