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. 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. 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. On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Also pictured is sister Judy Cozad (left). On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Please enter valid email address to continue. One of them told her once that their mission guarding the Unknowns is never really over. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Required fields are marked *, 99% Invisible We wanted to know the rest of the story. He also added the critical notation: BTB [Believed to Be] Lt. Blassie, Michael Joseph.. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael Joseph Townsend Sr. of Snow Hill, Maryland, born in Salisbury, Maryland, who passed away on February 23, 2023, at the age of 72, leaving to mourn family and friends. 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. Im curious how the remains werent identifiable as Michael Blassie if he was the only remaining unidentified serviceman from the war. My father went to his grave in 1991 not knowing the rest of his sons story., Meanwhile, Patricia herself joined the Air Force. President Reagan presided over the funeral and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. All rights reserved. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. That crypt would remain empty for over a decade. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. 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. Captain Parnell wrapped the remains, and the other items found at the crash site, in plastic and held them overnight. Today he comes home.". AFDIL has used DNA analysis to identify the remains of at least 150 military personnel from Vietnam, Korea, and World War 2, and assisted in the identification of victims from high profile disasters, both natural and man-made. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Its conceivable that they could soon use the same techniques on the unknown serviceman inside the tomb. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. The Medal of Honor bestowed upon him as the Vietnam Unknown was not transferred to Blassie after his remains were identified. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. Then, as more information about those remains was discovered, only one set of remains remained unknown. [3][4] A CBS News report in January 1998 subsequently made the same claim. Thanks for your help! Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. They were just looking out for him until he could go home. But instead of giving closure, the remains endured one of the most baffling episodes of misidentification in military history. After Blassie's family secured permission . Weve updated the security on the site. It can represent all soldiers. 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. A system error has occurred. In part, because the formula was so easy to follow all that was needed was the body of a single unknown soldier. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. However, Vietnam veterans pressured Congress to designate an unknown, believing the action would give recognition to their service, sacrifice, and honor. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base on May 24 and arrived at Andrews Air Force Base the following day. He and Michael were very close. 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 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. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. [6] Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. United States Air Force Vietnam Veteran. I never dreamed Id never see Michael again., The Blassie siblings, 1961. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. It represents all soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the rest of us. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. 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. well, that was simply too much to believe. 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. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. "He and. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. Updated: June 21, 2016 . 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. Michael Sorkin is a reporter at the Post-Dispatch. She worked until she was 82. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid 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. Test your knowledge! The next time, the Air Force lost him. 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. 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". For 14 years, the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie lay beneath the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. This browser does not support getting your location. 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. Real soldiers visiting the tomb have a very different perspective on this memorial than I could hope to imagine. William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1998. 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. As is standard, all records pertaining to these remains were destroyed. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Records can get damaged or destroyed, and post-mortem materials can be affected by decomposition, body fragmentation and exposure to heat. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. In addition, a single strand of hair found in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood type O negative. Michael Blassie in his Air Force Academy cadet uniform. They interviewed Parnell, by then a retired Colonel living in Florida. But it doesnt make it right that we interred a known soldier, she added. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. In 1994, over two decades after Michael had been killed, his family received a phone call from a complete stranger named Ted Sampley. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Michael Blassies C-37 Dragonfly was part of that defense flying support for allied South Vietnamese ground units. 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 . Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? He subsequently qualified as an A-37 Dragonfly pilot and served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron, deployed to Southeast Asia. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Hundreds, including Secretary of Defense William Cohen and House minority leader Richard Gephardt, attended the ceremony. 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. Michael Joseph Blassie was a United States Air Force officer who was killed in action during the Vietnam War in May 1972. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. 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. [3] After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains were exhumed on May 14, 1998. But the military didnt tell anyone, officials later explained, because they said they couldnt be certain that it was he. But the evidence that they were Blassie's was too slim, so the designation was removed in 1979. She stood strong, did what was right and led the family.. Try again later. The remains were confirmed to be those of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Blassie. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. There, a plaque holds words from the Gettysburg Address: "We can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow this ground. 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,. DNA tests determined that the remains in the tomb were those of Blassie. Many Vietnam veterans, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National . This shielding of information from the Blassies ended up only compounding their pain. If they had, they might have hung up on him. Failed to report flower. The name he read on the ID card was Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. The writer had been combing through military records, he said, and found that the Air Force had found the wreckage of Michaels plane five months after he was shot down, 60 miles north of Saigon. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. A funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. today at Rose Philippine Duchesne Church, 2560 Parker Road, Florissant. 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. "He's still serving today because he now represents those that need to come home," she said. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. 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. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. These sources reinforced the probability that Michael Blassies remains were in the Tomb. Flying at a low altitude to drop napalm, he would have been propelled into the ground. Last chance! Blassie's remains, which had been buried in the Tomb of the . display: none; You grow apart sometimes during this kind of tragedy. 99pi keep up the great work. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. There was an error deleting this problem. 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. Jean Blassie lost her son twice. The goal was to schedule the ceremony before Election Day 1984, which is why Memorial Day, rather than Veterans Day, was selected. 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. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. 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. The Armed Forces have adopted the latest advances in fingerprint and dental identification, and forensic anthropology and radiology. Today, said President Reagan at the Tomb, we pause to embrace him and all who served so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. Love your show. f\j Weather. The Blassie family watches as their family member Michael, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules cargo plane, July 10. (2006): Identification of Human Remains. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. 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. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. Add to your scrapbook. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. (AP Photo/James A. Finley), Lt. Michael J. Blassie is shown in this undated 1971 file photo made during flight training. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. 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. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. Patricia is on Michaels right (Blassie family). Privacy Policy & Terms of Service. No one doubted his commitment to the cause of POW/MIAs. 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