A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. Sampleys words landed like a percussion grenade in the Blassie household. She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. Articles in U.S. 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. Love your show. I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I found on Findagrave.com. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. Five months later, during a sweep of the area, a South Vietnamese Army patrol recovered a pelvis, an upper arm bone, and some ribs, as well as the remnants of a flight suit, a life raft, pieces of a parachute, and part of a USAF holster. 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. #HonorVeterans #VetLegacies. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. Its conceivable that they could soon use the same techniques on the unknown serviceman inside the tomb. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. We have set your language to English Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. 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. 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. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. Sampley had no direct evidence proving Michael was in the tomb, but that didnt make him wrong. They were initially identified by Mortuary Affairs as Blassie. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. They never got updates on recovery efforts. The aircraft went down in flames. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. Patricia was 13 years old when the Air Force chaplain knocked on their door to deliver the news of Michaels death. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Love each and every podcast . By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. 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. 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. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Blassie, 24, an Air Force Academy graduate and the oldest of the five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, was flying an A-37 when he was shot down over An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon in South Vietnam, on May 11, 1972. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. 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. They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . 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. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. 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. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The last day we took him to the airport, Michael looked back at us and waved. display: none; Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". 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. It was his 138th combat mission. You grow apart sometimes during this kind of tragedy. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. I dont know any of them. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie family). Hey there beautiful nerd! 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The six fragments in file X-26 were the exception. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. 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. Follow him on Facebook. 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. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. 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. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. 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From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. [6] Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns for 14 years, were identified last month by DNA testing. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. 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 . Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. 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. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. One of the most memorable actors ever almost gave it up to be an Air Force pilot. 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. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. 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. Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. I think a third section of these guards/ceremonies around the world would have been a great inclusion. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. 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. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. All Rights Reserved. ", 1998 The Associated Press. 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. It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Michael was no longer Unknown. i . The Vietnam crypt of the Tomb of the Unknown, the one that contained Michael Blassies remains, has been empty since the exhumation on May 14, 1998. When they came back, they handed Michael Blassies remains toCalhoon. Remains identification bordered on guesswork. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. 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