To use this feature, use a newer browser. High in t the middle 30s. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. 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. After graduating from St. Louis University High School he entered the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1970. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. 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. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. East wind * around 10 mph. Britains unknown warrior wasnt the only one. It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. The Blassies didnt know Sampley. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. Now that DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the U.S. Armed Forces, there may never be another American "unknown soldier.". After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. Weve updated the security on the site. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. They married in 1947 and had five children. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. 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). The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. Your email address will not be published. They detailed that Michael Blassies remains had been recovered in Vietnam and that the person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. In addition, a single strand of hair found in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood type O negative. He and Michael were very close. Theyre too upsetting. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. It was his 138th combat mission. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. DNA identification had yet to advance to its current state when Blassie's remains were repatriated, and he lay in the Tomb of the Unknowns up to 1998, with visitors paying respects but unaware of his identity. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. 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. 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. American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. 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. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. The American memorial is especially beautiful. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. By 1972, when Michael was deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly. It was around this time that David Railton came across a temporary grave, a few miles behind the front, marked only by a cross bearing the name of a regiment and the words: An unknown British soldier.. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. There, a plaque holds words from. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. If they had, they might have hung up on him. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Michael Blassies C-37 Dragonfly was part of that defense flying support for allied South Vietnamese ground units. 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. 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. In October of 1972, over five months after Blassies plane had disappeared into the jungle, Calhoon assembled a South Vietnamese patrol to enter North Vietnamese territory to find the wreckage. The ARVN turned the remains and the other crash site items over to Captain William C. Parnell, who was then serving as an operations officer at An Loc. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. Required fields are marked *, 99% Invisible Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. 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. DNA samples were taken from Michaels mother Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. "We were all so proud of him. Blassies was A positive. They were returned them home for a military burial. On March 21, 1984, Webb reluctantly signed. Members of the Air Force honor guard carry the casket containing the remains of Lt. Michael Blassie into a hearse at Scott Air Force Base on Friday, July 10, 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. Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Garland to face Congress amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35, Pandemic-era food benefits end for millions of Americans as costs rise, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat". Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Please enter your email and password to sign in. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The government does not have the right to keep such information from the family., When I looked into all the documents and from my personal research, it was obvious that improper decisions were being made, and all of sudden Michael is the Unknown representing the missing from the Vietnam War. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. 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. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. 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. 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. Sampleys words landed like a percussion grenade in the Blassie household. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 Sampley had no direct evidence proving Michael was in the tomb, but that didnt make him wrong. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. But for whatever reason, the first bad decision was not telling the family. 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. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. 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. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. 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. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . 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. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. United States Air Force Vietnam Veteran. 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. Vacant, it will likely remain. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie family). Whatever the case, other aircraft were dispatched to the area to provide cover for an Army chopper rescue team, all for naught. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. #HonorVeterans #VetLegacies. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. He connected the dots for the Blassies over the phone. It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war. What is the music played at the end of this podcast? Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. 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.. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. I dont know any of them. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. . Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. display: none; All Rights Reserved. Articles in U.S. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. English Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Blassie, said Ted, I believe your son is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Mrs. In honor of the Air Force's birthday, we've put together this Air Force history quiz. It was so exciting," she says. He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. At least he went into a place of honor.. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. You have permission to edit this article. Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. 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 Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Helton, L.M. "Mike lived a hero, and he came home a hero," said Emanuel Cassimatis, the Air Force Academy liaison officer who recruited Blassie in 1965. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Many Vietnam veterans, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. They said Michael had been killed. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. So they finally took him off the shelf, file X-26, and for that Im thankful. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. Love your show. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. "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. That they all made the ultimate sacrifice for me. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. Your email address will not be published. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. The remains were confirmed to be those of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. But Mrs. Blassie also had a hunch. Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! Feel free to, By submitting this form, you acknowledge that you have read the, The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, I thought this is the best example of internet conspiracy garbage Ive seen to date,. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. \ . 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. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. Obituary. Failed to report flower. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? A neighbor came over to get me, saying, Pat, you need to go inside. So I did and knew something was horribly wrong. The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, says Chris Calhoon who was stationed there as an Army Ranger. One of the most memorable actors ever almost gave it up to be an Air Force pilot. Oops, something didn't work. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { The name he read on the ID card was Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. well, that was simply too much to believe. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. 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. Thanks Dennis! Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. Today he comes home.". He died on May 11, 1972 at age 24. Michael Blassie in his Air Force Academy cadet uniform. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. "This has meant so much to us. I know about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but I believe its true.. That just couldnt be. His body wouldnt be coming home. Love each and every podcast . She and her four children met to try to figure out what to do. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. For whatever reason, the first bad decision was not telling the family together for a discussion. Cadet uniform leave their condolences on, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between and! 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