Try again later. Sampley was a former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam. It can represent all soldiers. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a sales clerk at Dillards. 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. Its just an outsiders way of honoring all of your sacrifices. To use this feature, use a newer browser. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. It was on one of these bombing runs, shortly before Calhoon arrived in An Loc, that Michael Blassie flew his 132th and final mission. Remains identification bordered on guesswork. I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I found on Findagrave.com. Twenty-six years after he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie came home. 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. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. With DNA identification being used and hearing that there are no unknowns from Vietnam and that they are working currently on unknowns from the Korean war, I though, How wonderful that there will never again be an unknown soldier, everyone will be eventually brought home. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. The body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. Please enter valid email address to continue. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. Visit the digital memorial page of Veteran Michael Joseph Blassie where you can share stories, photos, biographies, obituaries, tributes and more. You can watch his conversation with Colonel Patricia Blassie on A Veterans Story on the VBCs YouTube channel, youtube.com/veteransbreakfastclub. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. He believed, for example, that Senator John McCain had been brainwashed at the Hanoi Hilton and was sent back to the US to orchestrate official coverups of living POWs in Southeast Asia. Trending News She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. He died on May 11, 1972 at age 24. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. There, Captain Richard S. Hess of Mortuary Affairs inventoried the package and added a skeletal chart showing the bones locations on the body (right humerus, right pelvis, and four rib bones). 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. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. Learn more about managing a memorial . Then, as more information about those remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained unknown. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. "We were all so proud of him. My parents marriage did not survive. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { After nearly two decades of uncertainty, the family of Blassie can finally reveal the empty crypt in which the men and women who served in Vietnam were buried, as well as the flag that was once flown over it. Last chance! The changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. But Mrs. Blassie also had a hunch. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. Weve updated the security on the site. That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. The ability to match mtDNA between related individuals, and the fact that it does not degrade as rapidly as nuclear DNA, makes it a valuable tool in the identification of human remains. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. That just couldnt be. They denied it. 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. 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.. I talked with many of them and they would say, But this is the one honor we received, and the Blassie family is disrupting that honor. I would reply, All the Vietnam Unknowns should be accounted for by the government. I would remind them of that, and Id tell them our family story. Producer Joe Rosenberg spoke with Robert Poole, author of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery; Patricia Blassie; Bill Thomas, reporter for the Washington Post; Chris Calhoon, former Army Ranger; Vince Gonzales, reporter for CBS Denver, During the last segment of your podcast, Roman asked Joe if there were any other national monuments that had a guard like this. Drag images here or select from your computer for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie memorial. He made his case for Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown in a self-published newsletter, the U.S. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . Failed to delete memorial. She took on the military, won, and brought him back for burial in his hometown of St. Louis. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. In celebration of the Marine Corps' birthday, Military.com has put together this Marine Corps history quiz. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The American memorial is especially beautiful. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { He and Michael were very close. Love your show. The Vietnam unknown was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors, beneath the headstone that reads, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. 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. 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. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. "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. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 99pi keep up the great work. Today he comes home.". (2006): Identification of Human Remains. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. 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. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. 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. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. We wanted to know the rest of the story. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Blassie, said Ted, I believe your son is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. 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. The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. World War II, Korea, and Vietnam each would get their own Unknown. On May 14, 1998, the Department of the Defense disinterred the remains of the Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknowns. (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. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). ). 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. All rights reserved. I never dreamed Id never see Michael again., The Blassie siblings, 1961. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. They talked to anyone they could find who was involved in the unknown selection process, and when they felt they were ready, they handed over their findings to Patricia Blassie. 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.. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect In 1984, on Memorial Day, Blassie's remains - four ribs, pelvis and the upper part of an arm - were buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. & Spitz, D.J. I didnt even know how to go about college. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Test your knowledge! 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 . Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. And they never learned the truth: that their son Michaels remains were discovered some five months after his death. Gonzales began filing FOIA requests and eventually got back a thick envelope with military documents showing the entire process of the Unknown Soldier selection process. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. 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. George, the youngest son, said that being buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns was a great honor and that maybe the family should leave Michael there. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. Year should not be greater than current year. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. High in t the middle 30s. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . 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. i . 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. } 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. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. . 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. We want the truth, we want to bring him home. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. } They had a letter from his flight leader, James Connally, who recapped what had happened., Still, without remains, there was a terrible sense of open-ended grief. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. ", 1998 The Associated Press. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. US air power was used extensively in defense of the city and five aircraft were lost that day: A-37B-1st Lt Michael J Blassie, 8th SOS, O-2A-Capt, Barry K Allmond, 21st TASS, O-2A, 1st Lt John H Haselton, 21st TASS, AH-1G Cpt . Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie family). Michael Blassies C-37 Dragonfly was part of that defense flying support for allied South Vietnamese ground units. \ . No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. Pete Mecca is a speaker, author, and Vietnam Air Force veteran who runs VeteransArticle.com and hosts VBCs A Veterans Story every second Thursday online. "This has meant so much to us. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. 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. After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. 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. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story" Please reset your password. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. 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. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. charlie tahan partner, Shot down while flying a mission during the burial of Lt. Michael received! S ) our family story any future War Cemetery during the Vietnam Unknown disinterred be the only one that parents! Be ordered to sign off on the military, won, and pistol holster right-rail-recirc-item. Remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained Unknown he now represents those that to. Images here or select from your computer for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie Jefferson... Old and 72 inches tall when he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11 veterans..., drawing on Defense Department records far as she was sad about death! Receiving his aeronautical rating as an A-37 michael joseph blassie family Pilot and served as a member of the guard is ceremonial. Propelled into the backyard and waited, i believe your son is in midst! Account before you can get an author-signed 99 % Invisible uses cookies to help improve your experience... This chaos, was to call in airstrikes ceremonial there and is well worth a look is quite there. 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