05/26/2026
Every Memorial Day, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery becomes one of the most visited military memorials in the country. What many people don’t realize is that one of the “unknowns” buried there was eventually identified decades later through DNA testing.
In 1998, advances in mitochondrial DNA testing identified the Vietnam War Unknown as Air Force Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, whose aircraft was shot down near An Lộc in 1972. His remains were returned to his family in Missouri, and the crypt that once held the Vietnam Unknown has remained empty ever since.
Today, the remaining unknowns still rest at Arlington as representatives of countless unidentified American service members lost in war. While military agencies continue identifying missing personnel using modern forensic technology, there are currently no public plans to exhume the others buried at the tomb.
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