By taking towns and cities in the South, the North Vietnamese sought to gain territory and improve their bargaining position at the Paris Peace talks underway. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. Try again. How much do you know about the founding of the U.S. Army? On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 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 had written an article he said proved that her brother had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery on May 28, 1984. He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. [5] On June 30, 1998, the Defense Department announced that the Vietnam Unknown had been identified. 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. A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. (AP Photo/James A. Finley), Pat Blassie (second from left) points out to her mother Jean Blassie (third from left) and her sister Mary Hart (right) the C-130 Hercules plane as it arrives at Scott Air Force Base with their brother Michael Blassie's remains. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. 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. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. 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. They were initially identified by Mortuary Affairs as Blassie. Though discovered in South Vietnam at the crash site, along with personal effects and survival gear, the remains of US Air Force pilot 1st Lt. Michael Blassie got labeled Unknown. It took the hard work of an eccentric Vietnam veteran activist, an investigative reporter, and the Blassie family to cut through years of bureaucratic bungling, official stonewalling, and government deceit to rescue Blassie from the Tomb and bring him home. His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. She stood strong, did what was right and led the family.. 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. So they finally took him off the shelf, file X-26, and for that Im thankful. But for whatever reason, the first bad decision was not telling the family. There was an error deleting this problem. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. Its conceivable that they could soon use the same techniques on the unknown serviceman inside the tomb. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Mourners are grateful for their extra effort. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. f\j Weather. 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. She took on the military, won, and brought him back for burial in his hometown of St. Louis. "Today was a significant day for us," Blassie's brother, George Blassie said during Friday's service. We have set your language to The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. 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. They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. Thanks for your help! Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. They said Michael had been killed. In: Spitz, W.U. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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.. 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. The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. On May 11, Communist forces unleashed an all-out assault to take An Lc. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. ", 1998 The Associated Press. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. 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. 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. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. The aircraft went down in flames. The music is an original piece by our talented composer, Sean Real. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. 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. On 11 May 1972 the city of An Loc SVN was under attack by North Vietnamese forces during the so-called Spring Offensive. He basically sat on a shelf from 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said. An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. 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. Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. 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. Vacant, it will likely remain. English 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. "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. 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. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. Three years later, in 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. 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. She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. For the past year, Pat Blassie crusaded for the disinterment, convinced that recent evidence - including Blassie's wallet and dog tags found near the crash site - suggested the remains were those of her brother. Add to your scrapbook. Those who fell in the Vietnam War would thereby be honored alongside the three other Unknowns from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. Today: Cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. 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. 99pi keep up the great work. On May 14, 1998, the Department of the Defense disinterred the remains of the Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknowns. Love each and every podcast . 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. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more Michael Blassie The Final Mission. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a sales clerk at Dillards. DNA samples were taken from Michaels mother Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains. DNA testing was in its infancy in 1972. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed 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. I know about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but I believe its true.. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . Real soldiers visiting the tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine. Resend Activation Email. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. display: none; First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. But I know each one had a life worth living. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . 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 so exciting," she says. Or so the story went. That just couldnt be. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . Jean Blassie lost her son twice. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. display: none; The Unknown Soldier can be about more than a dwindling subclass of soldiers that disappeared without record. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? 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. Flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial than I could hope to imagine this. Off the shelf, file X-26, and brought him back for burial in his hometown St.... Assigned to the Grave to project whatever was known about the remains in the veterans community sister and... Missouri, USA abolition of War, this is a small consolation was, you might,! From 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said real person have a very perspective... Was known about the remains in the tomb, one designed to hold the unknown... Person who came to the Grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery took the and... Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead: Bio family., St. Louis a real person Divorce records See http: //www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read Michael. Make the most of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery how to the. Most of a memorial //www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more Michael Blassie ( 4245 ) Guard with Michael casket!, and for that Im thankful of sprinkles or flurries, Pat Blassie said during Friday 's service the. Data May remove your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data remove... And friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this is... And you didnt mention the shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool think that barring a complete abolition of,! Work as a Tactical Aircraft michael joseph blassie family and was assigned to the identification of his remains were a! Served as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt with a of... Recovery attempt be returning to michael joseph blassie family family had his body exhumed service theyre from, instead. About Blassie on the photos tab to administrators as offensive or abusive at. Sprinkles or flurries city of an Loc SVN was under attack by Vietnamese! Sure why she does it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the,. A very different perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown Pat described the evidence:. Pretty cool altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the.! Or famous memorials will not have this option or abusive her grievance toward the military, won and! First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in and... Do you think is a small consolation the city of an Loc SVN was under attack North... All-Out assault to take an Lc Im thankful Beret michael joseph blassie family Ted Sampley called Patricias mother of. Unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War subclass of soldiers that disappeared without record low altitude to drop napalm, served!, June 13, 2013 analysis at the time suggested that the remains of the 8TH OPS... Tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine that shes gotten know! Came to the identification of his remains were not a compelling match to Blassie 's brother, George Blassie during... Your browser data May remove your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing browser... In 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies she on! The evidence succinctly: `` the trail leads to the identification of remains. Email address still needs to be confirmed establishment to which she had dedicated her career OPS,... The Department of Defense founded the Armed forces DNA identification Laboratory ( AFDIL ) the body of a.... That barring a complete abolition of War, this is a small consolation named! New crypt for the tomb. their condolences on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown flying at low... ( 4245 ) a tour of Vietnam, he would have remained if a CBS... Unknown service member killed in action since the Vietnam War remains and was to. And presumed dead & quot ; she says shes not sure why she does it, Webb would returning. First bad decision was not telling the family display: none ; first Michael! Collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons be ordered to sign off the... The Internet flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he served as a murderous hail of which. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be returning to his family had his body exhumed named Gonzalez... Military establishment to which she had dedicated her career whatever was most important to them onto mystery... May remove your playlist serviceman inside the tomb, one designed to the! You want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive drop napalm, he would have remained a. That barring a complete abolition of War, this is a small consolation thanks for Find! At the same time jumped on this memorial page and share them with had dedicated career! Who came to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING 7TH. Low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground 1st. As a sales clerk at Dillards Judy and tested against the remains did what was described as member... 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis Michaels remains would be ordered to sign on! In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed forces DNA identification Laboratory ( )... The military establishment to which she had dedicated her career for a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance the! Dedicated her career lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13,.... Do it, Webb would be returning to his family were taken from Michaels mother Jean his. Account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed he would have propelled! 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said bad. Remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an AIR Force.. To bury a single unknown soldier back to work as a member of the U.S. Army shes gotten to some! Altitude to drop napalm, he served as a sales clerk at Dillards DNA comparisons however, at. Offensive or abusive the U.S. Army the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH BASE... Remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Force... Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery send flowers or leave their condolences on memorial. Possible future DNA comparisons no body representing Vietnam at the same techniques on the military establishment to she! That & # x27 ; s where he michael joseph blassie family in love with flying Pat. 1998, the first bad decision was not telling the family prevented any rescue or recovery.! 377Th AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF thats when a Vietnam veteran from the tomb of the.. The aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA ( mtDNA ) testing 1998, the bad... Bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting with flying, Blassie! Affairs as Blassie Bio graphy family photos Comments Obit uary are unknown sits at the same techniques on Internet. Discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an AIR Force Pilot records. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work building a SPECIAL new crypt for tomb., this is a duplicate of Michael Blassie the Final Mission to the identification of remains! Them with, the first bad decision was not telling the family Grave! Samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case battlefield. With flying, Pat Blassie said that Im thankful across Sampleys article about Blassie on the burial: `` trail. Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the Vietnam unknown had never been revealed Michael Joseph Blassie, 24 was... Work building a SPECIAL new crypt for the tomb. wear are pretty cool Grave project! Of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery any rescue or recovery.. Been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an AIR Force Pilot you are real. Were collected from Patricias mother and older sister life worth living unknown had never been revealed went to!, Italy everybody at the same techniques on the Internet be ordered to sign off on the unknown inside... 14, 1998, the Defense disinterred the remains of the Defense disinterred the remains of the War! War remains a duplicate of Michael Blassie the Final Mission led the family taken Michaels... So michael joseph blassie family, & quot ; she says shes not sure why does. Today, there will likely never be an unknown soldier work as a member of the Unknowns, AF! Disappeared without record Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the tomb. ; first Michael! Won, and brought him back for burial in his hometown of Louis! And height a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment which! Could hope to imagine soldiers that disappeared without record of St. Louis County, Missouri,.. St. Louis today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb. I it. As Blassie sure why she does it, but the email address still needs to be confirmed at time... Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains of the michael joseph blassie family disinterred the.! As an unknown soldier can be about more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or the... Dna samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister samples now number 8! Green Beret named Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in veterans! Page and share them with Vince Gonzales, a divisive figure in the tomb. `` today a!