Sunday, August 2, 2009

Gulf war MIA found

Navy Capt Michael Scott Speicher was the first pilot shot down during operations over Iraq in 1991. He has been listed variously as missing presumed captured, POW, and MIA. His remains have been recovered, and dental records confirnm that it is him. Rest in Peace Captain, your service will not be forgotten.
Sources in Iraq claim that Speicher was dead when Iraqi officials found the plane, and that he was buried by Bedouin nomads. No report exists of a parachute siting, or a tracking beacon which would indicate he survived the crash, so for now we are asked to presume he died in the initial confrontation which brought his plane down.
reports through the years from Iraq, however, have included sitings, and his name was on a list of prisoners that was found during operation Iraqi freedom. Its possible that he was shot down, captured, and either tortured and executed, or died of injuries, and his body then returned to the crash site and buried. Why he was not found during sudies there in 1995 and 1996 is the real mystery.

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