PENTAGON IDENTIFIES THE REMAINS OF MISSING GULF WAR PILOT

AMVETS thoughts and prayers are with
the family of Navy Capt. Michael S. Speicher

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2009—Yesterday the Pentagon confirmed that remains discovered in Iraq are the remains of missing Navy Capt. Michael S. Speicher, an F-18 pilot who was shot down over Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The confirmation brings closure to an 18-year investigation into the whereabouts of Speicher, who had been the subject of substantial speculation over the years.

“Capt. Speicher’s family and friends finally have closure and the thoughts and prayers of AMVETS go out to his loved ones today,” said AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner. “Capt. Speicher made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, and today’s announcement only reaffirms our nation’s commitment to leave no one behind.”

Marines working in Anbar province acted on intelligence from a local Iraqis who recalled the crash of an American fighter jet and the subsequent burial of its pilot by Bedouins who discovered Speicher’s body shortly after the crash.

The Pentagon reported that Marines discovered Speicher’s remains in the area, which were flown back to Dover Air Force Base and positively identified by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. 

Speicher disappeared while flying a combat mission over Iraq on January 17, 1991, shortly after Operation Desert Storm commenced, making him the first official casualty of the war. However, since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, rumors circulated as to the whereabouts of Speicher’s crash site, his aircraft, and the officer, himself. Some of these actionable rumors even prompted the Pentagon to officially change Speicher’s duty status. In March, Speicher was officially listed as “Missing in Action,” based on new intelligence. 

The Department of the Navy praised the military’s efforts to unravel the mystery behind Speicher’s disappearance. They also praised Speicher’s sacrifice and the sacrifices of his loved ones. To read the Pentagon’s official release about Speicher, visit:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=55338

AMVETS remains committed to ensuring that all who are missing-in-action return home. Today, two U.S. Army soldiers remain missing in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan:  Army Sgt. Ahmed Altaie, an Iraqi expatriate who disappeared while visiting family in Baghdad, and Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, who is being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

AMVETS’ thoughts and prayers go out to the families of Altaie and Bergdahl, and AMVETS leaders continue to call on the Departments of Defense and State to do everything in their power to ensure these men return home safely and honorably.