The formation of every St. Louis U. High graduate is based upon the principles outlined in the Grad at Grad profile. It is expected that every alumnus who lives out the five categories—being Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Doing Justice—will find, in the long run, vast consolation, a vibrant relationship with God, and the “man for others” ideal that is instilled in every student.

It is worth reflecting, especially 10 days before graduation and nine days after the anniversary of his death, on one of the most notable examples of a grad at grad: Michal Blassie ’66. Last Tuesday, Missouri Governor Mike Parson created Lt. Michael Blassie Day in the State of Missouri, to be observed every May 11. 

 

Open to Growth

Blassie’s story begins in North St. Louis, near the intersection of Grand and West Florissant Rd. He was the oldest of five siblings. His youngest siblings were Patricia and George, who had a 10- and 13-year age gap respectively. To them, he was a positive influence who, while committed to his own growth, also dedicated himself to helping form his younger siblings.

“My brother George would tell you that he (Michael) would always say, ‘eat your vegetables,’ or ‘do soccer,’ or ‘go outside,’” said Patricia Blassie, a former Air Force Colonel herself. “What we remember of Michael is, is very, very positive in our lives.  . . . So we all look up to him and we still look up to him. And you know, he's still only 24 years old (to us), and we’re all older.”

His parents, neither of whom attended college, were extremely proud of Michael for getting the appointment to the Air Force Academy. His father, a World War II veteran who served in Normandy, was especially proud of Michael’s decision to serve his country.

“My father was very proud that Michael was taking this step, serving his country,” said Blassie. “In some ways, my father lived his life through Michael. It was sort of interesting because he was so proud of him, and he wanted to be around him. And of course we all did. But it was in a different way,” said Blassie. “But I don't know if it was because of my father, but I do know that Michael was proud of my father's service.” 

“I remember him studying, practicing all the things that he needed to, but very focused and determined and just kept getting up each day and going, and that's what I heard from his classmates and you know, as he went through the academy and as he went to Vietnam, you get up every day,” said Blassie. “You got a mission. You gotta do it.” 

Michael discovered a passion for flying while in the Air Force Academy.

“The next thing I knew as a young person is he's graduated and he is going to go to Columbus Air Force Base Mississippi to get his wings,” said Blassie. “He loved to fly. And he was really good at it. His athleticism lended him to flying, because the kind of plane he flew, it was an A-37. It's an attack aircraft, they fly very low because they drop bombs on very specific targets.” 

Michael was forced to grow up very quickly in the midst of the Vietnam War. However, he developed into a skilled pilot with a sense of duty.

 

Intellectually competent

Part of what led Blassie to the Air Force Academy post-graduation from SLUH was a strong intellectual competency. 

“My parents were not educated and so we weren't really encouraged to get an education,” said Blassie. “Michael got that appointment (because) he had that mentoring (at SLUH). My father and mother were so proud. And yes, that was an important thing for him (Michael). It seemed like there was a focus for Michael to do all the things that he was going to do: get an appointment to the Academy, become a pilot, and carry on from there.” 

On May 11, 1972, Blassie was flying outside An Loc by the Cambodian border when a burst of fire was seen coming towards his plane. According to Patricia Blassie, he was seen streaming fuel by the plane in front of him and shortly after his plane inverted and he went down, exploding on impact in enemy territory. It is believed he died on impact because he never transmitted any distress call. 

Blassie died alongside many other soldiers that day. 

“I always thought that May 11 was a bad day for the Blassie family,” said Patricia Blassie. “But it was a bad day for a lot of Vietnam veterans and their families. The battle was so intense that when Michael went in, the helicopters that usually go in to find you if you're alive and bring out your remains, they couldn’t do much other than make sure there was no sign of life and leave.” 

The great mind of Michael Blassie was cut short by the horrors of war.

 

Religious

As Michael most likely recited often as a practicing Catholic, the Nicene Creed states, “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” Michael was a server at his local parish and kept attending church at the Air Force Academy. Maybe it was his faith in God that allowed him to have the courage to enter into such a thunderous battle. In any case, Blassie’s actions show a trust in God greater than many people ever get to experience. 

“We went to church, as Catholics, but just knowing that when he went to the Academy, he would attend chapel, and when we brought him home, the Archbishop of St. Louis presided over his bringing home,” said Patricia Blassie.

Patricia Blassie appreciates SLUH’s goal of creating Men for Others and believes her brother exemplifies that ideal. 

“I didn't know SLUH’s motto was ‘man for others,’ said Blassie. “Michael signed up to serve his country, he died serving his country, even under controversial situations. But he believed in what he was doing. I've read what he wrote, and he believed in what he was doing, in spite of the controversy. But he answered the call, just like so many other Vietnam veterans, hundreds of thousands of them, and 58,000 who lost their lives, but then he was selected to continue to serve as the Vietnam unknown soldier, for 14 years as he was in the tomb.” 

 

Loving 

Perhaps the hardest grad at grad principal to describe is loving. It can be shown in many different ways, but in the case of Lt. Blassie, it is best seen in his commitment to God, family, and country. Even though Patricia only got 14 years with her brother, his love continues to impact her in her life today and she continues to miss him to this day.

“You sort of think somebody is invincible, you don't think that’s the last time you're going to see somebody is at the airport and way back in the day we were able to go to the gate to see the aircraft off,” said Patricia. “And we were there and you know Michael looked back and did one of his smiles and waves. But in my small mind, young mind, I should say, I never thought it would be the last day that I would see him. But my parents may have, it just wasn't asked as a family.”

 

Committed to Doing Justice

Michael’s commitment to justice was evident in his decision to attend a service academy during a time of war, knowing he would almost certainly be engaged in the conflict. 

“I don't remember my family ever talking about the war. We were just so proud of Michael getting appointed,” said Patricia Blassie. “But the class of ’70 knew they were going to go to war and it's a big deal when you look back on that, because they made a commitment to their country, and they knew they were going to do something on the battlefield most likely when they graduated.” 

His service didn’t just stop there. In 1973, Congress ordered a Vietnam vet to be interred in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because every other war had a soldier interred there. However, they passed this in a time when bodies were soon much easier to be identified. 

Despite initially being correctly identified from his military ID in 1972 and other artifacts found on his body, his identity was stripped in 1980 after a 1978 report from a doctor at the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii. 

Meanwhile, Vietnam Veterans groups were pressuring the government to inter someone in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because they wanted something to commemorate the veterans and the sacrifice. By 1984 President Ronald Reagan led the charge to put someone in the tomb, and Michael’s remains were chosen. Fast forward to 1994 and Patricia Blassie received a call from former Green Beret Ted Sampley, who argued that it was in fact Michael in the tomb due to his investigation into the 1972 records, eliminating pilot after pilot and until he settled on the identity of the unknown soldier as being Michael Blassie. Patricia Blassie listened in disbelief. 

Not much happened until CBS Correspondent Vince Gonzalez reached out to the family in 1997, wanting to dive into the theory. Michael’s mom Jean Blassie agreed to let Gonzalez investigate using the Freedom of Information Act, and on Jan. 19, 1998 CBS Evening News aired the story to the world, saying the remains were not in fact unknown. Following DNA tests from the remains and Blassie’s mother, his identity was confirmed, and he returned to St. Louis on July 11, 1998 after 14 years in the Tomb of the Unknown. 

“It was tough,” said Patricia Blassie. “Because confronting the U.S. government is daunting, right? But he would have wanted us to stand for the truth, I believe.” 

In other words, Michael would have wanted the truth to come to light. Michael’s commitment to fighting for countrymen led him to his untimely death, and eventually to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But it was this memory of his commitment to justice that led his family to bring him back. 

“And then (my youngest brother) George said, ‘Wait a second: Michael's a hero. He served his country. He deserves to be known,’” said Patricia reminiscing on her family’s decision to fight for his return instead of leaving him in the sacred Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

Michael’s short life with his heroic service are examples of the type of person every SLUH student should be; one that is open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice, even when the world is a mess. His family’s struggle to bring him home ensured that everyone could know him and celebrate him, and that we as students could use his struggle as inspiration to be better people.