Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. A helicopter team tried to get to the crash site, but due to heavy enemy fire, they had to leave after just a few minutes empty-handed. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Updated: June 21, 2016 . Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. In celebration of the Marine Corps' birthday, Military.com has put together this Marine Corps history quiz. Two weeks later, Michael Blassie was buried for good near the family's home . . All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. "Mike lived a hero, and he came home a hero," said Emanuel Cassimatis, the Air Force Academy liaison officer who recruited Blassie in 1965. Theyre too upsetting. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 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. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. A system error has occurred. 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. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. World War II, Korea, and Vietnam each would get their own Unknown. Twenty-six years after he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie came home. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. She took on the military, won, and brought him back for burial in his hometown of St. Louis. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. Through these efforts, they reviewed evidence that suggested the Vietnam War Unknown was likely Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, a pilot who had been shot down in 1972. 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. 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. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family. Family members linked to this person will appear here. 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. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. It has been watched over day and night since 1937 by a lone guard, forever marching back and forth in front of the tomb. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. 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. Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (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. based on information from your browser. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 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. Blassie was born in St. Louis in 1948. well, that was simply too much to believe. (AP Photo/Brian K. Diggs), In thisJune, 30, 1998, photo,Joan Blassie, right, the mother of the Michael Blassie reacts to the news that the remains in the Tomb of Unknowns were confirmed by DNA testing as belonging to her son Lt. Michael Blassie, who was shot down over 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. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. 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. Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. 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. Former GOP Candidate's Military Records Improperly Shared with Democratic Group, Why DARPA Banned the First-Ever First Person Shooter Video Game, Navy Renaming USS Chancellorsville to Honor Union Army Hero, Statesman Who Was Born into Slavery, 2 Commanders Among 6 Fired from Jobs at Minot Air Force Base, Morgan Freeman Turned Down an Acting Scholarship to Join the Air Force. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The Blassies didnt know Sampley. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. Weve updated the security on the site. } The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. 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. 99pi keep up the great work. He must have been killed instantly since he did not transmit a distress call of any kind. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. They had a letter from his flight leader, James Connally, who recapped what had happened., Still, without remains, there was a terrible sense of open-ended grief. He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. Patricia Blassie, today a colonel with the Air Force Reserve who lives in Georgia, told her family of a phone call she had received in 1994 from a former Army Green Beret. The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, says Chris Calhoon who was stationed there as an Army Ranger. Still, as hesitant as he was,Gonzales thought maybe there could be more to the story. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. In: Spitz, W.U. By the time the package arrived in Hawaii, the wallet and ID were missing, presumed stolen during storage or transit. 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. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. On July 11, 1998, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie was buried with full military honors in Jefferson National Cemetery, Missouri, near his hometown, in the same cemetery as his father. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. Though discovered in South Vietnam at the crash site, along with personal effects and survival gear, the remains of US Air Force pilot 1st Lt. Michael Blassie got labeled Unknown. It took the hard work of an eccentric Vietnam veteran activist, an investigative reporter, and the Blassie family to cut through years of bureaucratic bungling, official stonewalling, and government deceit to rescue Blassie from the Tomb and bring him home. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . Patricia still visits the tomb. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. Learn more about managing a memorial . Three years later, in 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies. Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! "This has meant so much to us. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. 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,. cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. She worked until she was 82. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. 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. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. Obituary. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. display: none; Learn more about merges. It was his 138th combat mission. The Blassie family in St. Louis didnt know Michael had been misidentified because they were never told thered been remains and effects recovered in the first place. DNA is also stored in tiny, energy-producing structures in the cells, called mitochondria. 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. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. Think you're a Top Gun at aircraft identification? The Air Force told the Blassie family in St. Louis all they knew: their son had been killed in action, but his remains could not be recovered since he went down in enemy-held territory. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. 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. 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. Its just an outsiders way of honoring all of your sacrifices. High in t the middle 30s. The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. Thanks for your help! Failed to remove flower. Real soldiers visiting the tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine. Today: Cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more As is standard, all records pertaining to these remains were destroyed. Without a positive match, due to Army policy, the Blassie family could not even be told that any remains had been found. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. The guard was sent back and a different guard took over. 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. "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. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. Follow him on Facebook. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. 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. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. 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. Then, as more information about those remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained unknown. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Joseph Michael Leo Findlan (Amelia, Ohio), who passed away on February 24, 2022, at the age of 71, leaving to mourn family and friends. Try again later. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. For Mrs. Blassie, the fight to recover her sons remains took a dramatic turn during a family meeting in November 1997 at her apartment in Florissant. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. She suffered a stroke in 2004 and recently was diagnosed with pneumonia, her family said Thursday. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Michael Joseph Blassie was born on April 4, 1948. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Helton, L.M. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer.
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