Michael Blassie
Encyclopedia
First Lieutenant Michael Joseph Blassie (April 4, 1948—May 11, 1972) was an officer in the United States Air Force
. Prior to identification of his remains, Blassie was the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War
laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknowns
.
After graduating from St. Louis University High School, Blassie entered the United States Air Force Academy
. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy
in 1970. He then served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron
. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly
was shot down near An Loc
in what was then South Vietnam
.
He was the first cousin of professional wrestling star Fred Blassie
.
as him. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie.
Blassie was designated the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War by Medal of Honor
recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Allan J. Kellogg
Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on May 17, 1984.
Blassie was then transported aboard the USS Brewton
to Naval Air Station Alameda
, in California
. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base
, California on May 24. Blassie arrived at Andrews Air Force Base
, Maryland the following day.
Many Vietnam veterans and President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. An Army caisson carried him from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery
on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. President Reagan presided over the funeral, and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. The President also acted as next of kin by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony.
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.
A CBS news report in January 1998 claimed the Vietnam unknown was Blassie, and articles in U.S. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the same claim, drawing on Defense Department records.
After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were finally able to identify Lieutenant
Blassie's remains. On June 30, 1998 the Defense Department announced that the Vietnam Unknown had been identified. Blassie's body was returned to his family, and on July 10 Blassie's remains finally arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri. Blassie was then reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
.
Following the removal of Lt. Blassie's remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns, the marker at Arlington was replaced with one that read, "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen." Advances in technology, such as those that allowed the identification of Lt. Blassie, may lead to the eventual identification of all interments marked "unknown" from Vietnam.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. Prior to identification of his remains, Blassie was the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknowns
Tomb of the Unknowns
The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
.
After graduating from St. Louis University High School, Blassie entered the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in 1970. He then served as a member of the 8th Special Operations Squadron
8th Special Operations Squadron
The 8th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It operates CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.-Mission:...
. Blassie died when his A-37B Dragonfly
A-37 Dragonfly
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is a United States light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s...
was shot down near An Loc
An Loc
An Loc is a small town in Bình Phước Province in southern Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon with a population of 15,000...
in what was then South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
.
He was the first cousin of professional wrestling star Fred Blassie
Fred Blassie
Frederick Kenneth Blassman , better known as "Classy" Freddie Blassie, was an American professional wrestling villain and manager born in St. Louis, Missouri. Renowned as "The Fashion Plate of Professional Wrestling" , Blassie was a master at antagonizing the crowd, and inspired legendary animosity...
.
Vietnam Unknown
Partial skeletal remains were retrieved from the area of the crash 5 months after Blassie's aircraft was shot down, and were initially identified by Mortuary AffairsMortuary Affairs
right|thumbnail|A soldier from a graves registration unit attempts identification of a skull during [[World War II]]Mortuary Affairs is a service within the United States Army Quartermaster Corps tasked with the retrieval, identification, transportation, and burial of deceased American and...
as him. The remains were reclassified as unknown when their projected age and height were judged not to match Blassie.
Blassie was designated the Unknown service member from the Vietnam War by Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Allan J. Kellogg
Allan J. Kellogg
Allan Jay Kellogg, Jr. is a retired sergeant major in the United States Marine Corps. He received the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as a Staff Sergeant on March 11, 1970, during the Vietnam War....
Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on May 17, 1984.
Blassie was then transported aboard the USS Brewton
USS Brewton (FF-1086)
The USS Brewton was a Knox class frigate. The Brewton was launched 24 July 1970 and commissioned on 8 July 1972. She was decommissioned on 2 July 1992 and sold to Taiwan on 29 September 1999 under the Security Assistance Program, where she served as ROCS Fong Yang .-External links:***...
to Naval Air Station Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda
Naval Air Station Alameda was a United States Navy Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, on San Francisco Bay.NAS Alameda had two runways: 07-25 and 13-31...
, in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The remains were then sent to Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base
Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, California on May 24. Blassie arrived at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
, Maryland the following day.
Many Vietnam veterans and President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
visited Blassie as he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol. An Army caisson carried him from the Capitol to the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
on Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. President Reagan presided over the funeral, and presented the Medal of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. The President also acted as next of kin by accepting the interment flag at the end of the ceremony.
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.
A CBS news report in January 1998 claimed the Vietnam unknown was Blassie, and articles in U.S. Veteran Dispatch in 1994 and 1996 had made the same claim, drawing on Defense Department records.
After Blassie's family secured permission, the remains of Blassie were exhumed on May 14, 1998. Based on mitochondrial DNA testing, Department of Defense scientists were finally able to identify Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Blassie's remains. On June 30, 1998 the Defense Department announced that the Vietnam Unknown had been identified. Blassie's body was returned to his family, and on July 10 Blassie's remains finally arrived home to his family in Saint Louis, Missouri. Blassie was then reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery
- External links :**...
.
Following the removal of Lt. Blassie's remains from the Tomb of the Unknowns, the marker at Arlington was replaced with one that read, "Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen." Advances in technology, such as those that allowed the identification of Lt. Blassie, may lead to the eventual identification of all interments marked "unknown" from Vietnam.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- An LocAn LocAn Loc is a small town in Bình Phước Province in southern Vietnam, located approximately 90 km north of Saigon with a population of 15,000...
- Battle of An LocBattle of An LocThe Battle of An Lộc was a major battle of the Vietnam War that lasted for 66 days and culminated in a decisive victory for South Vietnam. In many ways, the struggle for An Lộc in 1972 was an important battle of the war, as South Vietnamese forces halted the North Vietnamese advance towards...
External links
- Disposition of the Medal awarded to the Unknown Soldier from the Vietnam War