Status of First Gulf War Casualty Changed to ‘Missing in Action’

American Forces Press Service ^ | Donna Miles

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2009 – Calling Navy Capt. Michael “Scott” Speicher “an American hero,” Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter today announced his decision to change the status of the first Operation Desert Storm casualty from "missing/captured" to "missing in action.”

Navy Capt. Michael “Scott” Speicher’s status has been changed to “missing in action.” U.S. Navy file photo  
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Winter made the determination after a thorough review of information about the case, including a Defense Intelligence Agency assessment and comments from the Speicher family, defense officials said.

His determination overruled recommendations of a Navy status review board, which Winter said in a message explaining his decision were based on faulty logic and false premises.

Speicher was an F/A-18 Hornet pilot stationed aboard the carrier USS Saratoga when his aircraft was shot down by enemy fire over western Iraq on Jan. 17, 1991. His mission was part of the first manned strike of the air war over Iraq.

The Defense Department declared Speicher "killed-in-action/body-not-recovered" in May 1991. However, conflicting reports and intelligence information led then-Navy Secretary Richard Danzig to change his status to “missing in action” on Jan. 11, 2001.

That status was changed again in late 2002 to “missing-captured” based on sighting reports in Iraq that have since been discredited.

The intelligence community concluded in October that Speicher is deceased, although his remains were never found. Based on that assessment, Winter convened a status review board to consider changing his status to MIA.

The board recommended retaining the “missing/captured” status. But in a statement issued today, Winter explained why he overruled it.

“My review of the board proceedings and the compelling evidence presented by the intelligence community causes me great concern about the board’s recommendation,” he said. He cited the board’s “failure to employ a logical, analytical process to their evaluation of the evidence in the intelligence assessment.”

The board’s recommendation begins with the premise that Speicher was alive after ejecting from his aircraft over Iraq, Winter said. The board findings were based on a statistical analysis of peacetime F/A-18 ejections, and didn’t consider the factors associated with ejecting in a combat environment, he said.

“They also chose to ignore the lack of any parachute sighting, emergency beacon transmission or survival radio transmissions,” he continued.

Citing failure to find Speicher despite the current U.S. presence in Iraq, and the discrediting of previous claims of seeing him in captivity, Winter concluded, “There is currently no credible evidence that Captain Speicher is ‘captured.’”

“For Captain Speicher to be in captivity today, one would have to accept a massive conspiracy of silence and perfectly executed deception that has lasted for over 18 years and that continues today,” Winter said. “Consequently, I cannot support the recommendation of the status review board.”

Winter said he believes another status review board should review the case, and recommended that the Navy reconsider the matter within the next 12 months.

“The Navy appreciates the challenges Captain Speicher’s family has faced these past 18 years,” Winter concluded. “Captain Speicher is an American hero, and bringing him home to his family and his country will remain a top priority for the Navy and the nation.”

Camp Speicher, a former Iraqi air base in Tikrit, honors Speicher’s memory. In addition, his alma mater, Florida State University, named its tennis center for Speicher, an avid player.

Biographies:
Donald C. Winter

Related Sites:
Navy News Release
Navy Secretary’s Statement

[SandRat]

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

So, if Speicher is not dead, then is he in captivity in Iran or Syria? Is THAT the ugly truth that everyone in DoD is dancing around? Seems the logical conclusion to me...

[SandRat]

Iran? Syria? Tali controlled Sudan or Pakistan?

[waterhill]

RIP Captain Speicher..

Thank You

[Stonewall Jackson]

Until They Are Home

If you want on or off my MIA/POW Ping List, please FReep Mail or Ping me.

[PhilDragoo]

I've got my copy here of Amy Yarsinske's No One Left Behind: The Lt. Comdr. Michael Scott Speicher Story, Dutton, 2002.

The disclaimer above seems the standard straw man, "massive conspiracy" blah blah blah.

The guy went down in 91--we got on the scene twelve years later--

Amy Yarsinske in 2002 had been on the story for eight years and she presented "a stunning true account of the denials and coverups that obscured an essential fact: Speicher actually survived."

To placate Stalin Roosevelt (Marshall, Eisenhower et al) did not protest the taking of 25,000 U.S. POWs for exploitation as slave labor for Mother Russia.

Kerry and McCain slammed the chapter shut on POW/MIAs in Vietnam.

KAL 007 was another case of survivors interned--I got a call from the late Reed Irvine regarding his sponsorship of a book and press conference on the matter.

Seeing the kind of "investigation" done re "Moscow Station", the nuclear programs of India and Pakistan, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the status of the Iran nuclear program, the trial of the Haditha Marines and the high-level touting of the global climate change crisis, I am not convinced by the credibility of the current Speicher reclassification.

Was there something in Iraq of tonnage quantity moved to Syria pre-2003--if so then why not nine kilos of Navy pilot.

We do know about the status of the Cole bombing mastermind and that is that his welfare is more important to Hussein & Co. than Speicher.

Further this deponent sayeth not.

[americanophile]

I cannot believe this saga continues to go on. It used to turn my stomach thinking about this brave man in Saddam's jails, and I was hopeful when we rolled into Baghdad that we would finally find out. I was very disappointed when the evidence turned up inconclusive. I can't imagine what the family has gone through. I suppose this means that they simply have no idea what happened to him...of course they never did, so it's odd that they would have listed him as KIA in the first place, isn't it? Certain in light of the decision to list him now as MIA?

Still, I cannot imagine this man is still in captivity somewhere...not only is it beyond inhumane (which doesn't surprise me), but it seems totally pointless. What intelligence value could this man have? What other motivation would there be now that Saddam is dead? Why keep an airman for 18 years?!

Prayers for him and his family.

[BIGLOOK]

When Lt. Commander Speicher was shot down, there were contradictory reports. The official report was shot down by a SAM. A wingman said a MiG 25 FoxBat got him.

(In house parley, Sandy; we were briefed on the possibilities after surviving a shoot down or a crash. PoW......or a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.)

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[SouthTexas]

Thank you Captain.

Continued prayers for the family.

[HokieMom]

Thanks for the ping.

[FMBass]

Regardless of this brave man’s “official status”, all of us owe him and his family a debt of gratitude for his noble service.

[lakey]

Lt. Comdr. Michael Scott Speicher, we pray for you.

Reed Irvine's Military Magazine column was the first I read each month.

[SunkenCiv]

“May 1991” — nearly eighteen years already. That’s one of those events I remember exactly where I was when it began, that is, watching CNN as Bernard Shaw in Baghdad was shouting to the producer to cut to them as the air attacks began. Eighteen years, wow. Thanks Stonewall Jackson.

[Marine_Uncle]

One could think that by now with all the military interface within Iraq someone would have provided a honest answer as to the fate of this Aviator. Surely people have been searching for his whereabouts shortly after the invasion of 2003.