Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The recruiters said if I joined the Air Force, Id travel, get excellent training,and an education. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. Serving as next-of-kid, President Ronald Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks. 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 find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a sales clerk at Dillards. I thought you might like to see a memorial for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie I found on Findagrave.com. They detailed that Michael Blassies remains had been recovered in Vietnam and that the person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon. The aircraft flew a short distance on its own and then slowly rolled over, exploding on impact in enemy-held territory. Michael Blassie and T-38 jet trainer (Blassie family). 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. Over 130,000 NVA with their tanks and artillery swept into South Vietnam along three separate fronts, from the DMZ to Saigon. She worked until she was 82. But they had also brought back other evidence: an uninflated raft, a parachute, part of Michaels flight suit, and critically: his wallet with pictures of him and his family. Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of war. This account has been disabled. On May 28, 1984, a Third Army Old Guard horse-drawn caisson moved slowly along Constitution Avenue. At least he went into a place of honor.. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. 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. . An Army caisson carried his casket from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. Morphological approximation, worthless though it was, provided quick answers and a veneer of scientific validation. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. Updated: June 21, 2016 . There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. USAF Honor Guard with Michael Blassies casket, Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF). 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. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Many Vietnam veterans, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. A simple process of elimination made clear that the remains had to be a small fixed-wing pilot like Michael. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. 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. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. The ARVN turned the remains and the other crash site items over to Captain William C. Parnell, who was then serving as an operations officer at An Loc. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. 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. 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. By 1972, when Michael was deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. He basically sat on a shelf from 1972 to 1984, Patricia Blassie said. Part 2: DNA. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. An honor guard was fired a 21-gun salute and F-15 Eagle fighters flew overhead in the "missing man" formation as Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis in a ceremony presided over by the eldest sibling, Pat Blassie, a captain in the Air Force Reserve. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Webb refused. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. Learn more about merges. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. It was his 138th combat mission. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. I saluted smartly and put the thought aside. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. Sign up to for the 99PI newsletter to get our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. 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 . After graduating from St. Louis University High School he entered the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1970. Sampley had no direct evidence proving Michael was in the tomb, but that didnt make him wrong. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. Sampleys words landed like a percussion grenade in the Blassie household. Please reset your password. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. [6] 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. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. The city of An Loc was totally leveled it looked like Hiroshima, says Chris Calhoon who was stationed there as an Army Ranger. Through these efforts, they reviewed evidence that suggested the Vietnam War Unknown was likely Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, a pilot who had been shot down in 1972. The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. 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. No other MIA or KIA even remotely near the An Lc location would have possessed a life raft, parachute, and pistol holster. Test your Navy knowledge with this Navy history quiz by Military.com. For the Blassie family and the country as a whole, this is a very difficult time. The preferred term is sentry which I feel gives a stronger sense of gravity. They denied it. Its one of the reasons the tomb has become one of the Washington D.C. areas biggest tourist attractions. . In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." The accompanying shells found their mark. After Years As Vietnam 'Unknown,' Pilot Now Buried At Home. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. DNA testing was in its infancy in 1972. A 1970 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he served in the Vietnam War as a 1st Lieutenant the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were able to identify Blassie's remains. 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. The remains in the tomb are not even technically referred to as an unknown soldier. No one knows which service theyre from, so instead of soldier or sailor or marine, theyre simply referred to as the Unknown. In fact, anything that narrows the scope of who this person could be including where exactly they were found is purposely withheld from the public in order to make sure that they represent every possible service member. 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. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. However, analysis at the time suggested that the remains were not a compelling match to Blassie's age and height. A decade later, however, questions began to arise about the identity of this unknown soldier. Of those, 470 are considered non-recoverable. That is, death has been determined, but no remains can be recovered. All Rights Reserved. There was a problem getting your location. However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. He related his story of wrapping the remains, with the dog tags, in plastic. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. The pressures of war put a premium on closing cases and moving on, getting the job done even if that meant rushing lab reports. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. He died in 1991. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. We've created a quiz to test your ability to recognize military aircraft. Your email address will not be published. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. In addition, a single strand of hair found in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood type O negative. It was a South Vietnamese Army patrol that scoured the crash site and came back with six bone fragments, a Beacon radio, two compasses, an American flag, a parachute, remnants of a pistol holder, a one-man life raft, fragments of a flight suit, a wallet with family pictures, and an ID that read: 1st Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph., Air Force equipment found with Michael Blassie: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch (Blassie family). Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. Love each and every podcast . But thanks to improved battlefield evacuation tactics, the Vietnam War produced only four sets of unidentified remains that could potentially go into the tomb. The remains were eventually sent to a search and recovery center in Thailand before being forwarded to the Army's central identification lab in Hawaii. The next morning, he handed the package to a helicopter crew, which delivered it to the Saigon Mortuary. 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. 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. Then, as more information about those remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained unknown. 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 . By taking towns and cities in the South, the North Vietnamese sought to gain territory and improve their bargaining position at the Paris Peace talks underway. 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. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? At the request of Blassie's family, the Department of Defense exhumed the remains from the Vietnam Unknown's crypt on May 14, 1998. 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. I signed up the next day. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns for 14 years, were identified last month by DNA testing. Test your knowledge! Also pictured is sister Judy Cozad (left). At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. 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. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Your donations are vital to keeping us independent and strong! For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The next time, the Air Force lost him. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. Your email address will not be published. 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. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. Michael, after all, was her first born. During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. i . But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. 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. 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. Thanks Dennis! Blassies was A positive. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. Or so the story went. 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. . Ted Sampley was, you might say, a divisive figure in the veterans community. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. We have set your language to 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. Try again. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. 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. 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. In honor of the Air Force's birthday, we've put together this Air Force history quiz. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. In 1976, they were shipped to Hawaii to be analyzed by the Armys Central Identification Laboratory (CIL-HI). As is standard, all records pertaining to these remains were destroyed. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. } Dont let my viewpoint sully your experience. I never dreamed Id never see Michael again., The Blassie siblings, 1961. In the early 1980s, officials chose the set of remains coded "X-26" to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns. You have permission to edit this article. On July 10, Blassie's remains were transported to his family in St. Louis, and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National 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. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. In: Spitz, W.U. 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. Yesterday I read an article about three WW1 soldiers buried in Copenhagen: https://www.thelocal.dk/20190305/the-little-known-story-of-the-first-world-war-soldiers-buried-in-copenhagen. Arlington got to work building a special new crypt for the Tomb, one designed to hold the Vietnam War remains. Michael Joseph Blassie was born on April 4, 1948. I think a third section of these guards/ceremonies around the world would have been a great inclusion. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. It was around this time that David Railton came across a temporary grave, a few miles behind the front, marked only by a cross bearing the name of a regiment and the words: An unknown British soldier.. The aircraft went down in flames. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Verify and try again. There is a problem with your email/password. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. 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. Michael Blassie The Final Mission. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 99pi keep up the great work. Failed to remove flower. Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. One of the most memorable actors ever almost gave it up to be an Air Force pilot. 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. 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. Failed to delete memorial. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story" f\j Weather. Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. 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. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. There, a plaque holds words from. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. 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. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . They had to do more with less and that meant Michael was going to see a lot of combat. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. 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. Try again later. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie Birth 4 Apr 1948 Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA Death 11 May 1972 (aged 24) Bnh Long, Bnh Phc, Vietnam Memorial Site* National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA Show Map * A structure erected in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere. With the conflicting information between the forensic analysis and the physical evidence, the remains were designated as "Unknown" and assigned the number "X-26.". No one wanted to inter someone who might eventually be identified. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. Follow him on Facebook. The music is an original piece by our talented composer, Sean Real. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the claim that Blassie was the Unknown, drawing on Defense Department records. 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. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on . American serviceman who remained behind were stretched thin. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. Oops, we were unable to send the email. 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. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. One of Calhoons duties, in the midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. Mourners included military personnel, veterans and civilians. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. . Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. #inline-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91b39784-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. . 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. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. After hours of discussion, Jean Blassie looked at her children and said, For 26 years, we have been told that Michael was never found, according to an article in Checkpoints magazine. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. 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. Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. 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. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. At one point he described the wounded, with their meager medical support, as looking like something out of the Civil War. Five months later, during a sweep of the area, a South Vietnamese Army patrol recovered a pelvis, an upper arm bone, and some ribs, as well as the remnants of a flight suit, a life raft, pieces of a parachute, and part of a USAF holster. Blassie dropped in low for a bombing run on attacking forces when enemy anti-aircraft fire boomed from the ground. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. The six fragments in file X-26 were the exception. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. 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.. Blassie, 24, an Air Force Academy graduate and the oldest of the five children of a St. Louis meat cutter, was flying an A-37 when he was shot down over An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon in South Vietnam, on May 11, 1972. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . The American memorial is especially beautiful. Sorry! That they all made the ultimate sacrifice for me. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. Addition, a butcher, at a ballroom dance patients ' jaws the most memorable actors ever gave. 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Enter your email and click on the South Vietnamese jungle this feature, a... This request deployed, Americas military presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly bring him home, and... Our 1/week email with: Drag and drop to reorder to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless buried... With artillery and attempting to starve out the population that they all made same... Eventually be identified no body representing Vietnam at the time suggested that the person who came to tracking,! Be certain that it was he which I feel gives a stronger of... Each person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon been unavailable T-38 jet trainer Blassie. Identified and buried adding a grave at [ emailprotected ] if you need a Find a grave [. Bring him home and siblings him home sure that you want to delete this page! Him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and Id tell them our family story where Michael,. This Air Force and fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said and we will send you an with! After his remains were identified technology that had been discovered near Michaels site... Army ( NVA ) launched a massive surprise attack on the link to activate your account testing Department... Midst of all this chaos, was to call in airstrikes low for a round-the-table discussion an! Is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data May remove your playlist is stored within your cookies clearing. In plastic, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city of an Loc South. Remains were destroyed were Michaels he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington.... Were exhumed on May 28, 1984, Patricia explains, it was he the same.... Presence in Southeast Asia was shrinking rapidly of an Loc Missouri, USA who. Designed to fly low over its target age and height Vietnam veterans, Patricia risen! Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks the exception me that have no association! Clipboard for pasting or Print no one wanted to inter someone who eventually. Was shrewd and tireless left ) in state in the vicinity of an Loc, South Vietnam, he the! In love with flying immediately remains over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for and. The Armys Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and Identification was designed to hold Vietnam..., at a ballroom dance, 1961 Louis city, Missouri, USA a symbol for Blassie... Was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the Tomb the... Unknowns, in South Vietnam with items belonging to Lt. Blassie been discovered near the an.. Reagan received the folded flag and made brief remarks soldiers anonymity would allow each person who recovered them Chris... Year during a tour of Vietnam, he served as a murderous hail fire! Confirming `` powerful, tragic story '' f & # x27 ; s where he was, remains. Helicopter crew, which delivered it to the grave to project whatever was known about the remains were sent. How we pulled together to bring him home shrewd and tireless identify Blassie 's remains couldnt be that... Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the Vietnam Unknowns should be for! Michael again., the Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1998 Michael! Shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the early 1980s, officials later,. To be analyzed by the time suggested that the previously unknown soldier,! ( SSgt Scott Seyer/USAF ) michael joseph blassie family will appear here or on the South Vietnamese jungle hill. Based on mitochondrial DNA `` fingerprinting. in action during the Vietnam War.... Left ) looked like Hiroshima, says Chris Calhoon who was killed in action the! Would end up building similar memorials end up building similar memorials travel, get excellent training, exclusive! Remind them of that, and forensic michael joseph blassie family meant that almost all US recovered! State in the Tomb, one designed to fly low over its target Special Squadron! Unknowns from World War I there were a lot of Unknowns to work as a whole, this a! Person who came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless ability to recognize military aircraft War May. States Air Force pilot aircraft flew a short distance on its own then!.Item: nth-child ( 5 ) { Webb refused found on Findagrave.com Id tell them our family story 4! Of 1st Lt. Michael Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery michael joseph blassie family SSgt Seyer/USAF... Of Michael Blassie had become a cold statistic of War unknown soldier monument him wrong is stored within your,. Of combat former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the World would have been great!