But for whatever reason, the first bad decision was not telling the family. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . The remains were eventually sent to a search and recovery center in Thailand before being forwarded to the Army's central identification lab in Hawaii. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Michael was no longer Unknown. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. Test your knowledge! The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. & Spitz, D.J. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. Visit the digital memorial page of Veteran Michael Joseph Blassie where you can share stories, photos, biographies, obituaries, tributes and more. We have set your language to Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Resend Activation Email. They said Michael had been killed. Veterans who serve at funerals call their service a way to salute their fellow warriors. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. 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. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. 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. They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . The nature of combat in Vietnam and advances in forensic medicine had made it difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam unknown. East wind * around 10 mph. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Yesterday I read an article about three WW1 soldiers buried in Copenhagen: https://www.thelocal.dk/20190305/the-little-known-story-of-the-first-world-war-soldiers-buried-in-copenhagen. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. Try again later. I want to bring my son home.. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. What is the music played at the end of this podcast? 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 . . Blassie was then listed as "killed in action, no body recoverd." 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. . Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. 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. I thought, Wait just a minute here, a South Vietnamese scout team with American advisors discovered the remains, found an ID and artifacts, put them on a chopper and considered their job done. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. Michaels missions took him all over Vietnam, but the most dangerous was arguably over a place called An Loc, a town about 50 miles north of Saigon. 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. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." 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. Dad set up a little memorial in the basement and would go down there all the time and just sit., When something like this happens in a family, [it] can bring a family together or tear it apart. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. . Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. There is a problem with your email/password. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. The music is an original piece by our talented composer, Sean Real. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Well, my mom cant get these kinds of phone calls, responded Patricia. In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. 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. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. 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. 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. 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. And they never learned the truth: that their son Michaels remains were discovered some five months after his death. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. To Army scientists, these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. That just couldnt be. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. It has been watched over day and night since 1937 by a lone guard, forever marching back and forth in front of the tomb. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, says Chris Calhoon who was stationed there as an Army Ranger. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). Dubbed the "super-tweet . 99pi keep up the great work. World War II, Korea, and Vietnam each would get their own Unknown. She took on the military, won, and brought him back for burial in his hometown of St. Louis. AFDIL has used DNA analysis to identify the remains of at least 150 military personnel from Vietnam, Korea, and World War 2, and assisted in the identification of victims from high profile disasters, both natural and man-made. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. 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. [5] On June 30, 1998, the Defense Department announced that the Vietnam Unknown had been identified. Make sure that the file is a photo. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! 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. Everything about the war not only the numbers, but the nature of it was dehumanizing, says Robert Poole, author of the book On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery. Updated: June 21, 2016 . In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. George, the youngest son, said that being buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was a great honor and that maybe the family should leave Michael there. After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. Michael Joseph Blassie was born on April 4, 1948. Whatever the case, other aircraft were dispatched to the area to provide cover for an Army chopper rescue team, all for naught. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! That crypt would remain empty for over a decade. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . Become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club for only $36/year! 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. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. 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). She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. So they finally took him off the shelf, file X-26, and for that Im thankful. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. Three years later, in 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies. Last chance! She attended Wellston High School but left after three years to work as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. 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. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. 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. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. Michael Joseph Blassie, the oldest of five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, entered the Air Force Academy in 1966 and received his officer's commission in June 1970. } or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 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. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. 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. That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. They never got updates on recovery efforts. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. It was his 138th combat mission. 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.. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . After graduating from St. Louis University High School he entered the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1970. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. You have permission to edit this article. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. They married in 1947 and had five children. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. She suffered a stroke in 2004 and recently was diagnosed with pneumonia, her family said Thursday. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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? Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Michael Joseph Blassie (1948 - 1972) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days How do we create a person's profile? On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. 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. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam Unknown designed to fly low over its target, please contact emailprotected! 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