His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. Your email address will not be published. They detailed that Michael Blassies remains had been recovered in Vietnam and that the person who recovered them was Chris Calhoon. Sorry! By no means, the office reported back, is there anything to substantiate that your brother is in the Tomb of the Unknown.. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 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. To Army scientists, these findings superseded any other evidence, such as documents or personal effects. 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. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. 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. After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. I want to bring my son home.. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com Jean Blassie lost. He and Michael were very close. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. Major Johnie Webb was the officer in charge of the Armys Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. The body will be cremated and her remains buried at Calvary Cemetery with her parents and grandparents. Helton, L.M. The date, location of the crash, bone fragments from the body and remnants of his flight suit and parachute led to the conclusion that it was Michael. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect GREAT NEWS! "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. The DNA testing resulted in a perfect match with the Blassies. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. Blassie was laid to rest beneath lush bluegrass in the cemetery's oldest section, established in 1826 alongside the original military post. They must have never actually been there. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. From there, the remains and effects went to Camp Samae San, Thailand, where the US ran a search and recovery center. Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. Check out member benefits and perks . There is a problem with your email/password. Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. } This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed The American memorial is especially beautiful. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified.[6]. Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . 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. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. 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. When they came back, they handed Michael Blassies remains toCalhoon. There, Captain Richard S. Hess of Mortuary Affairs inventoried the package and added a skeletal chart showing the bones locations on the body (right humerus, right pelvis, and four rib bones). As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. (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. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We were all so proud of him. 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. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie family). . Jean Blassie lost her son twice. 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. Its one of the reasons the tomb has become one of the Washington D.C. areas biggest tourist attractions. In Michaels case, just this once, their mission was completed. CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. [6] The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. At the request of Blassie's family, the Department of Defense exhumed the remains from the Vietnam Unknown's crypt on May 14, 1998. Try again later. Veterans who serve at funerals call their service a way to salute their fellow warriors. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Blassie was buried Saturday with full military honors at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. An Army band played mournfully while 21-gun salutes cracked in the distance. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. It sits at the top of a hill that overlooks the rest of Arlington Cemetery. cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. In celebration of the Marine Corps' birthday, Military.com has put together this Marine Corps history quiz. 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. 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. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Try again later. 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. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National . Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. Visit the digital memorial page of Veteran Michael Joseph Blassie where you can share stories, photos, biographies, obituaries, tributes and more. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. 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. It was so exciting," she says. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. The accompanying shells found their mark. Dubbed the "super-tweet . She stood strong, did what was right and led the family.. Year should not be greater than current year. It represents all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. The six fragments in file X-26 were the exception. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. That destiny was already in motion. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. Prior to the identification of his remains, Blassie was the unknown service member . Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. He was convinced the government wasnt telling veterans everything it knew, and he was calling Patricia Blassie with an outlandish theory about Michaels death. 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. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. Out of the fog of war comes another version of the incident, one in which Michaels Dragonfly inverts upside down, and Michael ejects from the stricken aircraft. They were completely cut off from the rest of the world. "He and. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Blassie was then listed as "killed in action, no body recoverd." Today he comes home.". Blassie's unidentified remains were designated as the Vietnam Unknown service member by Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. 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. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. DNA tests confirmed that the previously unknown soldier was, in fact, Michael Blassie. The DNA technology that could conclusively identify the remains was just around the corner, but in 1984 they were ordered to prepare X-26 for burial. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. (2006): Identification of Human Remains. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. And they never learned the truth: that their son Michaels remains were discovered some five months after his death. 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. 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