1 - The Black Vault

PRAETORIAN STARSHIP
the ORI. The group once again demonstrated its
ability to contribute to the defense of the Republic
of Korea. 122
During the remainder of the year, the 1st SOS
deployed to Australia and Korea for JCETs Foreconex
99-1 and Teak Knife 99-02, respectively.
The final JCET of the year was Teak Piston,
which was flown out of Mactan AB, Philippines,
from 1 to 13 December. One MC-130H and a
small maintenance support package supported
US Navy SEALs and Philippine Naval Special
Warfare Unit Five while working closely with the
Philippine Air Force (PAF) during the drop phase
of the exercise. The PAF had recently obtained
two B-model C-130s from the United States and
was interested in developing an air-drop capability
to assist in disaster relief operations within the
Republic of the Philippines. The JCET was a success,
with relationships developed during the
course of the exercise promising to open the door
for future operations between the 353d SOG and
the PAF. 123 The year had been a good one for the
1st SOS, with unit proficiency reaching a new
level as the squadron executed JCET and exercise
events from Hawaii to Mongolia. The coming year
would be more of the same.
The 8th SOS Returns to Southwest Asia
Early in 1998 the 8th SOS deployed to Southwest
Asia for another contingency operation. Aldefer,
the squadron commander, led 31 squadron
personnel on a two-ship deployment to Kuwait.
Combat Talon Is 64-0559 and 64-0566, three
crews, and a small planning staff made up the 8th
SOS contingent. While deployed two Talon I
crews flew to Qatar in support of JCS Exercise
Eastern Viper. The exercise deployment helped to
reinforce military-to-military relationships between
host-nation forces and the US military.
Events completed during the exercise included
both static-line and HALO personnel airdrops. After
completion of Eastern Viper, the aircraft and
crews returned to Kuwait. 124
The squadron continued to excel throughout
the remainder of the year, supporting contingency
operations and a robust exercise program.
Two members of the squadron were recognized
by Headquarters AFSOC for their superior performances.
For 1998 Captain Wormley was
awarded the AFSOC Electronic Warfare Officer
of the Year, and Captain Anderson was recog -
nized as the AFSOC Navigator of the Year. Captain
Anderson was also awarded the 1998 AF-
SOC Aircrew Member of the Year. The high
caliber of people assigned to the squadron made
the 8th SOS one of the premier special operations
squadrons in the command. 125
First Lieutenant Blassie, the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier, and the 8th SOS
On 11 May 1972 Lieutenant Blassie’s A-37
Dragonfly, assigned to the 8th SOS and stationed
in South Vietnam, was shot down near An Loc.
His body was not recovered at the time. Later that
same year remains were found in wreckage near
his last known position, but positive identification
could not be made, and the remains were classified
as unknown. On Memorial Day, 1984, the unknown
remains were entombed in Arlington Na -
tional Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns, where
for the next 14 years, the remains were honored.
After a recommendation by the Department of Defense
working group charged with identifying remains
of the Vietnam unknowns, the tomb was
opened, and the remains were removed in May
1998 to undergo DNA testing. 126
On 30 June 1998 Secretary Cohen announced
that the remains had been identified with “99.9
percent degree of certainty” as those of Blassie.
The confirmation set into motion efforts to return
Blassie’s remains to his family and home near St.
Louis. When Alderfer discovered that Blassie was
a former member of the 8th SOS, he offered to
conduct a flyover at Blassie’s memorial service.
During the course of gaining Air Force approval
for the flyover, the squadron was asked to transport
Blassie’s remains from Washington, D.C., to
his home. On 9 July 1998 Combat Talon 64-0566
departed Hurlburt Field en route to Dover AFB,
Delaware, where the crew picked up Blassie’s remains
and transported them to Scott AFB, Illinois.
On 10 July the Combat Talon took off for St.
Louis, using call sign Hawk 02, which was Blassie’s
call sign when he was shot down in 1972.
The crew of Combat Talon 64-0566 attended the
memorial service on 11 July and was personally
thanked by the acting secretary of the Air Force,
F. Whitten Peters, for its part in bringing Blassie’s
remains home. 127 After the memorial service,
the crew returned to Hurlburt Field.
The 15th SOS in Europe and
Southwest Asia
The 15th SOS continued to support a robust
JCET program in 1998. One crew deployed to Barcelona,
Venezuela, from 29 April to 11 May 1998,
in support of JCET 8339. The crew’s mission was
446