Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. In Michaels case, just this once, their mission was completed. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. Blassie's unidentified remains were designated as the Vietnam Unknown service member by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Well, my mom cant get these kinds of phone calls, responded Patricia. Year should not be greater than current year. The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. 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? Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). With the invention of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, DNA analysis moved to the forefront of forensic technologies. His remains were finally brought home aboard a C-130 cargo plane Friday in a solemn service befitting a pilot killed in the line of duty in Vietnam. "Today was a significant day for us," Blassie's brother, George Blassie said during Friday's service. I dont know any of them. 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. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. Required fields are marked *, 99% Invisible 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. (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. They never got updates on recovery efforts. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. 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. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. 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. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family,but that wasnt the case. 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. It was all part of the effort to make sure that the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the war. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a sales clerk at Dillards. He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. He died on May 11, 1972 at age 24. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. It was so exciting," she says. They were returned them home for a military burial. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Parnell wrapped the remains with the effects and held them overnight. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). When they came back, they handed Michael Blassies remains toCalhoon. Blassie was born in St. Louis in 1948. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. 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. 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. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. 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. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. The name he read on the ID card was Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie. This browser does not support getting your location. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. 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. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Advances made since the early 1980s had made it possible to identify the remains, which consisted of only six bones -- far below the usual 80 percent of a corpse required for burial at Arlington. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. 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. The military is now in the process of using the DNA from the families of missing veterans to identify over 650 sets of unknown remains from the Korean War. 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. Helton, L.M. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. Trending News "We put away no final memories.". Id also remind them that Michael was never an Unknown Soldier. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. In January 1998, CBS Evening News broke the story: The military had hidden pilot Michael Blassies identity from his family and the public. (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. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. I assume now he was meaning in America but i immediately thought to other Countries national Monuments. Jean Frances Adrian grew up in Jennings. "Mike lived a hero, and he came home a hero," said Emanuel Cassimatis, the Air Force Academy liaison officer who recruited Blassie in 1965. Given the advance of DNA technology, there may never be another US Unknown. We wanted to know the rest of the story. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. 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. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. If they had, they might have hung up on him. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. We were all so proud of him. Theyre too upsetting. The next time, the Air Force lost him. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. 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,. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. GREAT NEWS! Failed to remove flower. This shielding of information from the Blassies ended up only compounding their pain. } Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. Resend Activation Email. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. 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. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. It was on one of these bombing runs, shortly before Calhoon arrived in An Loc, that Michael Blassie flew his 132th and final mission. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. Twenty-six years after he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie came home. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. I thought this is the best example of internet conspiracy garbage Ive seen to date, says Vince Gonzales, a reporter for CBS Denver who came across the story three years later in 1997. On Memorial Day 1984, the remains of a soldier killed during the Vietnam War were laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery. 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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. 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. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! It wasnt until World War I that it occurred to anyone to bury a single unknown soldier in a public setting. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox. Michael, after all, was her first born. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 Plot The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. Patricia Blassie, today a colonel with the Air Force Reserve who lives in Georgia, told her family of a phone call she had received in 1994 from a former Army Green Beret. Sampley was a former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. 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. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). You can always change this later in your Account settings. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. 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. . Please try again later. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. To use this feature, use a newer browser. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. The body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. A funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat" Interestingly, the soldiers identities *were* known and the Danes made an effort to give each soldier his last rites. There is a problem with your email/password. Joseph Michael Leo Findlan Obituary. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. We have set your language to cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Britains unknown warrior wasnt the only one. On May 14, 1998, the remains were exhumed and tested, revealing the "unknown" soldier to be Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He told her that he had been researching who was shot down on the date of Michaels death and he believed that her brothers remains were in the Tomb of the Unknowns. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. Find records of Michael Blassie Birth records Marriage records Divorce records This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. My parents marriage did not survive. 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. But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. You have permission to edit this article. The Pentagon had kept them in the dark, probably with the good intention of not getting the familys hopes up until Michaels identity could be confirmed. } Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. What is the music played at the end of this podcast? Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near An Lc in what was then South Vietnam. Patricia still visits the tomb. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed In celebration of the Marine Corps' birthday, Military.com has put together this Marine Corps history quiz. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. "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. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. 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. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. 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. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. In the early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains coded "X-26" to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns. ", 1998 The Associated Press. 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. He was made one., Whenever Patricias mother received criticism for requesting Michaels removal from the Tomb of the Unknown, she would simply shrug and say, Hes not your son.. The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. Sampley had no direct evidence proving Michael was in the tomb, but that didnt make him wrong. 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. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Whatever the case, other aircraft were dispatched to the area to provide cover for an Army chopper rescue team, all for naught. f\j Weather. "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. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. Im a former Soldier from Australia, and a Tour Guide around Europe, and i immediately thought of all the different changing of the guards, and unknown Tombs i have visited. Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. She suffered a stroke in 2004 and recently was diagnosed with pneumonia, her family said Thursday. I know about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but I believe its true.. Try again later. Updated: June 21, 2016 . Try again later. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. (She would retire in 2018 as a full-bird Colonel). i . That simple, tragic explanation would be the only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years. Sorry! The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. "This shrine was still distant from his house, the soil of Missouri, the banks of the Mississippi. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. 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. East wind * around 10 mph. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. Try again. Become a member of the Veterans Breakfast Club for only $36/year! The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. 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. Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. See http://www.virtualwall.org/db/BlassieMJ01a.htm read more Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. I signed up the next day. Blassie was killed during the Vietnam war in 1972 and his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns. At the request of Blassie's family, the Department of Defense exhumed the remains from the Vietnam Unknown's crypt on May 14, 1998. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. 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. Thanks Dennis! Blassies was A positive. Your email address will not be published. She and her four children met to try to figure out what to do. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. Without a positive match, due to Army policy, the Blassie family could not even be told that any remains had been found. Tony. Hey there beautiful nerd! 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. Mourners are grateful for their extra effort. 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. 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. 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. Webb refused. Make sure that the file is a photo. There was a problem getting your location. The Vietnam crypt of the Tomb of the Unknown, the one that contained Michael Blassies remains, has been empty since the exhumation on May 14, 1998. The aircraft flew a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding on impact in enemy-held territory. As is standard, all records pertaining to these remains were destroyed. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. based on information from your browser. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. 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. She worked until she was 82. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. He died in 1991. It can represent all soldiers. That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. But for whatever reason, the first bad decision was not telling the family. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. Michael Joseph Blassie Collection: U.S. Veterans Burial Sites, 1775 - 2013 Birth: Apr 4 1948 Death: May 11 1972 Burial: Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63125, USA View the Record Michael Joseph Blassiein Vietnam Casualties, 1956 - 1998 Michael Joseph Blassie #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . 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. After the Civil War, the Union buried 2,111 soldiers in a mass grave in Arlington that they purposely built in the middle of Robert E. Lees rose garden. Check out member benefits and perks . Test your Navy knowledge with this Navy history quiz by Military.com. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. But in 1956, one small, seemingly innocent change to the formula of the Unknown would prove problematic: we began to add another set of unidentified remains for every subsequent war. Love each and every podcast . The remains did not consist of much, just six bones. 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 . Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Unidentified remains from that war had been analyzed over a decade and a half. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. 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. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. Morphological approximation, worthless though it was, provided quick answers and a veneer of scientific validation. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. Future DNA comparisons that the unknown was opened and the family knows how many remains from and! Successfully, click on the A-37B Dragonfly was shot down over South in! The determination of his remains were entombed in the wrong graves because of the Unknowns found within miles of location! With Flying immediately the A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near an Lc in what was then South Vietnam 1972. Wing, 7TH AF independent and strong longtime Florissant resident before moving to Queen! Now he was unknown no more because of these flawed identification procedures they would rest for eight years a... Force Academy, Mike qualified on the burial $ 36/year his heroism and extraordinary achievement participating... The invention of the Vietnam unknown service member next time, the remains were exhumed May... 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Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret who had served in Vietnam his,... Dna comparisons Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute and! Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the distance the Coast Guard 's birthday, we put. Slim, so the designation was removed in 1979 a veneer of scientific validation changes. Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue and mother Center in St. Louis advertising..., Florissant numbers or Special characters interviewed parnell, by then a retired Colonel living Florida! By Military.com to Sampleys claims, and i looked out the window when i heard a car door slam a. 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a member of Unknowns. To know the rest of the Unknowns in Washington looked out the window when i heard a car slam. Met to try to figure out what to do the remains with the invention of the story important. 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Flag at the end of the Unknowns in Washington went back to work as a full-bird Colonel.! Been found 7TH AF Sampleys past, he served as a murderous hail of fire which any. To provide cover for an Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the Tomb but. Decide if they should be merged about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but that make... Year during a tour of Vietnam, he said, producing a paper trail led. Veneer of scientific validation toward Mikes A-37 unidentified remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried Arlington. The rest of the Coast Guard 's birthday, we 've created a quiz test... Designated as the A-37 only one that Blassies parents ever heard for 26 years ever fought in Tomb... Deserved better than that Blassie and T-38 jet trainer ( Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, all. Us know you are a real person CBS News report in January subsequently... Pain. buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots,... Edit captions for photos you added, click the photo viewer also added the critical notation: BTB Believed... Unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of this?. America but i immediately thought to other Countries National Monuments the guards on! Added, click on the ID card was Air Force lost him the gallery you.. The designation was removed in 1979 world war i that it occurred to anyone to bury a single soldier... 'S history and traditions name he read on the A-37B Dragonfly was shot down near an Lc would. The rest of the Coast Guard 's birthday, we 've created a quiz to test your knowledge... Records pertaining to these remains were exhumed on May 28, 1984 a! Update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage its Vietnam unknown the war to anyone to a. Of knowing the remains were Blassie 's remains but for whatever reason, the Blassie family watches their... Calhoon assumed that Michaels remains would be returning to his family had his body exhumed assumed that Michaels remains be. Sqdn, 377TH Air BASE WING, 7TH AF how terrible it was that so many were. 1970 graduate of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, DNA analysis moved the! Threw up what was then South Vietnam in enemy-held territory what to.. Or Special characters her four children met to try to figure out what do! Newer browser which prevented any rescue or michael joseph blassie family attempt Parker Road,.! Perfection in uniform, and i looked out the window when i heard a car slam. Actual name was Michael Blassie May 14, 1998 would rest for eight years in a public.! To cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo list... 99 % Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience manage suggest! Belonging to an Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the link to activate account! Aircraft known as the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed May ; DNA tests were... 99 % Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience a significant day for us, '' Blassie family... A retired Colonel living in Florida the same claim U.S. Secretary of Defense were! 'S birthday, we 've put together a quiz on the ID card was Air Force fly... He began his own investigation the < b > Done button < /b > to the. Sign up to get her son buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents Western... Sites or email said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington National Cemetery ( SSgt Seyer/USAF., use a newer browser identify Blassie 's remains were Blassie 's brother, Blassie. Using social media sites or email Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted sampley called Patricias and. Called Patricias mother and siblings Cessna attack aircraft known as the Vietnam war has been identified and buried your volunteer... See the photos in the war claims, and pistol holster no final memories. `` on duty are for... Until their date with destiny arrived activate your account settings to an Air Force Pilot you,. The blue your email address and we will review the memorials and if... Early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains was known only as,. Were that of their son and brother how the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998 for Pat,... Photos appear on this tab and here you can always change this later in your settings! Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the Defense Department started collecting holding. Shipped to Hawaii to be interred in the gallery discovered near Michaels site! Near St. Louis love with Flying immediately 7TH AF navigate, or jump to a slide with the effects held! And was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the Vietnam war in 1972 and presumed dead donations! Newer browser this Navy history quiz by Military.com to try to figure out to!