He connected the dots for the Blassies over the phone. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. The next morning, he handed the package to a helicopter crew, which delivered it to the Saigon Mortuary. 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. 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. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. DNA tests determined that the remains in the tomb were those of Blassie. So were dozens of Michaels old friends, classmates, and comrades in arms, along with thousands of others, including Vietnam veterans, who came to commemorate the return of a lost brother. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Failed to report flower. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. "The resting place of Michael was for so long the Tomb of the Unknowns," Rigali said. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. Well, my mom cant get these kinds of phone calls, responded Patricia. . Please enter valid email address to continue. Verify and try again. 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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. Some evidence suggests that the remains ceremonially laid to rest by President Reagan 14 years ago belong to 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, a decorated flier still officially listed as missing in . Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. Follow him on Facebook. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Search above to list available cemeteries. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. 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. 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. Unidentified remains from that war had been analyzed over a decade and a half. well, that was simply too much to believe. Michael, after all, was her first born. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. 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. For 14 years, the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie lay beneath the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington. You can watch his conversation with Colonel Patricia Blassie on A Veterans Story on the VBCs YouTube channel, youtube.com/veteransbreakfastclub. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, as of this writing, there are still 1,584 US service members unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. 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 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. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Advances made since the early 1980s had made it possible to identify the remains, which consisted of only six bones -- far below the usual 80 percent of a corpse required for burial at Arlington. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. Out of the fog of war comes another version of the incident, one in which Michaels Dragonfly inverts upside down, and Michael ejects from the stricken aircraft. Mrs. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . Learn more about merges. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. 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. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. 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. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. & Spitz, D.J. By 1972, when Michael was deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. That they all made the ultimate sacrifice for me. By the time the package arrived in Hawaii, the wallet and ID were missing, presumed stolen during storage or transit. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. . The Army lab in Hawaii removed the BTB designation and, through a later discredited technique called morphological approximation, declared Michael Blassies remains as belonging to Unknown.. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Today, said President Reagan at the Tomb, we pause to embrace him and all who served so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. 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,. The remains in the tomb are not even technically referred to as an unknown soldier. No one knows which service theyre from, so instead of soldier or sailor or marine, theyre simply referred to as the Unknown. In fact, anything that narrows the scope of who this person could be including where exactly they were found is purposely withheld from the public in order to make sure that they represent every possible service member. Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. "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. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect Hurtful also were the objections she and her family received from Vietnam veterans, who resented the Blassies for taking away their Unknown. 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie Birth 4 Apr 1948 Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA Death 11 May 1972 (aged 24) Bnh Long, Bnh Phc, Vietnam Memorial Site* National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA Show Map * A structure erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. (eds): Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50, "Soldier In Tomb Of Unknowns May Actually Be Known", "The Vietnam Unknown Soldier Can Be Identified", "Defense.gov News Article: Vietnam Unknown's Medal of Honor Transfer Denied", "The Evolution of the Tomb of the Unknowns", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Blassie&oldid=1139961298, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50. 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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Hey there beautiful nerd! 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. 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. Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. We were all so proud of him. 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. But in 1956, one small, seemingly innocent change to the formula of the Unknown would prove problematic: we began to add another set of unidentified remains for every subsequent war. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. 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. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. 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. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. DNA samples were taken from Michaels mother Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. 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. It has been watched over day and night since 1937 by a lone guard, forever marching back and forth in front of the tomb. [6] See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more In 1972, it was still under the control of the South Vietnamese military, along with a handful of American advisors, but it was surrounded by an invading North Vietnamese Army. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. What is the music played at the end of this podcast? Morphological approximation, worthless though it was, provided quick answers and a veneer of scientific validation. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. Vacant, it will likely remain. 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. } Your email address will not be published. Then, as more information about those remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained unknown. 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. 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. 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. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. He basically sat on a shelf from 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. 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. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Michael Joseph Blassie (1948 - 1972) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days How do we create a person's profile? Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. We have set your language to Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. My parents marriage did not survive. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He must have been killed instantly since he did not transmit a distress call of any kind. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Perhaps they should put up a new plaque at the memorial that talks about the fact that there may never again be an unknown soldier. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Michael Joseph Blassie was born on April 4, 1948. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. I didnt even know how to go about college. Failed to delete memorial. She said then-President Ronald Reagan had wanted to add a Vietnam War soldier to the Tomb of the Unknowns, joining the unknown soldiers from World War I and II and the Korean War. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Drag images here or select from your computer for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie memorial. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. To use this feature, use a newer browser. USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). I signed up the next day. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. ", 1998 The Associated Press. Please reset your password. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. There is a problem with your email/password. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. 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