Remains of missing 1991 Gulf War pilot found

Navy Times just reported today that the remains of Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, an F/18-18 Hornet pilot who became the first casualty of the 1991 Persian Gulf War when he was shot down over Iraq on Jan. 17, 1991, have been found.

Quoting Rear Adm. Frank Thorp, the Navy's top spokesman, the newspaper said the remains were found in early July by Marines stationed in Anbar province on a tip from an Iraqi citizen.

“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,” Thorp told Navy Times.

“One of these Iraqi citizens stated they were present when Captain Speicher was found dead at the crash site by Bedouins and his remains buried.”

Thorp said the remains were recovered over several days during the past week and were positively identified by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

"Positive identification was made by comparing Capt. Speicher's dental records with the jawbone recovered at the site," the paper quoted Thorp as saying. Forensic investigators also expect a DNA match from samples taken from Speicher's family to be made in the next day or two.

Speicher, a lieutenant commander at the time he was lost, was promoted twice over the years he was listed as missing.