Senate Bill sb2134

    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                      SM 2134

    By Senator Jones





    40-1452A-01

  1                     Senate Memorial No. ____

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging Congress to open an

  4         investigation into the airplane crash of Lt.

  5         Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher in Iraq.

  6

  7         WHEREAS, Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher, a United States

  8  Navy pilot who mysteriously disappeared in 1991, was the first

  9  casualty of the Persian Gulf War, and

10         WHEREAS, Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher was a Florida

11  native whose home was in Jacksonville, and

12         WHEREAS, Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher is the only

13  casualty of that conflict whose remains have not been

14  returned, and

15         WHEREAS, evidence has been found, including his flight

16  suit and flight recorder, which shows that Lt. Cmdr. Michael

17  S. Speicher probably successfully ejected from his aircraft

18  and landed alive in the Iraqui desert, and

19         WHEREAS, evidence has been found which indicates that

20  Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher was probably severely injured or

21  dead when these items were removed, and

22         WHEREAS, the condition of Lt. Cmdr. Michael S.

23  Speicher's flight suit when it was found indicates that the

24  suit had been stored for some time and placed in the desert

25  shortly before it was found at the crash site, which had been

26  "sanitized," and

27         WHEREAS, the evidence that was found leads to the

28  conclusion that Saddam Hussein could be holding a live POW or

29  at least the remains of Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher, and

30         WHEREAS, the position of this country on prisoners of

31  war has been summarized in the Army Ranger's creed, "I will

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    Florida Senate - 2001        (NP)                      SM 2134
    40-1452A-01




  1  never let a fallen comrade fall into the hands of the enemy,"

  2  and

  3         WHEREAS, subsequent to the crash of Lt. Cmdr. Michael

  4  S. Speicher's aircraft, military officials believed he may

  5  have survived the crash and were prepared to launch a secret

  6  mission to the crash site, but were overruled by their

  7  superior officers, and

  8         WHEREAS, the United States has a sacred trust not only

  9  to keep its sons and daughters out of harm's way but also to

10  make every effort to return the remains or determine the fate

11  of those sons and daughters who have fallen, lest they are

12  forgotten, NOW, THEREFORE,

13

14  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

15

16         That the Congress of the United States is urged to open

17  an investigation into the fate of Lt. Cmdr. Michael S.

18  Speicher following the crash of his Navy F-18 aircraft in Iraq

19  in 1991 and to compel the appropriate military and civilian

20  authorities to release any information regarding the crash and

21  the fate of Lt. Cmdr. Michael S. Speicher.

22         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

23  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the

24  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the

25  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of

26  the Florida Delegation to the United States Congress.

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