Senate Bill sb1728

    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                      SM 1728

    By Senator Wise





    5-910A-03                                           See HB 429

  1                     Senate Memorial No. ____

  2         A memorial to the Congress of the United

  3         States, urging Congress to take all actions

  4         necessary to resolve the fate of Captain M.

  5         Scott Speicher.

  6

  7         WHEREAS, the Armed Forces of the United States fought

  8  admirably, bravely, and successfully during Operation Desert

  9  Storm, and

10         WHEREAS, M. Scott Speicher, then a lieutenant commander

11  and now a captain in the United States Navy, flew a Navy FA-18

12  in a bombing mission over Iraq on January 17, 1991, and

13         WHEREAS, then-Lieutenant Commander Speicher failed to

14  return to his carrier following that mission and was

15  erroneously declared killed in action, and

16         WHEREAS, since that time, intelligence has determined

17  that Captain Speicher ejected from his aircraft, and

18         WHEREAS, in January 2001, in an unprecedented action,

19  Captain Speicher's designation was changed from "Killed in

20  Action" to "Missing in Action," and

21         WHEREAS, the former executive chairman of the United

22  Nations Special Commission, a renowned expert on Iraq,

23  testified before the United States Senate in July 2002 that

24  "we should not give up" on Captain Speicher, and

25         WHEREAS, in October 2002, based upon intelligence

26  confirming that he had been taken captive by the Iraqi

27  government, Captain Speicher's designation was changed from

28  "MIA" to "MIA-Captured," and further intelligence reports make

29  it clear that Iraq is in a position to resolve questions

30  regarding Captain Speicher's fate, and

31

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2003        (NP)                      SM 1728
    5-910A-03                                           See HB 429




  1         WHEREAS, this nation has pledged to the members of our

  2  armed services that they will not be abandoned, and the State

  3  of Florida renews that pledge to Captain Speicher, NOW,

  4  THEREFORE,

  5

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

  7