Post number 500 --please indulge me

LCDR Michael Scott Speicher disappeared over Iraq on the first night of Operation Desert Storm, 17 January 1991. His FA/18 was found years later, and it was determined that Speicher ejected safely from his plane, based on evidence found at the crash site. He was initially listed as KIA/BNR (killed in action/body not recovered), but that status was later changed to MIA by President Clinton.

Since promoted to the rank of Captain, Speicher was seen alive in Iraq as recently as March 2003, shortly before the current conflict began. When Saddam Hussein was captured by US forces in December 2003, he denied any knowledge of Captain Speicher's whereabouts.

An excellent book on this subject, No One Left Behind, was published in 2002 by Amy Waters Yarsinske. I have had trouble reading this book becasue it pisses me off so much that our government has done very little to find Captain Speicher and bring him home. A grass roots effort was started to force the government to acknowledge that, despite their pledge that no man be left behind enemy lines, that's exactly what happened in the Speicher case. A great source for more information on this case, in addition to the book I mentioned, is the website Friends Working to Free Scott Speicher.

I personally believe that Saddam knows where Speicher is. The man has been missing for 13 1/2 years. It's time to bring Spike home!

Captain Speicher, there are people here working to find you and bring you home to your country and your family. Though it appears that your country has forgotten you, there are folks like me who keep you in their prayers and hope you are soon reunited with those who care about you the most, and have been working to see that you are not forgotten.

FREE SCOTT SPEICHER!