The Tomb Of The Unknowns Likely To Remain Without Vietnam Soldier
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 1) -- The place in the Tomb of the Unknowns that until recently held the remains of Michael J. Blassie may remain empty, according to Defense Secretary William Cohen.
"It may be that forensic science has reached the point where there will be no other unknowns any more. So we have to look very carefully about where we go from here," Cohen told reporters Tuesday. He added that he would speak with political and veterans groups before deciding on the next step.
It would take an act of Congress to inter the remains of another Vietnam-era unidentified soldier in the tomb.
The remains of soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War remain in the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Blassie's remains, which were identified Monday through DNA testing, were removed from the tomb in May. While circumstantial evidence indicated that the remains of the unknown soldier were likely Blassie's, medical tests were not able to confirm his identity at the time they were found.
Blassie's remains could be replaced with others so badly damaged by fire and exposure that no DNA can be removed for testing. MIA-POW groups have opposed the suggestion on grounds that advances in science may make identification of all Vietnam-era remains feasible in the near future.
DNA tests have become so sophisticated that all unidentified remains of servicemen may be identified someday, according to some officials. The remains of some Korean War soldiers have been identified, and Army scientists have even been able to identify the remains of a small number of men lost in World War II.
The identities of the remains of two other previously unidentified servicemen were released Tuesday as well. Marine Corps Capt. John B. Sherman was shot down in his F-8E Crusader in 1966, and Army Staff Sgt. Robert F. Preiss Jr. was killed on a land reconnaissance mission in 1970. They are being returned to their families for burial.
Successes aside, one missing-in-action advocacy group is questioning the accuracy of the Army's DNA tests. The National Alliance of Families has demanded a halt of all burials until the Army's identification procedures have been thoroughly investigated.
Cohen rebutted the group's questions, saying that there was "a 99.9 percent degree of certainty" that the remains were those of Blassie.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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