Gulf War I timeline

Gulf War I timeline of POW/MIA events

June 14, 1991 -- Letter from then Secretary of Defense Dick Chaney... All Gulf War MIAs accounted for. "The lessons Vietnam taught us were used in the Gulf War."

January 27, 1998 -- Did Scott Speicher use his Escape and Evade code to signal U.S. forces, after his shoot down? -- Read the memo issued by the Rear Admiral J.J. Dantone Jr., of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, to the Director of Central Intelligence.


July 19, 1999 -- Letter to National Alliance of Families Providing information on Speicher Loss.


August 2, 1999 -- APBNew.Com - First Casualty of Gulf War May Have Survived Crash.


April 2000 --CBS News 60 Minutes II - The First Casualty - Aired April 2000


January 11, 2001 -- News Release from the United States Department of Defense - Navy Changes Status of Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher from Killed In Action to Missing in Action.


Status Change -- What it Means to Michael Speicher and the POW/MIA Issue.


"The answer lies in Baghdad...What we need to do now is get answers from Baghdad. This pilot, if he's alive, has been there for 10 years, with nobody looking for him. That's just plain outrageous."


Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) January 2001




New Intelligence Reports Indicate Speicher May Be Alive As Recently As January 2002. Read the latest from...


The Washington Times by Bill Gertz -- March 11, 2002


The Chicago Tribune by Christine Spolar -- March 12, 2002


March 27, 2001 -- Intelligence Community Assessment of the Lieutenant Commander Speicher Case - produced at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.


October 11, 2002 Speicher Status Change to Missing/Captured - Memo from Secretary of Navy Gordon R. England

October 11, 2002 -- Press Release from the Office of Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), regarding Speicher Status Change.


April 24, 2003 -- Investigators Find Initials M.S.S. on Wall of Iraqi Prisoner.

May 2003 -- Speichers Name Found in Iraqi Document...

July 9, 2003 -- Senator Bill Nelson vists cell where Capt. Speicher may have been held. View photos and story.

July 13 2003 -- Senators Optimistic on Speicher.... DPMO Provides Misinformation at June 27, 2003, meeting of National Alliance of Families.


July 16 2003 -- Pentagon Debunks Speicher Live Sighting...

Did Saddam Hold Remains of American Airmen.... View Washington Times article.


Orlando Sentinel Article -- Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs comments on Speicher Case...

March 1, 2004 -- Letter from Senator Bill Nelson on Pentagon decision "not to continue offering $1 million reward for information" on Capt. Scott Speicher.

March 3, 2004 -- FBI lab probes 2nd set of initials ... found in wooden beam.


September 8, 2005 -- Navy: Iraqis Know MIA Pilot's Whereabouts

January 10, 2009 -- Navy Board of Review Recommends Speicher remain in the status Missing/Captured (POW)

March 10, 2009 - Secretary of Navy Donald Winter ignores recommendation of Navy Board and changes Speichers status to Missing (MIA).

March 10, 2009 -- Department of Defense Press Release Announcing Status Change for Scott Speicher from Missing/Captured to Missing.

August 2, 2009 -- Remains of pilot missing 18 years in Iraq found

August 2, 2009 - Department of Defense Press Release Remains Identified as Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher

August 7, 2009 - Department of Defense Press Release Additional information on Recovery and Remains Identified as Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher

August 7, 2009 Department of Defense photos of the recovery operation.

November 28, 2009 Defense Intelligence Agency version of the Speicher.


January 17, 2011 -- Friend Says Speicher Was Not Killed When Plane Shot Down.... Speicher was alive several weeks to years after his plane went down


List of POWs returned from Gulf War I


In a vote held July 29th 2003, the United States Senate passed S 1339 - the Speicher Bill.


Thanks To Your Efforts