There was a problem getting your location. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. Real soldiers visiting the tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine. As the Medal of Honor was ceremoniously presented to the unidentified remains, it did not transfer to Blassie who did receive four awards, including the Silver Star (see above), on his own merit for documented valor, heroism and achievements during his actions in combat in Vietnam. They were initially identified by Mortuary Affairs as Blassie. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Failed to remove flower. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. If they had, they might have hung up on him. The remains would eventually arrive at the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, but not before thewallet which was critical in linking the remains to Blassie went missing. Try again later. Then, according to Webb, the Pentagon issued a second order: destroy any evidence linking file X-26 to Michael Blassie, including the personal artifacts from the crash site. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? (She would retire in 2018 as a full-bird Colonel). Without a positive match, due to Army policy, the Blassie family could not even be told that any remains had been found. The Vietnam unknown was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors, beneath the headstone that reads, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. I dont know any of them. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. They detailed that Michael Blassies remains had been recovered in Vietnam and that the person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon. 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. Even though they were still officially believed to belong to Blassie, the lab was ordered to strip the remains of their believed to be designation, and give them the anonymous designation X-26. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. 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. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. "We were all so proud of him. He was made one., Whenever Patricias mother received criticism for requesting Michaels removal from the Tomb of the Unknown, she would simply shrug and say, Hes not your son.. The saga of the Vietnam crypt of the Tomb of the Unknown is perhaps the darkest chapter of the US Department of Defenses long-running effort to account for POW/MIAs. Hey there beautiful nerd! Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. 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. American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. By the time the package arrived in Hawaii, the wallet and ID were missing, presumed stolen during storage or transit. Verify and try again. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. Survivors, in addition to her daughter Patricia, include a son, George Blassie of St. Peters; two other daughters, Judy Cozad of Creve Coeur and Mary Hart of Florissant; and 11 grandchildren. All rights reserved. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 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. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. (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 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. Captain Parnell wrapped the remains, and the other items found at the crash site, in plastic and held them overnight. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. He must have been killed instantly since he did not transmit a distress call of any kind. It was on one of these bombing runs, shortly before Calhoon arrived in An Loc, that Michael Blassie flew his 132th and final mission. (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. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. "The resting place of Michael was for so long the Tomb of the Unknowns," Rigali said. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" 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. DNA samples were taken from Michaels mother Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. I think a third section of these guards/ceremonies around the world would have been a great inclusion. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . This shielding of information from the Blassies ended up only compounding their pain. 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. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. Try again later. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. 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. Helton, L.M. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. US air power was used extensively in defense of the city and five aircraft were lost that day: A-37B-1st Lt Michael J Blassie, 8th SOS, O-2A-Capt, Barry K Allmond, 21st TASS, O-2A, 1st Lt John H Haselton, 21st TASS, AH-1G Cpt . She worked until she was 82. Instead of moving Michaels remains to the burial ground at Arlington, the family decided to have Michael re-interred at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery along the Mississippi River just south of the city. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. They must have never actually been there. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 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. Michael flew as an Air Commando, probably running covert missions into Laos and Cambodia, in addition to his official duties as forward air controller and counterinsurgency operations pilot in South Vietnam. 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. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. Become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club for only $36/year! Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records & Spitz, D.J. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. In order for the X-26 remains to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknown, Webb had to sign a statement confirming that they would never be identified. 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. "This has meant so much to us. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. ). In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. "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. . She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. Veteran Dispatch. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". Blassie was born in St. Louis in 1948. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. We were all so proud of him. 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. Check out member benefits and perks . 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. 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. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. With the invention of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, DNA analysis moved to the forefront of forensic technologies. See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified.[6]. Your email address will not be published. The accompanying shells found their mark. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Today: Cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. Blassie, said Ted, I believe your son is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. The date, location of the crash, bone fragments from the body and remnants of his flight suit and parachute led to the conclusion that it was Michael. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. If we were confident enough the remains belonged to a US soldier that we put them in the tomb of the unknown, wouldnt process of elimination lead us to this conclusion? Vacant, it will likely remain. I want to bring my son home.. It was all part of the effort to make sure that the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the war. In 1984, on Memorial Day, Blassie's remains - four ribs, pelvis and the upper part of an arm - were buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. High in t the middle 30s. Webb refused. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. Scientists at CIL-HI estimated the deceaseds age to be between 26-33 years and height between 65.2-71.5 inches. Learn more about managing a memorial . East wind * around 10 mph. 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. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. Im a former Soldier from Australia, and a Tour Guide around Europe, and i immediately thought of all the different changing of the guards, and unknown Tombs i have visited. Web Policies, Careers, Accessibility, HHS Vulnerability Disclosure NLM, 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda MD 20894 NIH, HHS, FOIA, NLM Support Center, Last reviewed: 03 December 2014Last updated: 05 June 2014First published: 16 February 2006, Air Force equipment found with Michael Blassie. The DNA testing resulted in a perfect match with the Blassies. Make sure that the file is a photo. The report triggered a speedy response from the Department of Defense which, after its own investigation, ordered the Tomb to be opened and the Vietnam Unknowns remains to undergo DNA testing at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. This account has been disabled. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. . Failed to delete memorial. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. He died on May 11, 1972 at age 24. Jean Blassie holds a photo of her son Michael Blassie while seated in the living room of her apartment in Florissant, on May 2, 1998. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? World War II, Korea, and Vietnam each would get their own Unknown. 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. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. It didnt matter if you wanted to honor all those who served or merely those who died, those who volunteered or those who were drafted, or even whether you were for the war or against it. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. All Rights Reserved. In Michaels case, just this once, their mission was completed. They said Michael had been killed. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. I dont care what happened, but the documents showed that patrol went into Michaels crash site to find him, and they did. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. The file that Vince discovered made it clear the the person who had been put in the tomb in 1984 had been far from unknown. 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. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. 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. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com Jean Blassie lost. At one point he described the wounded, with their meager medical support, as looking like something out of the Civil War. 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.. "Today was a significant day for us," Blassie's brother, George Blassie said during Friday's service. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. (AP Photo/James A. Finley), Lt. Michael J. Blassie is shown in this undated 1971 file photo made during flight training. Part 2: DNA. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. Parnell wrapped the remains with the effects and held them overnight. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. United States Air Force Vietnam Veteran. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. In honor of the Air Force's birthday, we've put together this Air Force history quiz. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Weve updated the security on the site. Love your show. He and Michael were very close. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. The Pentagon had kept them in the dark, probably with the good intention of not getting the familys hopes up until Michaels identity could be confirmed. Try again. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National . or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. It was a South Vietnamese Army patrol that scoured the crash site and came back with six bone fragments, a Beacon radio, two compasses, an American flag, a parachute, remnants of a pistol holder, a one-man life raft, fragments of a flight suit, a wallet with family pictures, and an ID that read: 1st Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph., Air Force equipment found with Michael Blassie: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch (Blassie family). Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. Theyre too upsetting. It was so exciting," she says. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Him as the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the veterans Breakfast Club only! Flying, Pat Blassie said post-dispatch.com Jean Blassie called the family together for self-reference! Their mission was completed records & Spitz, D.J heightened the sense michael joseph blassie family. Johnie Webb was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the great of. Id left school early that day, and exclusive reporting there is nothing but reverence, and... Simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie watches as their family member Michael is! Of Michaels remains as a loss for them I think I know where Michael is he... Sorrow among visitors hope to imagine the burial could not even be told that any remains had to be valid! 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Great inclusion that was needed was the officer in charge of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, analysis.

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