MIA from Gulf War found.

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N1095A
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MIA from Gulf War found.

#1 Post by N1095A »

The remains of Michael Scott Speicher, America's only MIA from the first Gulf War have been found and will be returned home.

I will be returning my bracelets to his family. If anyone here has Scott's bracelets I urge you to do the same as this is the traditional show of respect for recovered MIAs and their families. The return of bracelets also shows the family that their loved one was not forgotten during the years they were unaccounted for.
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WASHINGTON – The remains of the first American lost in the Persian Gulf War have been found in Iraq, the military said Sunday, after struggling for nearly two decades with the question of whether he was dead or alive.
The Pentagon said the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on Saturday had positively identified the remains of Navy Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher, whose disappearance has bedeviled investigators since his fighter jet was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the 1991 war. The top Navy officer said the discovery illustrates the military's commitment to bring its troops home. "Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be," said Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations. The Pentagon initially declared Speicher killed, but uncertainty — and the lack of remains — led officials over the years to change his status a number of times to "missing in action" and later "missing-captured." The family Speicher left behind, from outside Jacksonville, Fla. — continued to press for the military to do more to resolve the case. Family spokeswoman Cindy Laquidara said relatives learned on Saturday that Speicher's remains had been found. "The family's proud of the way the Defense Department continued on with our request" to not abandon the search, she said. "We will be bringing him home." Laquidara said the family would have another statement after being briefed by the defense officials, but she didn't know when that would be. More than a decade after he was shot down in a combat mission, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq finally gave investigators the chance to search inside Iraq. That led to a number of new leads, including the discovery of what some believed were the initials "MSS" scratched into the wall of an Iraqi prison. The search also led investigators to excavate a potential grave site in Baghdad in 2005, track down Iraqis said to have information about Speicher and make numerous other inquiries in what officials say was an exhaustive search. Officials said Sunday that they got new information last month from an Iraqi citizen, prompting Marines stationed in the western province of Anbar to visit a location in the desert which was believed to be the crash site of Speicher's FA-18 Hornet. The Iraqi said he knew of two other Iraqis who recalled an American jet crashing and the remains of the pilot being buried in the desert, the Pentagon said.
"One of these Iraqi citizens stated that they were present when Captain Speicher was found dead at the crash site by Bedouins and his remains buried," the Defense Department said in a statement. The military recovered bones and multiple skeletal fragments and Speicher was positively identified by matching a jawbone and dental records, said Rear Adm. Frank Thorp. He said the Iraqis told investigators that the Bedouins had buried Speicher. It was unclear whether the military had information on how soon Speicher died after the crash. Some had said they believed Speicher ejected from the plane and was captured by Iraqi forces, and the initials were seen as a potential clue he might have survived. There also were reports of sightings. Laquidara was among those who said she believed he survived the crash. "It's really easy to put out a yellow ribbon but not so easy to allocate resources to find a missing serviceman or woman," she said earlier this year. "If Scott's not alive now, he was for a very long time, and that could happen to somebody else." While dental records have confirmed the remains to be those of Speicher, the
pathology institute in Rockville, Md., is running DNA tests on the remains recovered and comparing them to DNA reference samples previously provided by family members. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in the Pentagon statement. "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Captain Speicher home."
Last edited by N1095A on Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:21 am, edited 3 times in total.
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#2 Post by N1095A »

I just got the address for the return of Capt. Speicher's MIA bracelets. Since there have been no replies to this thread, I don't know if anyone here has one, but if you do you should send them to the following address ASAP.

Bob Beuhn
Division Chief Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services
Recreation and Community Services Department
City of Jacksonville
City Hall, 117 West Duval Street, Suite 175
Jacksonville, FL 32202


I have been told that if they arrive at the above address before Capt. Speicher is buried, the returned bracelets will be buried with him.
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#3 Post by Miss Q »

I just saw the story on CNN.

What a wierd coinsidence that you had his bracelete.

Hopefully this will give the family closure.
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#4 Post by N1095A »

Miss Q wrote:I just saw the story on CNN.

What a wierd coinsidence that you had his bracelet.

Hopefully this will give the family closure.
Not coinsidence. I purposely got his bracelet about 2 months after he was lost. Then about 6 years ago I got another one for my wife. We have mailed them to the above address.
I also had one for SSGT. Matt Maupin who was confirmed found March 30, 2008. I returned that one as well. I wore all three bracelets in rotation over the years. I'm left with only one now, the one I've had for about 25 years. Capt. Lewis P. Smith II 5-30-68. I look forward to the day I can "get rid" of that one too.
Last edited by N1095A on Fri Aug 14, 2009 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#5 Post by Lt Tanaka »

I've always admired and respected the practice of wearing those bracelets that Americans have.

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#6 Post by N1095A »

On August 13, 2009 the remains of Captain Michael Scott Speicher arrived in Florida 18 years after having been shot down in the Persian Gulf War. The plane containing his remains touched down at Jacksonville Naval Air Station at 3 p.m. Captain Speicher's final resting place is at the Jacksonville Memory Garden.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0M0JQBG46U
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Re: MIA from Gulf War found.

#7 Post by ConchRepublican »

N1095A wrote:The remains of Michael Scott Speicher, America's only MIA from the first Gulf War have been found and will be returned home.

I will be returning my bracelets to his family. If anyone here has Scott's bracelets I urge you to do the same as this is the traditional show of respect for recovered MIAs and their families. The return of bracelets also shows the family that their loved one was not forgotten during the years they were unaccounted for.
Image
WASHINGTON – The remains of the first American lost in the Persian Gulf War have been found in Iraq, the military said Sunday, after struggling for nearly two decades with the question of whether he was dead or alive.
The Pentagon said the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on Saturday had positively identified the remains of Navy Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher, whose disappearance has bedeviled investigators since his fighter jet was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the 1991 war. The top Navy officer said the discovery illustrates the military's commitment to bring its troops home. "Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless of how long or how difficult that search may be," said Adm. Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations. The Pentagon initially declared Speicher killed, but uncertainty — and the lack of remains — led officials over the years to change his status a number of times to "missing in action" and later "missing-captured." The family Speicher left behind, from outside Jacksonville, Fla. — continued to press for the military to do more to resolve the case. Family spokeswoman Cindy Laquidara said relatives learned on Saturday that Speicher's remains had been found. "The family's proud of the way the Defense Department continued on with our request" to not abandon the search, she said. "We will be bringing him home." Laquidara said the family would have another statement after being briefed by the defense officials, but she didn't know when that would be. More than a decade after he was shot down in a combat mission, the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq finally gave investigators the chance to search inside Iraq. That led to a number of new leads, including the discovery of what some believed were the initials "MSS" scratched into the wall of an Iraqi prison. The search also led investigators to excavate a potential grave site in Baghdad in 2005, track down Iraqis said to have information about Speicher and make numerous other inquiries in what officials say was an exhaustive search. Officials said Sunday that they got new information last month from an Iraqi citizen, prompting Marines stationed in the western province of Anbar to visit a location in the desert which was believed to be the crash site of Speicher's FA-18 Hornet. The Iraqi said he knew of two other Iraqis who recalled an American jet crashing and the remains of the pilot being buried in the desert, the Pentagon said.
"One of these Iraqi citizens stated that they were present when Captain Speicher was found dead at the crash site by Bedouins and his remains buried," the Defense Department said in a statement. The military recovered bones and multiple skeletal fragments and Speicher was positively identified by matching a jawbone and dental records, said Rear Adm. Frank Thorp. He said the Iraqis told investigators that the Bedouins had buried Speicher. It was unclear whether the military had information on how soon Speicher died after the crash. Some had said they believed Speicher ejected from the plane and was captured by Iraqi forces, and the initials were seen as a potential clue he might have survived. There also were reports of sightings. Laquidara was among those who said she believed he survived the crash. "It's really easy to put out a yellow ribbon but not so easy to allocate resources to find a missing serviceman or woman," she said earlier this year. "If Scott's not alive now, he was for a very long time, and that could happen to somebody else." While dental records have confirmed the remains to be those of Speicher, the
pathology institute in Rockville, Md., is running DNA tests on the remains recovered and comparing them to DNA reference samples previously provided by family members. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in the Pentagon statement. "I am also extremely grateful to all those who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring Captain Speicher home."
You have brought goosebumps and tears to my eyes with this.

Good work.
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#8 Post by Steve »

What a beautiful and emotional piece, thanks for posting it Mike and thanks for wearing and returning the bracelet. Reminded me a bit of the end of Unfinished Business or the HBO Movie Taking Chance.

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#9 Post by N1095A »

Steve wrote:What a beautiful and emotional piece, thanks for posting it Mike and thanks for wearing and returning the bracelet. Reminded me a bit of the end of Unfinished Business or the HBO Movie Taking Chance.
Appreciated, but thanks isn't necessary. It's a subject I feel very strongly about, and happily the tie-in wit MPI makes this a great forum to share information. Over the years I've been both saddened and very rewarded by meeting the families of POW/MIAs from the Vietnam era, and by my involvement in the issue. As long as they're remembered, they aren't lost. My wearing the bracelet has evolved since 1983 from being because Magnum wore one to learning and knowing the story behind it. I wish there were no need for the bracelets. As I said, I hope one day to not have to wear my remaining one, even though after 41 years, 2 months, and 14 days, Capt. (now Major) Lewis P. Smith is unlikely to be returned. Unlikely, but not impossible! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YosPK-6fsTo

I want to issue an open call to M-M members to adopt a POW/MIA. Pick an MIA from the over 2000 still missing. Find out all you can about him, and wear his bracelet.

http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/video/video.html
Thank you Steve for turning me on to Taking Chance. I was unaware of this film. I looked at the trailers on youtube, and immediately went to Blockbuster. I just finshed watching the movie and I strongly urge everyone here to do the same. This is a very simple film, but it is perhaps the most moving, and powerful film I have ever seen. Adding to the emotion is the knowledge that not only is this a true story, but the fact that that it is only one of over 3000.
Last edited by N1095A on Sat Aug 15, 2009 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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#10 Post by J.J. Walters »

What a great story Mike! Thank you for sharing this with us!
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#11 Post by Steve »

N1095A wrote:
http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/video/video.html
Thank you Steve for turning me on to Taking Chance. I was unaware of this film. I looked at the trailers on youtube, and immediately went to Blockbuster. I just finshed watching the movie and I strongly urge everyone here to do the same. This is a very simple film, but it is perhaps the most moving, and powerful film I have ever seen. Adding to the emotion is the knowledge that not only is this a true story, but the fact that that it is only one of over 3000.
It is one of those Movies that I have to watch alone as it is so emotional for me. I have had the honor to be a part of an organization called The Patriot Guard Riders for the past couple of years. The Patriot Guard Riders was formed by a small group of Bikers that saw what was happening at our returning Soldiers Funerals when the folks at Westboro Baptist Church would show up with their "God Hates Fags" and other ridiculous and callas displays at what should be an honerable and somber event. The Patriot Guard would escort and attend the Funerals and shield the Family from the protestors with a human wall of Flags. It has morphed into a huge organization that escorts returning Soldiers and rides in honor processsons at the Funerals (you could see of few of them behind the hearse and Limos in your video). I have been to about five Funerals and have teared up at every single one, especially one where the Family made sure they came out of the Funeral Home and thanked each and everyone of us (About 300 or so) and introduced the Fallen Soldiers dog to us......Thanks again for your support with the Mia bracelets Mike, hopefully we will all be able to meet each other one day.........

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#12 Post by N1095A »

Steve, I'm well aquainted with The Patriot Guard Riders, and I salute you. You have no idea how much of an honorable thing you're doing, and what it means to people. Those who give the ultimate sacrifice, and their families deserve the undying respect of every American man woman and child.

The entire film was very emotional for me, but I'm not ashamed to admit that certain parts really got to me.

About 12 years ago I completely restored an M35A2 "Deuce & a Half" as a hobby, and because I like old trucks. Before too long I decided to put it to good use dedicating it to those who served and those who never returned. I put US and POW/MIA flags on the mirrors, and signs on the doors, then ran it in parades and auto shows, anywhere I could squeeze it in. The door signs were big enough so there was no mistaking who or what we were there for.
Image Image Image
My wife and I met a lot of great people during those excursions, and I like to think we brought a lot of awareness to the POW/MIA issue.
I logged a lot of hours behind the wheel of the deucy, going all over Pennsylvania for shows, parades and events. We camped in the back of the truck when there was no motel close by the event we were attending. We even made the 260 mile drive to Aberdeen MD for Armed Forces Day one year, and that's no small feat at 45mph.
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#13 Post by Steve »

You Michael..........Are a Hero, Incredible!!!!!!

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#14 Post by N1095A »

Steve wrote:You Michael..........Are a Hero, Incredible!!!!!!
Thanks for the compliment, but no, I'm by no means anything close to a hero. I just did what I thought was the right thing. The true heroes were those that my endeavors honored.

One thing that really touched us when we attended these events was the fact that at many them we encountered a group of active military who were there with their vehicles. They would always wait for us, and line up behind us in parades. I still get a little choked up remembering that. Also in places where there were active military people present like Aberdeen and Memorial Day at Boalsburg, PA ,when we'd drive our truck past, they came to attention and saluted as we drove by. I know they were saluting the flag, not us, but that was an undescribable feeling to me.
Last edited by N1095A on Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#15 Post by N1095A »

Speicher's POW Bracelets Collected for Family
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/spec ... &catid=318
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