Mon, Aug 03, 2009
Welcome Home Captain... And Thank You For Your Sacrifice
We can not imagine the pain and
relief being felt, now, by the family and friends of Navy Captain
Michael Scott Speicher. After nearly two decades of unrequited
suffering, Captain Speicher is home.
The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) has positively
identified remains recovered in Iraq as those of Captain Michael
Scott Speicher. Captain Speicher was shot down flying a combat
mission in an F/A-18 Hornet over west-central Iraq on January 17th,
1991 during Operation Desert Storm.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Speicher's family for
the ultimate sacrifice he made for his country," said Ray Mabus,
Secretary of the Navy. "I am also extremely grateful to all those
who have worked so tirelessly over the last 18 years to bring
Captain Speicher home."
"Our Navy will never give up looking for a shipmate, regardless
of how long or how difficult that search may be," said Admiral Gary
Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations. "We owe a tremendous debt of
gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they
have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set
for all of us."
Acting on information provided by an Iraqi citizen in early
July, US Marines stationed in Al Anbar Province went to a location
in the desert which was believed to be the crash site of Captain
Speicher's jet. The Iraqi citizen stated he knew of two Iraqi
citizens who recalled an American jet impacting the desert and the
remains of the pilot being buried in the desert. 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 Iraqi citizens led US Marines to the site who searched the
area. Remains were recovered over several days during the past week
and flown to Dover Air Force Base for scientific identification by
the AFIP's Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.
The recovered remains include bones and multiple skeletal
fragments. Positive identification was made by comparing Captain
Speicher's dental records with the jawbone recovered at the site.
The teeth are a match, both visually and radiographically.
While dental records have confirmed the remains to be those of
Captain Speicher, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology DNA Lab
in Rockville, Maryland is running DNA tests on the remains
recovered in Iraq and comparing them to DNA reference samples
previously provided by family members. Results will take
approximately 24 hours.
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