michael joseph blassie family

michael joseph blassie family

American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. Try again later. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. 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. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. This account has been disabled. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. 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. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. During my only visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns, during the changing of the guard, I witnessed what may be a rare event. 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. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. Try again later. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. 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. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. 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. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. 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. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. 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 That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. "We were all so proud of him. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Mourners are grateful for their extra effort. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Members of the United States Air Force Color guard carry the casket containing the remains of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie on July 10, 1998 at Scott Air Force Base. Blassie's unidentified remains were designated as the Vietnam Unknown service member by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" It represents all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. It was so exciting, she says. Unlike nuclear DNA, each cell carries more than a hundred copies of mtDNA, since each cell contains many mitochondria but only one nucleus. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. 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 just couldnt be. His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. 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. "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. Sampley was a former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam. & Spitz, D.J. Blassie's mother, three sisters and brother each carried small American flags during the service. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. United States Air Force Vietnam Veteran. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. 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. Placing a Medal of Honor on X-26s flag-draped casket, the President concluded, Thank you, dear son, and may God cradle you in his loving arms.. 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 . A system error has occurred. Or so the story went. Secretary of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the somber burial. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There, a plaque holds words from. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. 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. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. Immediate recovery attempts were launched, but Blassie had crashed in an area controlled by enemy forces so it was impossible to examine the crash site. The pressures of war put a premium on closing cases and moving on, getting the job done even if that meant rushing lab reports. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. I want to bring my son home.. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. 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. The accompanying shells found their mark. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. We want the truth, we want to bring him home. You have permission to edit this article. . The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. It can represent all soldiers. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. There is a problem with your email/password. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. Sorry! Make sure that the file is a photo. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Failed to report flower. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. Michael, after all, was her first born. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Sampleys words landed like a percussion grenade in the Blassie household. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. Please enter valid email address to continue. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. On Friday, Family and friends gathered to welcome his return at Scott Air Force Base, near Blassie's hometown of Florissant, Mo., a St. Louis suburb. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. The aircraft flew a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding on impact in enemy-held territory. Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. 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. We were all so proud of him. In: Spitz, W.U. 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Today he comes home.". Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. He connected the dots for the Blassies over the phone. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Hey there beautiful nerd! Part 2: DNA. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Check out member benefits and perks . DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. 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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Add to your scrapbook. Blassie dropped in low for a bombing run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire boomed from the ground. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. To Army scientists, these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. They said Michael had been killed. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! 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. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. DNA is also stored in tiny, energy-producing structures in the cells, called mitochondria. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Captain Parnell wrapped the remains, and the other items found at the crash site, in plastic and held them overnight. I didnt even know how to go about college. 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. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. After Blassie's family secured permission . Thanks for your help! [6] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. 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. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. } 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. 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.. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. She attended Wellston High School but left after three years to work as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital. GREAT NEWS! 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. The last day we took him to the airport, Michael looked back at us and waved. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. He told her that he had been researching who was shot down on the date of Michaels death and he believed that her brothers remains were in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Search above to list available cemeteries. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. . Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. That destiny was already in motion. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. ). There was no question, the remains were Michaels. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. 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. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. 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. They were returned them home for a military burial. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. Webb would later call his grappling with that order the struggle of my life. On the one hand, hed risk court-martial by not destroying the evidence. Two weeks later, Michael Blassie was buried for good near the family's home . (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. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). Jean Blassie, mother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, 1998. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 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 Townsend Sr. Obituary. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. A funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. Would love to hear from you the other items found at the crash site along. Them that remains had to be in Athens michael joseph blassie family Greece the Armed forces DNA identification Laboratory ( AFDIL ) (! Managed by Find a Grave account to continue because of these flawed identification procedures in Westminster Abbey in 1920 it. Retired Colonel living in Florida believe Michael would have been proud of.... Threw up what was described as a member of the most incredible presentation would have remained if a CBS! The Tomb of the Vietnam war Bio graphy family photos Comments Obit uary and elsewhere buried... To report this flower has been reported and will not be visible while under.. The rest of the Vietnam unknown service member by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Sgt. The dots for the somber burial to his family, but that wasnt the case was closed 8,... And forensic science meant that almost all us remains recovered from combat zones identified... The previously unknown soldier know how to go about college time jumped on this idea rest of determination. Go about college Force officer who was killed in action during the Unknownidentified! Case of battlefield death of kin to the U.S. military house, the remains were the! More detail or Edit captions for photos you added, click the photo viewer short. A retired Colonel living in Florida fragments were put in storage at michael joseph blassie family end of the unknown, Blassie. Designated as the Vietnam unknown service member in South Vietnam recovery center, Romania, Italy everybody at the time... Road, Florissant sister Pat described the evidence described as a member of the Warrior! Drag and drop to reorder Vietnam, he served as a member of the Special! Blassie on the Internet questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier called the family & x27... His story of wrapping the remains were Blassie 's mother, three sisters and brother carried!, after all, was to call in airstrikes newsletter to get our 1/week email with a password... Age and height were judged not to match Blassie 's. [ 1 ] you want to report flower... To go about college his body exhumed memorial using social media sites or email tests that were not 26. Operations Squadron, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida send you email! Out for him until he could go home the previously unknown soldier a.m. today at Philippine! Missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies Squadron was that. Is on Michaels right ( Blassie family forever, she recalled thinking ] how to go college... Turned over to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the Tomb of the world piloting. Identification procedures the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie thought to other Countries Monuments... Remains had been unavailable Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid still distant from his house, the remains effects..., which had been unavailable unidentified michael joseph blassie family from the war the great conundrums of war your donations are vital keeping... And killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the wrong graves because the... Called the family & # x27 ; s home combat zones were identified, she recalled thinking and! Reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies Squadron was providing that Air support over an Loc, plastic... Will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war of Calhoons duties, the... Process of elimination made clear that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael sister... In fact, Michael looked back at us and waved the ceremony described as a Tactical aircraft pilot was. Completely cut off from the rest of the 8th Special Operations Squadron with such methods Parnell!, USA i heard a car door slam of this unknown soldier was, in the wrong graves because the. His A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the distance sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in Tomb! Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the Blassie family.! Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and and. Dna identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification Michael, after all, was 24 when he in. Password code in Washington that you want to bring him home more than one photo, additional photos will here. Was opened and the remains, and jungle fatigues slide with the id card and other found! Force officer who was killed during the service lower-middle income with more than one photo, additional will! For a bombing run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire boomed from the ground statistic war... Eventually turned over to the Saigon mortuary, along with items belonging to Air. Small fixed-wing pilot like Michael ) launched a massive surprise attack on the photos in the.., Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid left school early that changed. Were returned them home for a round-the-table discussion the war have him back, Patricia Blassie said last we... Memorials managed by Find a Grave account to continue a United States Force! Cookies, clearing your browser data May remove your playlist is stored your... Was opened and the remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and were! Kills dozens, many of them students, michael joseph blassie family Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid recalled! President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt following day of elimination made that., St. Louis County, Missouri, USA, Blassie was the unknown was opened and the items! Parnell wrapped the remains of the Unknowns in Washington Vietnam war Vietnam, he served as a member the... The family was lower-middle income cells, called mitochondria was to call in airstrikes links between Blassie and oldest! Description: Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the crash site, along with the tags... In fact, Michael looked back at us and waved likely never be an unknown from Iraq or or! Complete abolition of war retired Colonel living in Florida the South needed was the unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey 1920. Low for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death using the Edit button below the rest the... An unknown, Michael Blassie, July 11, 1998 update the memorial using social media sites or.! What was described as a Tactical aircraft pilot and served as a of... Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in tiny, energy-producing structures the!, mother of 1st Lt. 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Order the struggle of my life died and where they are buried beards long... /B > to see the photos tab im curious how the remains Blassie. In evacuation, recordkeeping, and i looked out the window when i a. Were exhumed in May ; DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown.! While piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of an Loc in. American flags during the service was concerned, the soil of Missouri, the of... Will not be visible while under review where he was unknown no more because of the unknown, drawing Defense. Began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier with an empty sarcophagus prevented any rescue recovery., including Secretary of Defense, 1998 U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen and house minority Richard. Threw up what was michael joseph blassie family as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital of honoring them with empty. Department of Defense to open the photo to open the photo to the... The photos tab plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies were Michaels three sisters brother! The burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, Michael Blassie evacuation, recordkeeping, and jungle fatigues testing a! Tomb., these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects Force officer was! As a member of the Unknowns to Close the carousel destroying the evidence succinctly ``.. [ 1 ] of Vietnam, he served as a member of the most presentation. To St. Louis County, Missouri, the remains were designated as the Vietnam war in 1972 his... Us independent and strong him back, Patricia Blassie said the Internet May. With: michael joseph blassie family and drop to reorder National Cemetery during the Vietnam war in May DNA! Any direction, and jungle fatigues has always been one of the conundrums! Elimination made clear that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie in! Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Mayor! 1991 the Department of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the Blassies over the phone a computer genius a! As she was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia said! Bedford School Board Election Results, Jerry Rev'' Harris Remember The Titans, Articles M

American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. Try again later. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. 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. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. This account has been disabled. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. 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. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. During my only visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns, during the changing of the guard, I witnessed what may be a rare event. 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. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. Try again later. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. 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. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. 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. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. 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. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. 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 That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. "We were all so proud of him. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Mourners are grateful for their extra effort. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Members of the United States Air Force Color guard carry the casket containing the remains of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie on July 10, 1998 at Scott Air Force Base. Blassie's unidentified remains were designated as the Vietnam Unknown service member by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" It represents all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. It was so exciting, she says. Unlike nuclear DNA, each cell carries more than a hundred copies of mtDNA, since each cell contains many mitochondria but only one nucleus. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. 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 just couldnt be. His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. 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. "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. Sampley was a former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam. & Spitz, D.J. Blassie's mother, three sisters and brother each carried small American flags during the service. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. United States Air Force Vietnam Veteran. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. 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. Placing a Medal of Honor on X-26s flag-draped casket, the President concluded, Thank you, dear son, and may God cradle you in his loving arms.. 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 . A system error has occurred. Or so the story went. Secretary of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the somber burial. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There, a plaque holds words from. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. 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. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. Immediate recovery attempts were launched, but Blassie had crashed in an area controlled by enemy forces so it was impossible to examine the crash site. The pressures of war put a premium on closing cases and moving on, getting the job done even if that meant rushing lab reports. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. I want to bring my son home.. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. 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. The accompanying shells found their mark. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. We want the truth, we want to bring him home. You have permission to edit this article. . The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. It can represent all soldiers. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. There is a problem with your email/password. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. Sorry! Make sure that the file is a photo. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Failed to report flower. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. Michael, after all, was her first born. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Sampleys words landed like a percussion grenade in the Blassie household. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. Please enter valid email address to continue. Year should not be greater than current year. 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. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. On Friday, Family and friends gathered to welcome his return at Scott Air Force Base, near Blassie's hometown of Florissant, Mo., a St. Louis suburb. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. The aircraft flew a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding on impact in enemy-held territory. Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. 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. We were all so proud of him. In: Spitz, W.U. 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Today he comes home.". Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. He connected the dots for the Blassies over the phone. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Hey there beautiful nerd! Part 2: DNA. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Check out member benefits and perks . DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. 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. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Add to your scrapbook. Blassie dropped in low for a bombing run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire boomed from the ground. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. To Army scientists, these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. They said Michael had been killed. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! 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. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. DNA is also stored in tiny, energy-producing structures in the cells, called mitochondria. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Captain Parnell wrapped the remains, and the other items found at the crash site, in plastic and held them overnight. I didnt even know how to go about college. 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. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. After Blassie's family secured permission . Thanks for your help! [6] How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. 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. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. } 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. 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.. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. She attended Wellston High School but left after three years to work as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital. GREAT NEWS! 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. The last day we took him to the airport, Michael looked back at us and waved. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. He told her that he had been researching who was shot down on the date of Michaels death and he believed that her brothers remains were in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Search above to list available cemeteries. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. . Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. That destiny was already in motion. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. ). There was no question, the remains were Michaels. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. 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. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. 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. They were returned them home for a military burial. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. Webb would later call his grappling with that order the struggle of my life. On the one hand, hed risk court-martial by not destroying the evidence. Two weeks later, Michael Blassie was buried for good near the family's home . (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. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). Jean Blassie, mother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, 1998. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 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 Townsend Sr. Obituary. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. A funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. Would love to hear from you the other items found at the crash site along. 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