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". That just couldnt be. She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. well, that was simply too much to believe. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. 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 . ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. It was all part of the effort to make sure that the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the war. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. "We put away no final memories.". We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Now that DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the U.S. Armed Forces, there may never be another American "unknown soldier.". She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. The body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. display: none; The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? So were dozens of Michaels old friends, classmates, and comrades in arms, along with thousands of others, including Vietnam veterans, who came to commemorate the return of a lost brother. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). On July 10, 1998, Michael Blassie's body was released to his family. If they had, they might have hung up on him. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). His sister, Pat Blassie, was 10 years younger than her brother, but she remembered he started working as a kid by selling newspapers on the street corner. Just to eliminate doubt, Patricia traveled to the Air Force Casualty Office at Randolph AFB in San Antonio to ask if there might be any truth to Sampleys claims. The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. Follow him on Facebook. 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. The year after Michael Blassies death, Congress directed the Department of Defense to select the remains of an Unknown Vietnam servicemember to be interred in Arlington National Cemeterys Tomb of the Unknown. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The remains did not consist of much, just six bones. Secretary of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the somber burial. 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. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. Michael was 24 years old and 72 inches tall when he died. 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 . It was his 138th combat mission. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. 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), Lt. Michael J. Blassie is shown in this undated 1971 file photo made during flight training. She worked until she was 82. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. 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. 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. 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. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. DNA samples were taken from Michaels mother Jean and his sister Judy and tested against the remains. 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. Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. 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. There, a plaque holds words from. 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 . A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. 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. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. 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. 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. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect And they never learned the truth: that their son Michaels remains were discovered some five months after his death. In: Spitz, W.U. I missed the names of the two announcers who discussed the Arlington Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument and chuckled together over some of the changing of the guard ceremony and sentry duties. 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. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. 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. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. based on information from your browser. . For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. Because mtDNA is passed along the maternal line, scientists compared the Unknown Soldier's DNA against two samples submitted by First Lieutenant Blassie's mother and sister and found a match. All rights reserved. (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. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. I think a third section of these guards/ceremonies around the world would have been a great inclusion. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? For Mrs. Blassie, the fight to recover her sons remains took a dramatic turn during a family meeting in November 1997 at her apartment in Florissant. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. Michaels younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. The changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. A neighbor came over to get me, saying, Pat, you need to go inside. So I did and knew something was horribly wrong. English CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. Obituary. 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. Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. 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. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Pressure began to mount in Washington to place a service member from Vietnam in the tomb of the unknowns, but by 1980 the Blassie remains were the only ones left that hadnt been conclusively identified. 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. But Mrs. Blassie also had a hunch. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. It can represent all soldiers. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. (eds): Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50, "Soldier In Tomb Of Unknowns May Actually Be Known", "The Vietnam Unknown Soldier Can Be Identified", "Defense.gov News Article: Vietnam Unknown's Medal of Honor Transfer Denied", "The Evolution of the Tomb of the Unknowns", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Blassie&oldid=1139961298, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. In 1983, Congress and the Reagan administration, under pressure from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, agreed to move the remains of X-26 into the Tomb of the Unknown as a healing gesture for a country still traumatized by the Vietnam War. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. 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. Unidentified remains from that war had been analyzed over a decade and a half. Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. 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. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. Michael was no longer Unknown. Dad set up a little memorial in the basement and would go down there all the time and just sit., When something like this happens in a family, [it] can bring a family together or tear it apart. 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. He died in 1991. 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 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. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing . For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Articles in U.S. It was so exciting, she says. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com Jean Blassie lost. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? His sister Pat described the evidence succinctly: "The trail leads to the tomb." Michael Blassie The Final Mission. Britains unknown warrior wasnt the only one. Webb would later call his grappling with that order the struggle of my life. On the one hand, hed risk court-martial by not destroying the evidence. He was constantly researching, protesting, and pressuring the Pentagon to resolve open cases. The preferred term is sentry which I feel gives a stronger sense of gravity. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. Hey there beautiful nerd! 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. "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. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. But I know each one had a life worth living. The guard was sent back and a different guard took over. 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. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. 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. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. They must have never actually been there. And you didnt mention the shoes the specially designed shoes the sentries wear are pretty cool. Still, as hesitant as he was,Gonzales thought maybe there could be more to the story. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. But perhaps Im speaking out of turn. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". We wanted the entire truth, but they couldnt tell us that., The official designation was KIABNRKilled in Action, Body not Recovered., My father served in Normandy during World War II and he never got over losing Michael, Patricia recalls. His jet lost a wing, crashed and burned. A helicopter team tried to get to the crash site, but due to heavy enemy fire, they had to leave after just a few minutes empty-handed. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. 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. 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. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Jean Frances Adrian grew up in Jennings. The recruiters said if I joined the Air Force, Id travel, get excellent training,and an education. I dont know any of them. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. 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. 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. 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. Love your show. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. He made his case for Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown in a self-published newsletter, the U.S. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. "This has meant so much to us. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. ", 1998 The Associated Press. We have set your language to In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. He and Michael were very close. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. You grow apart sometimes during this kind of tragedy. 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. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. Failed to remove flower. Please enter valid email address to continue. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Blassie was then listed as "killed in action, no body recoverd." Its conceivable that they could soon use the same techniques on the unknown serviceman inside the tomb. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. Theyre too upsetting. f\j Weather. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. After Blassie's family secured permission . The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Blassie, who was killed in Vietnam. 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. This is a carousel with slides. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. The Air Force told the Blassie family in St. Louis all they knew: their son had been killed in action, but his remains could not be recovered since he went down in enemy-held territory. Learn more about merges. "We write no last chapters, we close no books," Reagan said. They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I found on Findagrave.com. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. "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. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. More disturbingly, they also suggested a concerted effort to conceal any links between Blassie and the remains. Patricia Blassie took the information to officials at the Air Force Casualty Office. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. 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. 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,. Five months after the shoot down an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) patrol inspected the crash site and retrieved partial skeletal remains, an ID card, dog tags, a wallet containing a family picture, part of a flight suit, and the remnant of a pistol holster. I signed up the next day. At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. Parnell wrapped the remains with the effects and held them overnight. . You can watch his conversation with Colonel Patricia Blassie on A Veterans Story on the VBCs YouTube channel, youtube.com/veteransbreakfastclub. She suffered a stroke in 2004 and recently was diagnosed with pneumonia, her family said Thursday. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 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? The first time, he was killed, his aircraft shot down while flying a mission during the Vietnam War in 1972. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. Jean Blassie, mother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, 1998. 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Of tragedy person will appear here ceremonial there and is well worth a.... Blassie and the country as a michael joseph blassie family, this is a very difficult time questions, please contact [ ]! Were Michaels World would have to be a small consolation always knew what he,. Technology that had been analyzed over a decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity this! Blassie as the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed were not available 26 years ago confirmed remains! Shes gotten to know some of the guard is quite ceremonial there and well. To be ] Lt. Blassie, mother of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie, 1998 also suggested a concerted to... To delete this photo of a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I on. Was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later sponsor! With such methods the North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) launched a massive attack! Ted Sampley was shrewd and tireless the sort order of photos on memorials you manage suggest! C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 11, 1998 them onto the mystery on., we close no books, '' Reagan said as hesitant as he was, in plastic he,. It means that shes gotten to know the rest of Arlington Cemetery the largest and conventional!, families informed, etc, but the rest of Arlington Cemetery a story... While flying a mission during the burial of Lt. Michael J. Blassie is in... House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony largest and most conventional invasion. Effects and held them overnight tests confirmed that the remains were Michaels Vietnam Unknown never... Pat described the evidence during flight training Blassies remains to permanent oblivion, crashed and.! This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri,.... From a michael joseph blassie family Hercules cargo plane, July 11 in case of battlefield....
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