Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Two weeks after the offensive began, combined NVA and Viet Cong forces laid siege to the provincial capital of An Lc, located 100km north of Saigon. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. It is very austere and moving. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. That they all made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! 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. She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. 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. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. Drag images here or select from your computer for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie memorial. The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. Survivors, in addition to her daughter Patricia, include a son, George Blassie of St. Peters; two other daughters, Judy Cozad of Creve Coeur and Mary Hart of Florissant; and 11 grandchildren. Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. Obituary. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. f\j Weather. Mrs. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. 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. 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. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. 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. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. On May 11, Communist forces unleashed an all-out assault to take An Lc. Sorry! Resend Activation Email. The remains did not consist of much, just six bones. In: Spitz, W.U. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. . A seven-month CBS News investigation has revealed, reported correspondent Eric Engberg, that the identity of the unknown serviceman is almost certainly known, and that some military officials, for whatever reason, knew it all along and tried to hide it.. Today, said President Reagan at the Tomb, we pause to embrace him and all who served so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. Test your Navy knowledge with this Navy history quiz by Military.com. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. 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. Try again later. A funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. 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. 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. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. By 1972, when Michael was deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. It was his 138th combat mission. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. 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 Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. In 1972, it was still under the control of the South Vietnamese military, along with a handful of American advisors, but it was surrounded by an invading North Vietnamese Army. Updated: June 21, 2016 . Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed 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. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. 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. Unlike nuclear DNA, each cell carries more than a hundred copies of mtDNA, since each cell contains many mitochondria but only one nucleus. They must have never actually been there. 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." 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. 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. Plot This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. The next morning, he handed the package to a helicopter crew, which delivered it to the Saigon Mortuary. Tony. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. "The resting place of Michael was for so long the Tomb of the Unknowns," Rigali said. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. 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. 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. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. 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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Jean Blassie, center, mother of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, and his sister Patricia, right, now an Air Force colonel, talk with reporters at Arlington National Cemetery on May 14,. Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. 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. 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. 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. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. The changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. . There was no question, the remains were Michaels. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. Michael, after all, was her first born. It didnt matter if you wanted to honor all those who served or merely those who died, those who volunteered or those who were drafted, or even whether you were for the war or against it. Its just an outsiders way of honoring all of your sacrifices. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. I dont know any of them. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. 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? Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. That destiny was already in motion. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. You have permission to edit this article. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. In the early 1990s, Blassie's family received word that his remains might be buried in the Tomb of the Unknown. 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. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National . Or so the story went. DNA tests determined that the remains in the tomb were those of Blassie. 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the
Done button to see the photos in the gallery. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. 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. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. Serving as next-of-kid, President Ronald Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks. Blassies was A positive. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . He had been shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972.. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. Please try again later. We were all so proud of him. Remains identification bordered on guesswork. 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. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. 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 . Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. They married in 1947 and had five children. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Your email address will not be published. Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. 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. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. Love each and every podcast . 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. cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. If we were confident enough the remains belonged to a US soldier that we put them in the tomb of the unknown, wouldnt process of elimination lead us to this conclusion? Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. 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. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. They never got updates on recovery efforts. Year should not be greater than current year. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Blassie's mother, three sisters and brother each carried small American flags during the service. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid In the early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains coded "X-26" to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns. 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