And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. The aircraft went down in flames. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. The nature of combat in Vietnam and advances in forensic medicine had made it difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam unknown. Test your knowledge! Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. 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. Vacant, it will likely remain. Human beings have copies of DNA from each biological parent, stored in the nucleus of every cell. All Rights Reserved. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. Try again later. CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. 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. 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. Try again later. Learn more about managing a memorial . An honor guard was fired a 21-gun salute and F-15 Eagle fighters flew overhead in the "missing man" formation as Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis in a ceremony presided over by the eldest sibling, Pat Blassie, a captain in the Air Force Reserve. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Also pictured is sister Judy Cozad (left). DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. "The resting place of Michael was for so long the Tomb of the Unknowns," Rigali said. 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. Webb devised an ingenious solution: hide the crash-site artifacts where no one would ever find them, in the casket with the remains of X-26. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. Make sure that the file is a photo. After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. This account has been disabled. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. Maj. Allan J. Kellogg Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on May 17, 1984,[2] and were transported aboard the USSBrewton to Naval Air Station Alameda. He made his case for Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown in a self-published newsletter, the U.S. [6] 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. Failed to delete memorial. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. Now that DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the U.S. Armed Forces, there may never be another American "unknown soldier.". "We write no last chapters, we close no books," Reagan said. In honor of the Air Force's birthday, we've put together this Air Force history quiz. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. What is the music played at the end of this podcast? No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. At least he went into a place of honor.. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. They denied it. They were initially identified by Mortuary Affairs as Blassie. Failed to report flower. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. Because mtDNA is passed along the maternal line, scientists compared the Unknown Soldier's DNA against two samples submitted by First Lieutenant Blassie's mother and sister and found a match. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. 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. Serving as next-of-kid, President Ronald Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records We wanted the entire truth, but they couldnt tell us that., The official designation was KIABNRKilled in Action, Body not Recovered., My father served in Normandy during World War II and he never got over losing Michael, Patricia recalls. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. In addition, a single strand of hair found in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood type O negative. She and her four children met to try to figure out what to do. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. After Blassie's family secured permission . In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." 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. On May 11, Communist forces unleashed an all-out assault to take An Lc. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. At one point he described the wounded, with their meager medical support, as looking like something out of the Civil War. Still, as hesitant as he was,Gonzales thought maybe there could be more to the story. 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. } Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. I thought this is the best example of internet conspiracy garbage Ive seen to date, says Vince Gonzales, a reporter for CBS Denver who came across the story three years later in 1997. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. They married in 1947 and had five children. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. 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. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. Patricia Blassie took the information to officials at the Air Force Casualty Office. A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. Become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club for only $36/year! The aircraft flew a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding on impact in enemy-held territory. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. In the early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains coded "X-26" to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Jean Blassie, center, mother of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, and his sister Patricia, right, now an Air Force colonel, talk with reporters at Arlington National Cemetery on May 14,. The Flag: Revd David Railton MC and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, Excerpts and links to latest episodes and articles, Periodic, exclusive updates on 99PI goings-on. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { 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. Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Sampley had no direct evidence proving Michael was in the tomb, but that didnt make him wrong. Think you're a Top Gun at aircraft identification? The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. This is a carousel with slides. Weve updated the security on the site. display: none; Thanks for your help! There was no question, the remains were Michaels. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. The next time, the Air Force lost him. The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. 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. He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. "We were all so proud of him. The recruiters said if I joined the Air Force, Id travel, get excellent training,and an education. However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. 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. That is, he fell outside the approximated ranges on both counts. Plot 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. 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. They were returned them home for a military burial. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. He and Michael were very close. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. Unidentified remains from that war had been analyzed over a decade and a half. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Baracus on "The A-Team," Mr. T was a member of the biggest team of them all -- the U.S "I was the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being Copyright 2023 Military.com. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. World War II, Korea, and Vietnam each would get their own Unknown. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. Sampley was a former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. It is very austere and moving. 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.. 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 changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. 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. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. 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. His jet lost a wing, crashed and burned. 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 body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. Britains unknown warrior wasnt the only one. "My father, who served in Normandy during World War II, never got over losing Michael," says Patricia Blassie, who was 13 years old when her brother, the oldest of five siblings, died. 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. . That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). 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. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. Interestingly, the soldiers identities *were* known and the Danes made an effort to give each soldier his last rites. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. 99pi keep up the great work. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. The music is an original piece by our talented composer, Sean Real. based on information from your browser. . 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. But I know each one had a life worth living. She stood strong, did what was right and led the family.. display: block; However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Scientists at CIL-HI estimated the deceaseds age to be between 26-33 years and height between 65.2-71.5 inches. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. During a memorial service Friday evening at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Blassie was remembered as a courageous young man who fought for peace. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. Michaels younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. 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 hours of discussion, Jean Blassie looked at her children and said, For 26 years, we have been told that Michael was never found, according to an article in Checkpoints magazine. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com Jean Blassie lost. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. In: Spitz, W.U. 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. (She would retire in 2018 as a full-bird Colonel). Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns for 14 years, were identified last month by DNA testing. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. She attended Wellston High School but left after three years to work as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital. 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. Hey there beautiful nerd! You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." . 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? By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. A decade and a half is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, 10... 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A Grave, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he fell outside the approximated ranges both... Story in a traffic accident when she was 90 and had been discovered near crash! Building similar memorials the remains in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood O! Blassie family watches as their family member of POW/MIAs his 138th combat mission near... Him wrong what to do them home for a military burial slowly rolled over, exploding impact! War, this is a very difficult time News, live events, exclusive... Breakfast Club for only $ 36/year a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding impact. His actual name was Michael Blassie forgotten they deserved better than that out.
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