ENROLLED HM 0429 2003 Legislature
   
1 House Memorial
2          A memorial to the Congress of the United States, urging
3    Congress to take all actions necessary to resolve the fate
4    of Captain M. Scott Speicher.
5         
6          WHEREAS, the Armed Forces of the United States fought
7    admirably, bravely, and successfully during Operation Desert
8    Storm, and
9          WHEREAS, M. Scott Speicher, then a lieutenant commander and
10    now a captain in the United States Navy, flew a Navy FA-18 in a
11    bombing mission over Iraq on January 17, 1991, and
12          WHEREAS, then-Lieutenant Commander Speicher failed to
13    return to his carrier following that mission and was erroneously
14    declared killed in action, and
15          WHEREAS, since that time, intelligence has determined that
16    Captain Speicher ejected from his aircraft, and
17          WHEREAS, in January 2001, in an unprecedented action,
18    Captain Speicher's designation was changed from "Killed in
19    Action" to "Missing in Action," and
20          WHEREAS, the former executive chairman of the United
21    Nations Special Commission, a renowned expert on Iraq, testified
22    before the United States Senate in July 2002 that "we should not
23    give up" on Captain Speicher, and
24          WHEREAS, in October 2002, based upon intelligence
25    confirming that he had been taken captive by the Iraqi
26    government, Captain Speicher's designation was changed from
27    "MIA" to "MIA-Captured," and further intelligence reports make
28    it clear that Iraq is in a position to resolve questions
29    regarding Captain Speicher's fate, and
30          WHEREAS, this nation has pledged to the members of our
31    armed services that they will not be abandoned, and the State of
32    Florida renews that pledge to Captain Speicher, NOW, THEREFORE,
33         
34          Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
35         
36          That the Congress of the United States is requested to take
37    all actions necessary to resolve the fate of Captain M. Scott
38    Speicher, United States Navy, MIA-Captured.
39          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
40    dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
41    President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
42    United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
43    the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.