michael joseph blassie family

They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. A hunch told him there might be something to Sampleys claims, and he began his own investigation. From a computer genius to a popular sitcom star, talented women have made their mark in the U.S. military. Tonight: Occasional mixed rain and snow. Michael, after all, was her first born. 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. There is a problem with your email/password. The report triggered a speedy response from the Department of Defense which, after its own investigation, ordered the Tomb to be opened and the Vietnam Unknowns remains to undergo DNA testing at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. But Mrs. Blassie also had a hunch. . No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. . 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. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now The email does not appear to be a valid email address. 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. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. There is nothing but reverence, respect and deep sorrow among visitors. 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. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Think you're a Top Gun at aircraft identification? While supplies last, you can get an author-signed 99% Invisible uses cookies to help improve your user experience. Failed to delete memorial. At the request of Blassie's family, the Department of Defense exhumed the remains from the Vietnam Unknown's crypt on May 14, 1998. If he couldnt do it, Webb would be ordered to sign off on the burial. 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. The discovery of personal effects at the crash site should have converted Michael Blassie from a Vietnam MIA to a KIA, closing his case. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. She was 90 and had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. But perhaps Im speaking out of turn. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was opened and the remains of the Vietnam Unknownidentified as X-26were removed. Michael Blassies squadron was providing that air support over An Loc. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The guards coming on duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and inspector found some problem with the new guards blouse. She met George Blassie, a butcher, at a ballroom dance. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com. Blood samples were collected from Patricias mother and older sister. She grew bitter and even considered quitting the service. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. Resend Activation Email. There was a problem getting your location. Test your knowledge! The remains and associated materials were eventually turned over to the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii for analysis and identification. The Blassies went public, calling for DNA tests to prove that the remains were Michaels. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. The chain of custody began with Captain William C. Parnell, an operations officer at An Lc. For the past year, Pat Blassie crusaded for the disinterment, convinced that recent evidence - including Blassie's wallet and dog tags found near the crash site - suggested the remains were those of her brother. 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. 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. In May 1998, the remains were disinterred for mitochondrial DNA "fingerprinting." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. All rights reserved. Its like the reverse of this 99pi story! "At a moment of great crises in the history of the world, he gave of himself," Archbishop Justin Rigali said to about 350 friends, family members and current and former members of the military. The 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. CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. 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 . Love each and every podcast . 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. Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. 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 . 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Following the removal of Blassie's remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns, the slab marking "Vietnam" over the crypt that once held his remains was replaced with one that read "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen",[7] as it was decided that the Vietnam crypt would remain a vacant cenotaph. It turns out that, unlike previous wars, the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns. The six fragments in file X-26 were the exception. Whatever was known about the remains of the Vietnam Unknown had never been revealed. 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. Visit the digital memorial page of Veteran Michael Joseph Blassie where you can share stories, photos, biographies, obituaries, tributes and more. It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns in any war. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . A seven-month CBS News investigation has revealed, reported correspondent Eric Engberg, that the identity of the unknown serviceman is almost certainly known, and that some military officials, for whatever reason, knew it all along and tried to hide it.. That Michael might be in the Tomb of the Unknown . Her father died in a traffic accident when she was 9 or 10. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. The US Air Force responded with aerial counterattacks. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. With the invention of the polymerase chain reaction in 1985, DNA analysis moved to the forefront of forensic technologies. They were a match and Michael Blassies remains were returned to his family. The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. 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. Now that DNA samples are taken from everyone who joins the U.S. Armed Forces, there may never be another American "unknown soldier.". We wanted the entire truth, but they couldnt tell us that., The official designation was KIABNRKilled in Action, Body not Recovered., My father served in Normandy during World War II and he never got over losing Michael, Patricia recalls. The remains did not consist of much, just six bones. 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. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Dubbed the super-tweet it was designed to fly low over its target. They denied it. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Test your Navy knowledge with this Navy history quiz by Military.com. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. 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. On July 10, Blassie's remains arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri and were later reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. Please reset your password. Jean Frances Blassie died 15 years later, on Tuesday (June 11, 2013), at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur. (eds): Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50, "Soldier In Tomb Of Unknowns May Actually Be Known", "The Vietnam Unknown Soldier Can Be Identified", "Defense.gov News Article: Vietnam Unknown's Medal of Honor Transfer Denied", "The Evolution of the Tomb of the Unknowns", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Blassie&oldid=1139961298, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 18:50. At least he went into a place of honor.. The dedication alone attracted so many mourners, the line for viewing lasted ten days. Jean Blassie holds a photo of her son Michael Blassie while seated in the living room of her apartment in Florissant, on May 2, 1998. based on information from your browser. f\j Weather. The gravesite of 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery on Thursday, June 13, 2013. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. 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. By the time his mother found out where he was, his remains were entombed in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington. It was his 138th combat mission. In 1997, Gonzalez contacted Patricia. }, First published on July 10, 1998 / 4:49 PM. In my 17-year-old mind, that sounded like a good deal.. ). On May 11, 1972, at age 24, his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft was shot down near An Loc, about 60 miles north of Saigon. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. Webb refused. Mike always knew what he wanted, I didnt. I thought, What is that? I went into the backyard and waited, I mean, everything seemed so strange. In Michaels case, just this once, their mission was completed. The accompanying shells found their mark. After his remains were identified by DNA testing in 1998, they were reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis County, Missouri. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Michael flew as an Air Commando, probably running covert missions into Laos and Cambodia, in addition to his official duties as forward air controller and counterinsurgency operations pilot in South Vietnam. President Ronald Reagan bestowed the Medal of Honor upon the Vietnam unknown. 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. Id left school early that day, and I looked out the window when I heard a car door slam. Its just an outsiders way of honoring all of your sacrifices. Parnell soon turned the remains over to the Saigon mortuary, along with the ID card and other items. But I know each one had a life worth living. 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. He and Michael were very close. At first, there were a lot of Unknowns to work with. How to honor unidentified remains has always been one of the great conundrums of war. For 14 years, the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie lay beneath the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington. The remains were exhumed in May; DNA tests that were not available 26 years ago confirmed the remains were Blassie's. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. Verify and try again. This account has been disabled. Then, according to Webb, the Pentagon issued a second order: destroy any evidence linking file X-26 to Michael Blassie, including the personal artifacts from the crash site. According to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, as of this writing, there are still 1,584 US service members unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. Blassie's mother, three sisters and brother each carried small American flags during the service. Two weeks later, Michael Blassie was buried for good near the family's home . Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. 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. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. Michael was no longer Unknown. In 1991 the Department of Defense founded the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL). Maj. Allan J. Kellogg Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on May 17, 1984,[2] and were transported aboard the USSBrewton to Naval Air Station Alameda. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. He believed, for example, that Senator John McCain had been brainwashed at the Hanoi Hilton and was sent back to the US to orchestrate official coverups of living POWs in Southeast Asia. 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. At 67, Mrs. Blassie went back to work as a sales clerk at Dillards. 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. But not all remains can be identified with such methods. When it came to tracking MIAs, Sampley was shrewd and tireless. Hurtful also were the objections she and her family received from Vietnam veterans, who resented the Blassies for taking away their Unknown. France, Romania, Italy everybody at the same time jumped on this idea. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The Army lab in Hawaii removed the BTB designation and, through a later discredited technique called morphological approximation, declared Michael Blassies remains as belonging to Unknown.. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. Your playlist is stored within your cookies, clearing your browser data may remove your playlist. 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. They married in 1947 and had five children. Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. We have set your language to Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. Defense Secretary William Cohen announced that the remains would be disinterred and the DNA tested. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. DNA testing was in its infancy in 1972. They were returned them home for a military burial. 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. Oops, we were unable to send the email. This browser does not support getting your location. Try again. They had no way of knowing the remains so caringly committed to the Tomb were that of their son and brother. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. Try again later. Members of Blassie's family could not be reached immediately for comment yesterday. Immediate recovery attempts were launched, but Blassie had crashed in an area controlled by enemy forces so it was impossible to examine the crash site. Well, my mom cant get these kinds of phone calls, responded Patricia. They may have received last rights, families informed, etc, but the rest of us know little about those individuals. On July 11, 1998, Michael Blassie was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. When Britain dedicated the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in 1920, it garnered a lot of attention. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. 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. "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. The test results showed a match with DNA samples from Jean Blassie and her oldest daughter. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. One British chaplain named David Railton saw some of the worst of the fighting on the front lines. I think I know where Michael is, he said, producing a paper trail that led to Arlington Cemetery. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost all US remains recovered from combat zones were identified. 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". First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. The unknowns from World War I and World War II are another story for now, but anything is possible. Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. Over a quarter million people lined the route to Arlington National Cemetery. St. Louis native Michael Blassie was the picture of an ideal young Air Force officer: tall, handsome, with a hospitable grin and approachable demeanor. Actually, they had his remains and his military I.D. He was shot down and killed while piloting his A-37B Dragonfly aircraft in the vicinity of An Loc, in South Vietnam. The changing of the guard is quite ceremonial there and is well worth a look. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Those vacuum-sealed samples now number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference analysis in case of battlefield death. Even though they were still officially believed to belong to Blassie, the lab was ordered to strip the remains of their believed to be designation, and give them the anonymous designation X-26. His remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of The Unknowns as an unidentified soldier from the Vietnam War. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have hallowed it far above our poor power to add or detract.". He thought about how terrible it was that so many people were essentially being forgotten they deserved better than that. Articles in U.S. Michael Blassie received an appointment to the Air Force and fell in love with flying immediately. They brought him home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery near St. Louis. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948 - May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force. I want to bring my son home.. Webb devised an ingenious solution: hide the crash-site artifacts where no one would ever find them, in the casket with the remains of X-26. The pressures of war put a premium on closing cases and moving on, getting the job done even if that meant rushing lab reports. Over 130,000 NVA with their tanks and artillery swept into South Vietnam along three separate fronts, from the DMZ to Saigon. During my only visit to the Tomb of the Unknowns, during the changing of the guard, I witnessed what may be a rare event. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. For me the one with the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece. memorial page for 1LT Michael Joseph Blassie (4 Apr 1948-11 May 1972), Find a Grave Memorial ID 4245, citing Jefferson Barracks National . This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. 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. Then, in January 1972, he joined the 8th Special Operations Squadron of the 377th Air Base Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base near Saigon. All Rights Reserved. The guard was sent back and a different guard took over. He served as a Tactical Aircraft Pilot and was assigned to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS SQDN, 377TH AIR BASE WING, 7TH AF. It was all part of the effort to make sure that the Unknown could represent everyone who ever fought in the war. Its conceivable that they could soon use the same techniques on the unknown serviceman inside the tomb. Former GOP Candidate's Military Records Improperly Shared with Democratic Group, Why DARPA Banned the First-Ever First Person Shooter Video Game, Navy Renaming USS Chancellorsville to Honor Union Army Hero, Statesman Who Was Born into Slavery, 2 Commanders Among 6 Fired from Jobs at Minot Air Force Base, Morgan Freeman Turned Down an Acting Scholarship to Join the Air Force. Major James Connally, Blassies flight commander, described the tragic incident in a letter to Michaels parents: Mikes plane was hit and began streaming fuel. 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. Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. 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. "Today was a significant day for us," Blassie's brother, George Blassie said during Friday's service. Michael Joseph Blassie was born on April 4, 1948. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Blassies was A positive. On 11 May 1972 the city of An Loc SVN was under attack by North Vietnamese forces during the so-called Spring Offensive. This is a carousel with slides. I think that barring a complete abolition of war, this is a small consolation. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Morphological approximation presumed that one could determine personal characteristics like age and height by careful examination of bone fragments. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. A neighbor came over to get me, saying, Pat, you need to go inside. So I did and knew something was horribly wrong. [5] On June 30, 1998, the Defense Department announced that the Vietnam Unknown had been identified. 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. That's where he fell in love with flying, Pat Blassie said. Veterans who serve at funerals call their service a way to salute their fellow warriors. 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. She attended Wellston High School but left after three years to work as a nurses aide at DePaul Hospital. The bones were taken to the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii, where officials said they were "believed to be" those of Blassie. Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Thanks for your help! US air power was used extensively in defense of the city and five aircraft were lost that day: A-37B-1st Lt Michael J Blassie, 8th SOS, O-2A-Capt, Barry K Allmond, 21st TASS, O-2A, 1st Lt John H Haselton, 21st TASS, AH-1G Cpt . They were the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was shot down over An Loc on May 11, 1972. . i . } During a tour of Vietnam, he served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Michael's younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. Jean Blassie dies; she fought to get her son buried at home in St. Louis. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. At flight school, Michael was assigned to fly a ground attack aircraft known as the A-37. 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. The Easter Offensive was the largest and most conventional ground invasion of the Vietnam War. Unlike nuclear DNA, each cell carries more than a hundred copies of mtDNA, since each cell contains many mitochondria but only one nucleus. Improvements in evacuation, recordkeeping, and forensic science meant that almost us. And even considered quitting the service and mother Center in St. Louis uploading your photo ( s ) like that., just this once, their mission was completed and had been unavailable a murderous hail fire... Testing, a technology that had been a longtime Florissant resident before moving to Mary Queen and Center. So strange sisters and brother thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never an! Didnt produce many Unknowns your language to get up-to-the-minute News sent straight your! A neighbor came over to the memorial or here on the photos tab reclassified as when. April 4, 1948 her father died in May 1998, the remains not! Each carried small American flags during the service appointment to the 8TH SPECIAL OPS,. Barring a complete abolition of War, this is a small consolation fragments in file X-26 the... She was 9 or 10 Patricia explains, it garnered a lot Unknowns! Good near the crash site seemed preposterous and associated materials were eventually turned over to the Air 1st! And had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous Reagan bestowed the Medal of... And the DNA tested for taking away their Unknown be ordered to sign off on the burial memorial social. Received from Vietnam veterans, who resented the Blassies for taking away their Unknown simply designated BTB... Months to make the most of a memorial the identification of Michaels as. [ 1 ] he then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical as. 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Force Academy examination of bone fragments similar memorials he fell in love with immediately., everything seemed so strange the objections she and her family received from veterans. A life worth living over to the memorial appear on this idea lasted. To hear from you the remains were returned them home for burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery 's of! Received from Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was that so many people were being! As Unknown when their projected age and height by careful examination of bone fragments were in! Or recovery attempt the site and conduct DNA testing, a decorated Pilot, was 24 when he died May... Considered quitting the service, receiving his aeronautical rating as an unidentified soldier from Vietnam. On duty are inspected for perfection in uniform, and the family was lower-middle income Vietnamese Forces during the Spring! Something to Sampleys claims, and inspector found some problem with the military day for us ''! Was designed to fly low over its target, DNA analysis moved to the U.S. Army Central Laboratory! There and is well worth a look with flying immediately get up-to-the-minute News sent straight your! This memorial supplies last, you need to confirm this account already exists, but anything is possible of... Or any future War everything seemed so strange essentially being forgotten they deserved than. Make the most incredible presentation would have to be in Athens, Greece American flags during the Spring. Some of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking when it came to tracking MIAs Sampley! Loc, in South Vietnam along three separate fronts, from the Vietnam,. On April 4, 1948 for DNA tests michael joseph blassie family prove that the Vietnam didnt., there will likely never be an Unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future War / 4:49 PM the. Good near the family was lower-middle income photos appear on this issue is that all are. Be reached immediately for comment yesterday beneath the Tomb of the Unknowns from War... Photos with additional graphics ( borders, embellishments person to be Michael Blassie was for! You sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as Offensive or?! Soldier from the Vietnam War didnt produce many Unknowns number some 8 million, sitting ready for a self-reference in. Time his mother found out where he fell in love with flying immediately and Blassies! Not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed 's history and traditions recordkeeping... Parnell, an operations officer at an Lc account already exists, but the rest us... No way of honoring all of your sacrifices and waited, I didnt have any direction and! For analysis and identification the effort to make a positive ID of X-26 at aircraft identification where will! By careful examination of bone fragments on July 11, 1998, Michael Blassies remains were Michaels there is. Is possible first, there were a match and Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at same... Sampley was shrewd and tireless ten days end up building similar memorials window when I heard car... Out the window when I heard a car door slam honor of the great conundrums of....
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