thedrifter
08-14-09, 07:33 AM
Speicher's Family Reflects on His Return
By Tiffany Griffith @ August 14, 2009 1:28 AM
Buddy Harris describes his friend's homecoming as the ultimate definition of bittersweet.
He says Speicher epitomizes what it means to be a hero, and he uses the same term to define the Desert Dog Marines who searched the Iraqi desert for over a week and found the remains on July 28th.
"120 degree heat, sand, barren area, it's just terrible. These people were just dying out there," says Harris. "And when it was over, the mission wasn't accomplished, and they [commanding officers] said, 'Alright, you're done. Come on home.' And they [Desert Dog Marines] said 'Mission's not accomplished, we're staying.'"
He says the Marines searched by hand for two additional days until they found Speicher's remains.
In total, it took 18 years, 6 months and 11 days to locate Speicher following his death during the first Gulf War. Harris says they were also met with political road blocks.
"And there was significant effort to make this go away. They tried to change his status, of which, if they would have won, we would not have Scott Speicher today."
But Harris also thanks the support he's received from Presidents George H.W. Bush, George Bush and Barack Obama for supporting the effort to find Speicher. Harris recalls that President George H.W. Bush was one of the first people he spoke to about the finding.
It's been a long road for the Speicher-Harris family, and he says there are still more questions and answers about the navy pilot's cause of death and the search for his body.
Ellie
By Tiffany Griffith @ August 14, 2009 1:28 AM
Buddy Harris describes his friend's homecoming as the ultimate definition of bittersweet.
He says Speicher epitomizes what it means to be a hero, and he uses the same term to define the Desert Dog Marines who searched the Iraqi desert for over a week and found the remains on July 28th.
"120 degree heat, sand, barren area, it's just terrible. These people were just dying out there," says Harris. "And when it was over, the mission wasn't accomplished, and they [commanding officers] said, 'Alright, you're done. Come on home.' And they [Desert Dog Marines] said 'Mission's not accomplished, we're staying.'"
He says the Marines searched by hand for two additional days until they found Speicher's remains.
In total, it took 18 years, 6 months and 11 days to locate Speicher following his death during the first Gulf War. Harris says they were also met with political road blocks.
"And there was significant effort to make this go away. They tried to change his status, of which, if they would have won, we would not have Scott Speicher today."
But Harris also thanks the support he's received from Presidents George H.W. Bush, George Bush and Barack Obama for supporting the effort to find Speicher. Harris recalls that President George H.W. Bush was one of the first people he spoke to about the finding.
It's been a long road for the Speicher-Harris family, and he says there are still more questions and answers about the navy pilot's cause of death and the search for his body.
Ellie