Sat, Aug 08, 2009
Iraqi Citizens Instrumental In The Search
The Navy Friday announced
additional details regarding the recent discovery of the remains of
Navy Capt. Michael "Scott" Speicher in Iraq. Speicher was
shot down flying a combat mission in an F/A-18 Hornet over
west-central Iraq on Jan. 17, 1991, during Operation Desert
Storm.
Acting in part on information provided by an Iraqi citizen in early
July, Multi National Force - West's (MNF-W) personnel recovery team
went to a location in the desert which was believed to be the crash
site of Speicher's jet. The Iraqi, a Bedouin, was 11 years
old at the time of the crash and did not have direct knowledge of
where Speicher was buried, but knew of other Bedouins who did. He
willingly provided his information during general discussion with
MNF-W personnel and stated he was unaware of the U.S. government's
interest in this case until queried by U.S. investigators in July
2009.
The Iraqi citizens led MNF-W's personnel recovery team to the area
they believed Speicher was buried. The area where the remains were
recovered was located approximately 100 kilometers west of Ramadi,
in Anbar province. There were two sites that teams searched. One
site was next to the downed aircraft that was discovered in 1993
and the other site was approximately two kilometers away. The
second site was where Speicher's remains were recovered.
The recovery personnel searched two sites from July 22-29. The
personnel recovery team consisted of approximately 150 people,
mostly Marines and other forces under MNF-W.
The recovered remains include bones and multiple skeletal
fragments. Based on visual examination of the remains and dental
records at the site, a preliminary assessment was reached that the
remains were that of Speicher. After searching the site another
day, no further remains were recovered.
Capt. Scott Speicher File
Photo
On July 30, the remains were turned over from the recovery team
to MNF-W mortuary affairs at Al Asad. The remains were then
transported to Dover Port Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
They were examined by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology's
(AFIP) Armed Forces medical examiner who positively identified them
as those of Speicher on Aug. 1.
Positive identification by AFIP was made by comparing Speicher's
dental records with the jawbone recovered at the site. The teeth
were a match, both visually and radiographically. AFIP's DNA Lab in
Rockville, MD, confirmed the remains to be Speicher on Aug. 2 via
DNA comparison tests of the remains by comparing them to DNA
reference samples previously provided by family members.
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