Buried as a Mystery, Remembered by Name: The Story of Michael Blassie

On this episode of Our American Stories, he was buried as the Vietnam Unknown beneath the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, representing every American service member whose fate remained unanswered. For years, visitors paid their respects without knowing his name. But advances in DNA testing would eventually reveal the truth: the unknown soldier was Air Force pilot Michael Joseph Blassie, shot down over Vietnam in 1972 at just 24 years old.Craig Du Mez of the Grateful Nation Project shares the remarkable story of Blassie's life, the decades-long effort to identify his remains, and how one family's search for answers forever changed one of America's most sacred traditions. Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)Support the show: https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.