So they finally took him off the shelf, file X-26, and for that Im thankful. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. East wind * around 10 mph. Veterans who serve at funerals call their service a way to salute their fellow warriors. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ 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,. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. 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. (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. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. 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. Morphological approximation presumed that one could determine personal characteristics like age and height by careful examination of bone fragments. Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Try again later. Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. Blassie was born in St. Louis in 1948. They denied it. Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. Make sure that the file is a photo. They had to do more with less and that meant Michael was going to see a lot of combat. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. There was an error deleting this problem. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. 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. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . The nature of combat in Vietnam and advances in forensic medicine had made it difficult for officials to bury a Vietnam unknown. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. After graduating from St. Louis University High School he entered the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1970. On May 14, 1998, the Department of the Defense disinterred the remains of the Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknowns. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. of Snow Hill, Maryland, born in Salisbury, Maryland, who passed away on February 23, 2023, at the age of 72, leaving to mourn family and friends. 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. The writer had been combing through military records, he said, and found that the Air Force had found the wreckage of Michaels plane five months after he was shot down, 60 miles north of Saigon. Today: Cloudy with a chance of sprinkles or flurries. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. Webb refused. She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. 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. 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. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. 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. 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. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. 99pi keep up the great work. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. Add to your scrapbook. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. . It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. 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. Secretary of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the somber burial. Michael was no longer Unknown. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. "At a moment of great crises in the history of the world, he gave of himself," Archbishop Justin Rigali said to about 350 friends, family members and current and former members of the military. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. [6] The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . 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. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. 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. Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. (2006): Identification of Human Remains. 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. (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. Michael Joseph Blassie, the oldest of five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, entered the Air Force Academy in 1966 and received his officer's commission in June 1970. They married in 1947 and had five children. The report triggered a speedy response from the Department of Defense which, after its own investigation, ordered the Tomb to be opened and the Vietnam Unknowns remains to undergo DNA testing at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Try again later. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. (She would retire in 2018 as a full-bird Colonel). They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. 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. It was all part of the effort to make sure that the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the war. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. We wanted to know the rest of the story. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. On March 21, 1984, Webb reluctantly signed. Britains unknown warrior wasnt the only one. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. 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. Michael Joseph Blassie, the oldest of five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, entered the Air Force Academy in 1966 and received his officer's commission in June 1970. Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. When they came back, they handed Michael Blassies remains toCalhoon. Patricia Blassie took the information to officials at the Air Force Casualty Office. Verify and try again. DNA is also stored in tiny, energy-producing structures in the cells, called mitochondria. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. After the war, Railton advocated for a grave bearing the body of a single soldier to bring the impossibly large tragedy down to a human scale. The dedication alone attracted so many mourners, the line for viewing lasted ten days. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. But I know each one had a life worth living. 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. 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. It was on one of these bombing runs, shortly before Calhoon arrived in An Loc, that Michael Blassie flew his 132th and final mission. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Today he comes home.". Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. All rights reserved. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. Real soldiers visiting the tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine. 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. This browser does not support getting your location. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. 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. Still, as hesitant as he was,Gonzales thought maybe there could be more to the story. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. Follow him on Facebook. Patricia still visits the tomb. The remains were confirmed to be those of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Oops, something didn't work. 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. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. The accompanying shells found their mark. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. To Army scientists, these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. DNA tests determined that the remains in the tomb were those of Blassie. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. You can watch his conversation with Colonel Patricia Blassie on A Veterans Story on the VBCs YouTube channel, youtube.com/veteransbreakfastclub. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. 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". [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. That is, he fell outside the approximated ranges on both counts. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. By the time the package arrived in Hawaii, the wallet and ID were missing, presumed stolen during storage or transit. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Part 2: DNA. We were all so proud of him. 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.. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. Try again later. } I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I found on Findagrave.com. Check out member benefits and perks . His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. 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. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Even though they were still officially believed to belong to Blassie, the lab was ordered to strip the remains of their believed to be designation, and give them the anonymous designation X-26. They never got updates on recovery efforts. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . 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. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! The recruiters said if I joined the Air Force, Id travel, get excellent training,and an education. Railton would spend his nights conducting funeral services over the often unidentifiable remains of soldiers ripped apart by shellfire, sometimes burying them on the spot or en masse in the giant craters the shells had left behind. Scientists at CIL-HI estimated the deceaseds age to be between 26-33 years and height between 65.2-71.5 inches. Sorry! Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. "Today was a significant day for us," Blassie's brother, George Blassie said during Friday's service. The Blassie family in St. Louis didnt know Michael had been misidentified because they were never told thered been remains and effects recovered in the first place. Theyre too upsetting. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. They detailed that Michael Blassies remains had been recovered in Vietnam and that the person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. Following the removal of Blassie's remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns, the slab marking "Vietnam" over the crypt that once held his remains was replaced with one that read "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen",[7] as it was decided that the Vietnam crypt would remain a vacant cenotaph. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. Webb would be the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam.! May 1998, Michael Blassie, 24, was shot down over Vietnam. [ emailprotected ] if you need help resetting your password lined the route Arlington... How to Honor unidentified remains has always been one of the Defense disinterred the remains the! 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