Remains of Missing U.S. Pilot Michael Speicher Found After 18 Years

From Fox News, "Remains of U.S. Pilot Missing 18 Years in Iraq Found"

Remains of the first American lost in the 1991 Persian Gulf War have been found in the Anbar province of Iraq after a nearly 20-year search, the U.S. Navy said Sunday.

The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology has positively identified the remains of Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher, whose disappearance has bedeviled investigators since his jet was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the 1991 war.

The Navy said the discovery illustrates the military's commitment to bring its troops home.

"This is a testament to how the Navy never stops looking for one of its own. No matter how long it takes," Commander Cappy Surette, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy, told FOX News.

Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, added, "we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Captain Speicher and his family for the sacrifice they have made for our nation and the example of strength they have set for all of us."

The Pentagon initially declared Speicher killed, but uncertainty — and the lack of remains — led officials over the years to change his official status a number of times to "missing in action" and later "missing-captured."

Family spokeswoman Cindy Laquidara said relatives learned on Saturday that Speicher's remains had been found.

"The family's proud of the way the Defense Department continued on with our request" to not abandon the search for the downed pilot, she said. "We will be bringing him home."

Dan Riehl has a very thoughtful post on this, "Let's Forget Sarah Palin":

I suspect we'll be defending her against unhinged attacks from the Left for some time. But have you noticed how often she invokes the military and has already shown serious devotion to supporting them? ....

And today is Sunday, after all. So, while we'll be back involved in what amounts to almost silly fights in comparison, take a moment to pause and remember someone who has been all but forgotten for far too long.

Also, William Jacobson shares his sentiment, "Welcome Home Capt. Scott Speicher:

Much like the disappearance of Etan Patz, the Speicher case has been weighing on my mind. While every missing person and serviceman is important, some cases take on a special meaning in our consciousness. I'm glad that Capt. Speicher's family has the certainty of knowing what happened, and of burying him in the U.S.A.

Also, the Defense Department's statement is here, via Memeorandum.