michael joseph blassie family

Signaling its determination to have its Vietnam Unknown, the Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26. Thats when a Vietnam veteran and former Green Beret named Ted Sampley called Patricias mother out of the blue. Blassie's remains were recovered later that year during a mission into the South Vietnamese jungle. Thanks to improved forensics, there will likely never be an unknown from Iraq or Afghanistan or any future war. Part 2: DNA. The Blassie family wasnt in attendance. 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. The President also acted as next of kin to the unidentified Blassie by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony. All rights reserved. Air Force jets fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. Michael Blassie, July 11. Yet he was found five months after he was shot down and then buried without our knowledge in the Tomb of the Unknowns. Members of Blassie's family could not be reached immediately for comment yesterday. She was sad about Michaels death but was happy to have him back, Patricia Blassie said. 99pi keep up the great work. On May 14, 1998, the Department of the Defense disinterred the remains of the Vietnam veteran from the Tomb of the Unknowns. I didnt have any direction, and the family was lower-middle income. There was no question, the remains were Michaels. A system error has occurred. I wouldnt think there was a known soldier in the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking. For Pat Blassie, Michael's sister, the once unknown soldier still is a symbol for the country. East wind * around 10 mph. In 1998 the Tomb of the Unknown was . As the Medal of Honor was ceremoniously presented to the unidentified remains, it did not transfer to Blassie who did receive four awards, including the Silver Star (see above), on his own merit for documented valor, heroism and achievements during his actions in combat in Vietnam. The Vietnam unknown was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors, beneath the headstone that reads, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." Another perspective on this issue is that all soldiers are unknown. Everyone was free to mourn in their own way. but and theres always a but the nerd in me must comment that term guard was used throughout to story. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? Trailing the procession were Vietnam veterans, comparatively disheveled with beards, long hair, and jungle fatigues. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Trending News The enemy threw up what was described as a murderous hail of fire which prevented any rescue or recovery attempt. Interestingly, the soldiers identities *were* known and the Danes made an effort to give each soldier his last rites. 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. The Blassies didnt know Sampley. 0 cemeteries found in Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie's.[1]. Twenty-six years after he died, 1st Lt. Michael Blassie came home. That was enough for Captain Patricia Blassie. There was a problem getting your location. And he had only been able to find one missing plane that fully matched the planes description: Michael Blassies. 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. Even the thought that remains had been discovered near the crash site seemed preposterous. Learn more about managing a memorial . Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices by 70%, cap monthly costs at $35 After 26 years, the family of Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie, buried the pilot Saturday, ending a painful mystery that began in 1972. Or so the story went. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed Two weeks after the offensive began, combined NVA and Viet Cong forces laid siege to the provincial capital of An Lc, located 100km north of Saigon. After Blassie's family secured permission . 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. She worked until she was 82. His 138th combat mission ended near An Loc, South Vietnam, when the wing was blasted off his plane by enemy fire. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Armed with the documents, he teamed up with veteran CBS correspondent, Eric Engberg. That just couldnt be. I know about Ted Sampleys past, he told her, but I believe its true.. We believe Michael would have been proud of how we pulled together to bring him home. Please try again later. For a while, Patricia struggled with her grievance toward the military establishment to which she had dedicated her career. I want to bring my son home.. Forensic anthropologists took the aged and damaged samples of bone for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing. 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. No one knows how many remains from Vietnam and elsewhere were buried in the wrong graves because of these flawed identification procedures. Pilots loved itbecause being that close the ground heightened the sense of flight and speed. The American memorial is especially beautiful. The Unknown Soldier can be about more than a dwindling subclass of soldiers that disappeared without record. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. After petitioning the United States Government for permission, his family had his body exhumed. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Process of elimination might sounded like it could have worked, until you take in account of the 2000+ MIA service members in that war. 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 name he read on the ID card was Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. 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. She says shes not sure why she does it, but it means that shes gotten to know some of the guards. In honor of the Coast Guard's birthday, we've put together a quiz on the service's history and traditions. (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. } Michael Blassie was therefore ruled out as a possible match. 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. After graduating from St. Louis University High School he entered the United States Air Force Academy, graduating in 1970. "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. On March 30, 1972, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) launched a massive surprise attack on the South. Secretary of Defense William Cohen was on hand for the somber burial. The Romans were fond of honoring them with an empty sarcophagus. The accompanying shells found their mark. The last day we took him to the airport, Michael looked back at us and waved. Every recovered American service member killed in action since the Vietnam War has been identified and buried. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. As an Unknown, Michael Blassies bone fragments were put in storage at the Hawaii laboratory. There is a problem with your email/password. "Mike lived a hero, and he came home a hero," said Emanuel Cassimatis, the Air Force Academy liaison officer who recruited Blassie in 1965. The soldiers anonymity would allow each person who came to the grave to project whatever was most important to them onto the mystery. But his tactics were confrontational and often involved outrageous claims and conspiracy theories. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect Silver StarDistinguished Flying CrossPurple HeartAir Medal & 4 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC)Killed In Action, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Jean Blassie called the family together for a round-the-table discussion. But perhaps Im speaking out of turn. 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism and extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight. Michael was no longer Unknown. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 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. That all soldiers are unknown not destroying the evidence as a possible match only... From the Tomb of the Unknowns, she recalled thinking, comparatively with. Pentagon gave Webb six months to make a positive ID of X-26 came to the grave to project whatever most. Any rescue or recovery attempt fly over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery during the burial of Lt. 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