. "This has meant so much to us. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Patricia was 13 years old when the Air Force chaplain knocked on their door to deliver the news of Michaels death. Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. Add to your scrapbook. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. But perhaps Im speaking out of turn. The accompanying shells found their mark. 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. Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. He died on May 11, 1972 at age 24. 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. That just couldnt be. He was made one., Whenever Patricias mother received criticism for requesting Michaels removal from the Tomb of the Unknown, she would simply shrug and say, Hes not your son.. At least he went into a place of honor.. 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. His body wouldnt be coming home. "We put away no final memories.". Thanks Dennis! Morphological approximation, worthless though it was, provided quick answers and a veneer of scientific validation. That day changed the Blassie family forever, she says. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. This is a carousel with slides. 99pi keep up the great work. He died in 1991. "He and. Failed to remove flower. They were returned them home for a military burial. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. Blassie, a 24-year-old first lieutenant, had been missing since May 11, 1972, when his A-37 fighter was shot down over An Loc during a bombing run. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . 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? He made his case for Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown in a self-published newsletter, the U.S. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Thanks for your help! Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. And so it would have remained if a rookie CBS reporter named Vince Gonzalez hadnt run across Sampleys article about Blassie on the Internet. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. The nature of combat in Vietnam and advances in forensic medicine had made it difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam unknown. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. 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. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. But I know each one had a life worth living. Updated: June 21, 2016 . But Mrs. Blassie also had a hunch. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. 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. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. 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. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. i . 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. Dubbed the "super-tweet . Some evidence suggests that the remains ceremonially laid to rest by President Reagan 14 years ago belong to 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, a decorated flier still officially listed as missing in . Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. "X-26" remained in Arlington with his unknown comrades, watched by the solemn Old Guard, until 1998, when new questions about Blassie's whereabouts surfaced. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Many Vietnam veterans, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. 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. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. 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. 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. 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. Learn more about managing a memorial . . Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. He basically sat on a shelf from 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said. (AP Photo/Brian K. Diggs), In thisJune, 30, 1998, photo,Joan Blassie, right, the mother of the Michael Blassie reacts to the news that the remains in the Tomb of Unknowns were confirmed by DNA testing as belonging to her son Lt. Michael Blassie, who was shot down over Vietnam. Hey there beautiful nerd! I know about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but I believe its true.. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. Please enter valid email address to continue. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. "We were all so proud of him. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. On July 11, 1998, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie finally came home to St. Louis. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Please reset your password. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Sampley had come across some second-hand accounts suggesting that Americas only set of unknown remains from Vietnam had been recovered from an aircraft that had been shot down in 1972. 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.. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. There was an error deleting this problem. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. Chuck Norris, U.S. military veteran, and martial arts superstar began honing his skills in Korea while serving in the Air Before he went on to fame as B.A. 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. He knew morphological approximation was a flawed identification technique, and he suspected that someday, X-26 might be identified, especially given the personal effects and documents associated with the bone fragments. Love each and every podcast . The file that Vince discovered made it clear the the person who had been put in the tomb in 1984 had been far from unknown. They said Michael had been killed. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. She said then-President Ronald Reagan had wanted to add a Vietnam War soldier to the Tomb of the Unknowns, joining the unknown soldiers from World War I and II and the Korean War. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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