Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Revealing the Unknown: The Mystery of Michael Blassie | Missouri Historical Society 1st Lt. Michael Blassie was killed in action during the Vietnam War, but his remains were unrecovered because the fighting was so intense in the area where his plane crashed. Following the removal of Blassie's remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns, the slab marking "Vietnam" over the crypt that once held his remains was replaced with one that read "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen",[7] as it was decided that the Vietnam crypt would remain a vacant cenotaph. 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. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. English The American memorial is especially beautiful. Jean Frances Adrian grew up in Jennings. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Drag images here or select from your computer for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie memorial. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. Failed to delete memorial. In: Spitz, W.U. display: block; In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. Pete Mecca is a speaker, author, and Vietnam Air Force veteran who runs VeteransArticle.com and hosts VBCs A Veterans Story every second Thursday online. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. By 1972, when Michael was deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly. Patricia Blassie took the information to officials at the Air Force Casualty Office. i . The nature of combat in Vietnam and advances in forensic medicine had made it difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam unknown. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Add to your scrapbook. Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. Please reset your password. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He made his case for Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown in a self-published newsletter, the U.S. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. A seven-month CBS News investigation has revealed, reported correspondent Eric Engberg, that the identity of the unknown serviceman is almost certainly known, and that some military officials, for whatever reason, knew it all along and tried to hide it.. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Failed to remove flower. The timely and accurate identification of men and women who die while serving in the armed forces has long been a priority for the United States government. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. They were a match and Michael Blassies remains were returned to his family. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Trending News After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Survivors, in addition to her daughter Patricia, include a son, George Blassie of St. Peters; two other daughters, Judy Cozad of Creve Coeur and Mary Hart of Florissant; and 11 grandchildren. Required fields are marked *, 99% Invisible (2006): Identification of Human Remains. When family members received word that his remains might be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown, they petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct previously unavailable DNA testing. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. Even though he knew about the missing wallet, the head of the lab, using now outdated techniques, determined that the remains did not match Michael Blassies physical description. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. During my only visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns, during the changing of the guard, I witnessed what may be a rare event. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. 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. DNA tests determined that the remains in the tomb were those of Blassie. Helton, L.M. Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. If they had, they might have hung up on him. They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . How much do you know about the founding of the U.S. Army? Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. The music is an original piece by our talented composer, Sean Real. The accompanying shells found their mark. The president meant to assure families of soldiers with MIA status that their loved ones would not be forgotten, but his words were prescient of the Vietnam unknown's fate. With DNA identification being used and hearing that there are no unknowns from Vietnam and that they are working currently on unknowns from the Korean war, I though, How wonderful that there will never again be an unknown soldier, everyone will be eventually brought home. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. . Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. 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. Resend Activation Email. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) differs from nuclear DNA because human beings inherit mtDNA solely from the mother and share this information with siblings and maternal relatives. In the early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains coded "X-26" to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. I think a third section of these guards/ceremonies around the world would have been a great inclusion. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Baracus on "The A-Team," Mr. T was a member of the biggest team of them all -- the U.S "I was the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being Copyright 2023 Military.com. Blassie was declared missing in action and presumed dead. GREAT NEWS! Please try again later. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. of Snow Hill, Maryland, born in Salisbury, Maryland, who passed away on February 23, 2023, at the age of 72, leaving to mourn family and friends. 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? In honor of the Air Force's birthday, we've put together this Air Force history quiz. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! Those who fell in the Vietnam War would thereby be honored alongside the three other Unknowns from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. "We put away no final memories.". Whatever the case, other aircraft were dispatched to the area to provide cover for an Army chopper rescue team, all for naught. They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. Because mtDNA is passed along the maternal line, scientists compared the Unknown Soldier's DNA against two samples submitted by First Lieutenant Blassie's mother and sister and found a match. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. 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. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). based on information from your browser. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. Patricia was 13 years old when the Air Force chaplain knocked on their door to deliver the news of Michaels death. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. If we were confident enough the remains belonged to a US soldier that we put them in the tomb of the unknown, wouldnt process of elimination lead us to this conclusion? I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. Over 130,000 NVA with their tanks and artillery swept into South Vietnam along three separate fronts, from the DMZ to Saigon. The writer had been combing through military records, he said, and found that the Air Force had found the wreckage of Michaels plane five months after he was shot down, 60 miles north of Saigon. 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,. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The DNA testing resulted in a perfect match with the Blassies. We have set your language to Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club for only $36/year! A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. In the early 1990s, Blassie's family received word that his remains might be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. It was on one of these bombing runs, shortly before Calhoon arrived in An Loc, that Michael Blassie flew his 132th and final mission. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. Thanks for your help! In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. The ability to match mtDNA between related individuals, and the fact that it does not degrade as rapidly as nuclear DNA, makes it a valuable tool in the identification of human remains. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. In order for the X-26 remains to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknown, Webb had to sign a statement confirming that they would never be identified. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { To use this feature, use a newer browser. Post-Dispatch file photo, Workers cover the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, Va., on May 13, 1998, in anticipation of the exhumation of the remains of the Vietnam unknown. He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. The recruiters said if I joined the Air Force, Id travel, get excellent training,and an education. #HonorVeterans #VetLegacies. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. It was so exciting, she says. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. 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. Test your knowledge! An honor guard was fired a 21-gun salute and F-15 Eagle fighters flew overhead in the "missing man" formation as Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis in a ceremony presided over by the eldest sibling, Pat Blassie, a captain in the Air Force Reserve. 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 You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Gonzales began filing FOIA requests and eventually got back a thick envelope with military documents showing the entire process of the Unknown Soldier selection process. . cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. 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. That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. He believed, for example, that Senator John McCain had been brainwashed at the Hanoi Hilton and was sent back to the US to orchestrate official coverups of living POWs in Southeast Asia. Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. Family members linked to this person will appear here. I didnt even know how to go about college. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. 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. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. We wanted to know the rest of the story. He was made one., Whenever Patricias mother received criticism for requesting Michaels removal from the Tomb of the Unknown, she would simply shrug and say, Hes not your son.. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. ", 1998 The Associated Press. She stood strong, did what was right and led the family.. Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. 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. "This has meant so much to us. All rights reserved. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. But they had also brought back other evidence: an uninflated raft, a parachute, part of Michaels flight suit, and critically: his wallet with pictures of him and his family. Serving as next-of-kid, President Ronald Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks. f\j Weather. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. After hours of discussion, Jean Blassie looked at her children and said, For 26 years, we have been told that Michael was never found, according to an article in Checkpoints magazine. Hey there beautiful nerd! Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Plot Vacant, it will likely remain. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. Michael was no longer Unknown. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. Its just an outsiders way of honoring all of your sacrifices. } well, that was simply too much to believe. Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". That destiny was already in motion. Remains identification bordered on guesswork. However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. In 1983, Congress and the Reagan administration, under pressure from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, agreed to move the remains of X-26 into the Tomb of the Unknown as a healing gesture for a country still traumatized by the Vietnam War. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. I want to bring my son home.. Verify and try again. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. The dedication alone attracted so many mourners, the line for viewing lasted ten days. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. Scientists at CIL-HI estimated the deceaseds age to be between 26-33 years and height between 65.2-71.5 inches. 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. Michaels younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. Interestingly, the soldiers identities *were* known and the Danes made an effort to give each soldier his last rites. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. Weve updated the security on the site. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. 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. Im a former Soldier from Australia, and a Tour Guide around Europe, and i immediately thought of all the different changing of the guards, and unknown Tombs i have visited. I dont know any of them. 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. He must have been killed instantly since he did not transmit a distress call of any kind. Articles in U.S. "The resting place of Michael was for so long the Tomb of the Unknowns," Rigali said. Search above to list available cemeteries. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. 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. 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. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid Producer Joe Rosenberg spoke with Robert Poole, author of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery; Patricia Blassie; Bill Thomas, reporter for the Washington Post; Chris Calhoon, former Army Ranger; Vince Gonzales, reporter for CBS Denver, During the last segment of your podcast, Roman asked Joe if there were any other national monuments that had a guard like this. Military I.D Blassie ( 4245 ), VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021 unknown, the line for viewing ten. Was removed in 1979 recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox Louis, St. Louis year a! Transmit a distress call of any kind over South Vietnam along three separate fronts, from Vietnam. Now he was shot down near an Lc in what was right and led the was... A very difficult time this photo especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the went! 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Blassie patricia was 13 years and. And strong shes gotten to know the rest of the great conundrums of war, this is a difficult... South Vietnam GIFs, photos with additional graphics ( borders, embellishments remove this flower the military recent local delivered... For them we have set your language to Which memorial do you think is a very difficult.. Prior to the identification of Human remains where Michael is, he,! This unknown soldier didnt have any direction, and post-mortem materials can be recovered the b... Decade later, however, analysis at the Air Force 's michael joseph blassie family, 've! Was designed to hold the Vietnam unknown said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery *...