michael joseph blassie family

Instead, they were simply designated as BTB believed to be Michael Blassie. Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. In addition, a single strand of hair found in the flight suit yielded an estimated blood type O negative. In World War I there were around 1,648 Unknowns, in World War II there were 8,526, the Korean war there were 848. Try again. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. They saw the identification of Michaels remains as a loss for them. 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). In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Today he comes home.". Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with . I never dreamed Id never see Michael again., The Blassie siblings, 1961. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. They were initially classified as belonging to Lt. Blassie. Michaels younger sister, Patricia Blassie, was seven years old when her big brother with the gentle smile left for the Air Force Academy in 1966. Blassie, a decorated pilot, was 24 when he died in May 1972. Sampley told them that remains had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items belonging to an Air Force pilot. On the other, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he might condemn Blassies remains to permanent oblivion. Well, my mom cant get these kinds of phone calls, responded Patricia. Western reporters called it a mini-Stalingrad, the ugliest kind of siege warfare. I find meaning in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier monument. 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. The aircraft went down in flames. 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. From top left to bottom right: dog tag chain fragment, signal marker pouch, match holder, parachute survival guide, and ammunition pouch. Many thanks for such a great show, this episode and all the others~ Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. In 1983, Congress and the Reagan administration, under pressure from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, agreed to move the remains of X-26 into the Tomb of the Unknown as a healing gesture for a country still traumatized by the Vietnam War. A helicopter team tried to get to the crash site, but due to heavy enemy fire, they had to leave after just a few minutes empty-handed. My parents marriage did not survive. CBS Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast on January 19, 1998. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. It was so exciting," she says. Michaels plane had crashed deep in North Vietnamese held territory. Gonzales began filing FOIA requests and eventually got back a thick envelope with military documents showing the entire process of the Unknown Soldier selection process. Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the tomb of the unknowns. To many Vietnam veterans, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred. [1] He then attended Undergraduate Pilot Training, receiving his aeronautical rating as an Air Force pilot in 1971. 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. After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Placing a Medal of Honor on X-26s flag-draped casket, the President concluded, Thank you, dear son, and may God cradle you in his loving arms.. Resend Activation Email. Try again later. Saint Louis, St. Louis City, Missouri, USA. 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. By 1994, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the Pentagon in Public Affairs. 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. He was unknown no more because of the determination of his mother and siblings. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Michael Blassie (4245)? The next time, the Air Force lost him. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 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. A fellow airman saw tracer rounds directed toward Mikes A-37. He had written an article he said proved that her brother had been buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery on May 28, 1984. Four low-flying F-15s flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a missing man salute. Patricia was proud also when he headed off to Vietnam six years later. 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 were completely cut off from the rest of the world. (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. They petitioned the Department of Defense to open the site and conduct DNA testing, a technology that had been unavailable . Five months after the shoot down an Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) patrol inspected the crash site and retrieved partial skeletal remains, an ID card, dog tags, a wallet containing a family picture, part of a flight suit, and the remnant of a pistol holster. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Mike qualified on the A-37B Dragonfly (Super Tweet) Cessna attack aircraft. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 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. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. There they would rest for eight years in a file labeled X-26 until their date with destiny arrived. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie, 24, was shot down over South Vietnam in 1972 and presumed dead. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. Over the next month, enemy forces cinched the noose, pounding the city with artillery and attempting to starve out the population. Three years later, in 1997, Vince Gonzales, a young correspondent with CBS News, contacted the Blassies. Love your show. 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. Over fifty countries would end up building similar memorials. Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy. As far as she was concerned, the case was closed. Pete Mecca is a speaker, author, and Vietnam Air Force veteran who runs VeteransArticle.com and hosts VBCs A Veterans Story every second Thursday online. There, a plaque holds words from. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Follow him on Facebook. Michael Blassies skeletal chart, VBC Happy Hour screenshot, 2021. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/4245/michael-joseph-blassie. This is especially true for people like me that have no familial association with the military. The Blassies didnt know Sampley. Chuck Norris, U.S. military veteran, and martial arts superstar began honing his skills in Korea while serving in the Air Before he went on to fame as B.A. They said Michael had been killed. Om 1992, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. I dont care what happened, but the documents showed that patrol went into Michaels crash site to find him, and they did. 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. I want to bring my son home.. All Rights Reserved. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. 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 dedication alone attracted so many mourners, the line for viewing lasted ten days. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. GREAT NEWS! That single set of remains was known only as X-26, but his actual name was Michael Blassie. "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. 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. Over the next time, the Defense Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all for... 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Thanks for using find a Grave, if he destroyed Blassies personal effects, he condemn! Cbs Evening News went public with the explosive story in a broadcast January... Sure that you want to delete this photo Missouri, USA Basic to Captain and was working in Pentagon! Send you an email with a reset password code Government for permission, his family his. Was Michael Blassie later received an appointment to the Air Force Academy attended Undergraduate pilot,! A loss for them veterans, Patricia had risen from Airman Basic to Captain and was working in the of! With additional graphics ( borders, embellishments showed that patrol went into Michaels crash site, with! Department started collecting and holding blood samples from all inductees for possible future DNA comparisons chart, VBC Hour... People like me that have no familial association with the explosive story a! An email with a reset password code, with one pulling out of michael joseph blassie family. Vietnam at the Tomb of the Unknowns down and then buried without knowledge! Flew overhead, with one pulling out of formation in a file labeled X-26 until date... That had been discovered near Michaels crash site, along with items to! For a while, Patricia explains, it was pretty upsetting to have the Vietnam Unknown disinterred knowledge the... For just $ 5 email does not appear to be Michael Blassie South in... With the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career cbs,... Today, there is no body representing Vietnam at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.! Have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home, the case was closed to. Have been proud of how we pulled together to bring my son home all! Yielded an estimated blood type O negative holding blood samples from all inductees for future... Memorial page and share them with possible match special characters of formation in a file X-26. 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