THE DIA MUSEUM
 
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BRINGING
THEM HOME

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An image of a top-down floor plan with a section on the right filled in with color indicating the section in relation

Public awareness and concern for missing U.S. soldiers heightened during the Vietnam War. In response, Department of Defense leaders created the Interagency Prisoner of War Intelligence Committee in 1967, and DIA was chosen to run the IPWIC as the intelligence agency responsible for understanding enemy military assets and infrastructure.

DIA would later formally become the Intelligence Community’s executive agent for the Prisoners of War/Missing in Action mission. This meant that DIA would build and maintain the expertise and resources to track and assess the health, location and disposition of all missing service members. Based on mission needs, DIA has had over 50 analysts focused on bringing them home.

Bringing Hope

By 1970, President Richard Nixon began considering direct action to free U.S. POWs in North Vietnam. An opportunity to do so presented itself later that year.

On June 6, 1970, aerial surveillance of a POW camp in Son Tay, northwest of Hanoi, showed that the camp was active and could hold as many as 61 American POWs. DIA Director Lt. Gen. Donald Bennett and Joint Chiefs of Staff Director of Operations Lt. Gen. John W. Vogt proposed a rescue mission. President Nixon agreed to the plan.

To support its first major POW rescue mission, DIA had to stand up an intelligence effort to support special operations — another first for the Agency, requiring a much greater level of detail. The Son Tay raid was a pivotal moment in DIA’s history. Since then, the Agency has provided vital support for POW rescue and other special operations missions.

Aerial imagery of the Son Tay POW camp, detailing buildings, guard towers, and key features with handwritten notes and measurements used for intelligence and planning.

MANAGING THE INTELLIGENCE MISSION

Planners used maps, models, surveillance and intelligence from enemy prisoners and returned American POWs.

DIA coordinated the intelligence and dedicated its best and brightest to the mission. John Hughes served as the overflight intelligence collections manager. DIA Director Lt. Gen. Bennett personally conducted enemy capabilities analysis and provided logistical intelligence to determine the best routes into and out of the camp. He also went so far as to direct DIA’s Deputy Director of Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Dick Stewart, to override anyone who imperiled the mission.

OPERATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Marine Corps 1st Lt. James Brinson, Jr. was instrumental to the raid. A platoon commander and Purple Heart recipient who served in Vietnam, he brought practical experience to the team. At DIA, he led the analysis on enemy ground force capabilities. This was vitally important to help military planners understand the likely responses and capabilities of locally based North Vietnamese forces.

Brinson created precise maps of the Son Tay camp and worked with a CIA modeler to develop the model used during the planning and rehearsal of the operation.

On November 18, 1970 — three days before the scheduled raid — new intelligence showed that the Son Tay prisoners were likely moved to another camp. President Nixon was updated and briefed that there was only a 50% chance of success as a result. He still gave the green light, and the raid proceeded as planned.

A man in a flight suit stands proudly next to a large, detailed topographical model of the Son Tay POW camp, used for planning the rescue mission.
A Request and Authorization for TDY Travel of DoD Personnel document for James A. Brinson, 1st Lt, USMC, dated 27 August 1970, for matters of importance to the Defense Intelligence Agency.
The Meritorious Service Medal, featuring a white and red enamel five-pointed star with a blue center containing 13 white stars, suspended from a red ribbon.
The Joint Service Commendation Medal, featuring a green and gold medallion with an eagle and stars, suspended from a blue, white, and green striped ribbon.
A close-up of a circular, black embroidered patch featuring a large white and brown mushroom with blue vertical lines raining down on it.

KITDFOHS PATCH 1970

As a security measure, DIA compartmentalized the intelligence so that no one person would know too much of the plan. Many working on the mission showed their frustration with this system by wearing a patch of their own creation: the “Kept In The Dark, Fed Only Horse Sh\*\*” mushroom.

THE LEGACY OF SON TAY

The raid proceeded as planned, using all of DIA's intelligence collection and analysis efforts. With only a 50% chance the prisoners could be rescued, no one was cutting corners.

DIA, with support from service intelligence components, had flawless intelligence on North Vietnamese radar coverage, enemy troop placement and air defenses. Entering and exiting the camp went exactly as planned. But, as DIA’s intelligence reported three days prior, the prisoners had been moved.

Nonetheless, the mission had critical successes. After the war, 70% of the POWs interviewed said the Son Tay Raid was the single most significant event that gave them hope and strength to get through their time in captivity. This was in part because the North Vietnamese government moved and consolidated all American POWs in response to the raid.

A newspaper clipping with the headline POW Families Praise Rescue Attempt, reporting on the reactions of families to the Son Tay prison camp raid.

THE SEARCH FOR CAPTAIN SPEICHER

“Where's Speicher?” This seemingly simple two-word question about a missing Navy pilot was the second thing asked in every interrogation conducted by the Iraq Survey Group during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. It was second only to questions about weapons of mass destruction.

Lt. Cmdr. Michael Speicher was the first casualty of Operation DESERT STORM and the last American unaccounted for from the 1991 Gulf War. DIA led the nearly two-decade search for him, and it was not until 2009 that his remains were discovered and brought home.

This intensive two-decade search is an example of how DIA conducts its mission for POW/MIAs: Painstakingly following and analyzing every lead until they are brought home.

THE SEARCH FOR SPEICHER
  • January 17, 1991:
    Operation DESERT STORM begins. Lt Cmdr. Michael Speicher is shot down 100 miles west of Baghdad, the first American combat casualty of the war. He is listed as Missing in Action.
  • April 11, 1991:
    An armistice is signed, officially ending the war.
  • May 22, 1991:
    Speicher is declared Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered.
  • December 1993:
    A Qatari official finds the wreckage of Speicher's aircraft in the desert. The placement of the cockpit canopy suggests that Speicher may have tried to eject.
  • April 1994:
    U.S. satellite photographs show what may be human-made symbols near the Speicher crash site. It is speculated that Speicher may have survived and made escape and evasion signs. An operation to inspect the crash site is considered, but deemed too risky.
  • December 1995:
    A group of Bedouins, a nomadic people living in the desert, give an account of finding a body and even produce a flight uniform, but the claim cannot be substantiated. It is presumed that the uniform was planted at the site.
  • September 1996:
    The Secretary of the Navy reaffirms the presumptive finding that Speicher likely died. Speicher is given a tomb at Arlington National Cemetery.
  • December 1997:
    A New York Times article speculates about the fate of Speicher. Senators Rod Grams of Minnesota and Bob Smith of New Hampshire launch investigations into why Speicher was not recovered and whether he could be alive. Various theories about his shoot-down and potential capture begin to circulate.
  • January 2001:
    A CIA report states that Speicher may have survived by ejecting from his plane. Speicher's status is changed to MIA. This is the first time a missing service member's status was changed from KIA to MIA. His rank is elevated to commander, keeping with the Navy tradition of promoting POWs who have been held for a long time.
  • March 2002:
    In the buildup to the Iraq War, the Speicher case is given more attention in the media. Numerous pieces about the missing pilot run in the Washington Times and other outlets.
  • July 2002:
    Speicher is further promoted to captain.
  • September 2002:
    President George W. Bush mentions Speicher in his speech to the United Nations General Assembly as part of his case for war in Iraq.
  • October 11, 2002:
    Speicher's status is changed to Missing/Captured.
  • March 2003:
    Invasion of Iraq.
THE SEARCH FOR SPEICHER INTENSIFIES
  • June 23, 2003:
    The Iraq Survey Group is formed by U.S., British and Australian forces to search for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The ISG/POW Division, commonly called “Team Speicher,” uses interrogations, document exploitation and site exploitation — including numerous exploitations of the crash site — to find information related to the missing pilot.
  • July 7, 2003:
    U.S. forces find the initials “M.S.S.” or possibly “M.S.H.S.” carved into a wall in a cell in Hakemiyah Prison in Baghdad; however DNA in the cell does not match Speicher's.
  • May 6, 2004:
    The ISG stands down. Team Speicher determines there are no current signs of Speicher in Iraq, and he was not held in an Iraqi prison.
  • September 8, 2004:
    American soldiers find an I-beam with the initials “M.S.S. 9-15 1994” in a Tikrit parking structure. Ultimately, the clue does not connect to Speicher.
  • March 5, 2009:
    The Secretary of the Navy changes Speicher's status to MIA and states it will be maintained as such until proven otherwise.
  • August 2, 2009:
    Marines find Speicher's remains near his aircraft wreckage. He is identified by his dental records. He most likely did not survive the crash. According to local Iraqis, he was buried by Bedouins.
  • August 13, 2009:
    Captain Speicher's remains are returned to his family. The next day, he is interred in Jacksonville Memory Gardens in Orange Park, Florida.
F/A-18 Hornet and F-14 Tomcat fighter jets from Captain Speicher's squadron parked on the flight deck of the USS Saratoga at sea.
A formal portrait of Captain Michael Scott Speicher in his naval aviator uniform.
A Missing U.S. Pilot reward poster for Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, featuring a 1991 photo and a 2003 age-progression sketch. It offers a $1 million reward for information leading to his live recovery.
Image of Beam with Initials MSS
Two U.S. soldiers in a damaged room, one pointing to details on a large, captured Arabic map or document.
Three soldiers in desert combat gear stand in a street in a Middle Eastern village, reviewing a document.
A small, circular, and heavily damaged piece of metal with concentric rings, likely a fragment from wreckage. A small, corroded, gear-shaped metal object, likely a mechanical part recovered from an archaeological or forensic site. A small, cylindrical metal pin with some rust and corrosion, lying on a dark fabric background. A small, complex, tan-colored plastic or metal part, possibly a latch or clip mechanism, with a metal pin inserted through it, displayed on a dark fabric background. The back of a small, irregularly shaped metal fragment showing a rusted clip.
Marines in full combat gear and dust masks sift sand through a large screen at a recovery site in the desert.
Marines conduct a meticulous search by hand, crawling and smoothing the sand in a designated lane at a recovery site, dated 28 July 2009.
A U.S. Navy honor guard carries the flag-draped casket of Captain Michael Scott Speicher from a charter airplane during a dignified transfer ceremony.
An F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet, tail number 403, on static display at NAS Pensacola, dedicated to Captain Scott Spike Speicher.

Bringing Home the Wounded

On March 23, 2003, during the Battle of Nasiriyah in Iraq, the 507th Maintenance Ordnance Company convoy was traveling in formation when, in the chaos, they were inadvertently misdirected. The convoy was ambushed.

Eleven American soldiers were killed and buried by the enemy. Eight were captured, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was badly injured and taken to Saddam Hussein General Hospital.

DIA started to analyze intelligence reports and issue requirements shortly after the ambush to support a rescue mission. The top requirements were the location of Lynch and other captured soldiers, as well as accounting for anyone who was killed in action. To mount this mission, DIA supported Task Force 121, a team comprising special operations forces, analysts, linguists and other specialists from across the services.

A RESCUE OPERATION

During Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, POWs were, in general, moved frequently by their captors. If a POW was injured, however, they might be taken to a hospital or other medical facility for treatment. POWs were considered assets in a negotiation, and once they were captured, it was to the captors' advantage to keep them alive. Hesitant to worsen Lynch's injuries, the Iraqis kept her at a hospital and did not move her with the other captured soldiers.

An Iraqi lawyer who knew Lynch's whereabouts approached the American forces. His tip proved to be reliable, and DIA began planning for a possible rescue mission.

DIA was able to determine her location. Knowing she likely wouldn't be moved in the immediate future, DIA was able to coordinate a rescue operation with Task Force 121.

A limited distribution topographical map from March 31, 2003, showing the city layout and surrounding terrain, used for planning military operations.
An overhead satellite image of a city grid labeled with route names like RT CHICAGO and RT ATLANTA, identifying the area as OBJ BARRACUDA for a military operation.
A black canvas duffel bag with multiple zippered compartments and a blue accent stripe, displayed on a dark fabric background. The main compartment of the black duffel bag is open, revealing a coiled white and yellow cable inside. A close-up view of a black bag, showing the attachment point of a black woven shoulder strap to a plastic buckle.

A VITAL INSIDER

The Iraqi lawyer who provided Lynch's location volunteered to film the hospital. DIA gave him a camera concealed in a gym bag. DIA provided intelligence to facilitate the rescue using footage from the gym bag and hospital blueprints the Agency had because of its focus on foreign infrastructure. The extraction team received entry and exit points for the hospital, maps and photos of Lynch.

A portrait of a smiling Private First Class Jessica Lynch in her U.S. Army combat uniform, posing in front of an American flag.
A detailed architectural blueprint showing the floor plan and layout of the Saddam Hussein General Hospital, used for planning the rescue of Jessica Lynch.
A grainy, blue-tinted, low-light image shows a doctor attending to Jessica Lynch in her hospital bed. A grainy, blue-tinted, low-light image shows Jessica Lynch lying in a hospital bed prior to her rescue. A combat camera image shows an injured Jessica Lynch on a stretcher, surrounded by special operations forces during her rescue from an Iraqi hospital on April 1, 2003.

TOUCHDOWN! TOUCHDOWN!

Interpreters on the team questioned the hospital staff about the location of Lynch and the other missing soldiers. When Lynch was found on the fourth floor, the SEAL team commander signaled her location by yelling “Touchdown! Touchdown!”

The team verified her identity and the extent of her wounds, then prepared her for evacuation. She was extracted from the hospital and loaded onto a helicopter.

The entire operation took less than 30 minutes.

An Army general pins a medal on the uniform of Jessica Lynch during a formal ceremony.

"The Defense Intelligence Agency was an integral part of my rescue in Iraq. Looking back to April 1, 2003, I was not aware of the number of individuals and agencies involved in the efforts to liberate me. Since that time, throughout the country, I have learned about the vast number of people and variety of agencies who participated in that amazing event, working together toward completion of that mission. The contributions of the DIA in support of our nation’s Department of Defense to the safety and security of our nation is critical. I cannot thank the DIA enough for what they did that day and what they do each and every day."

-Pfc. Jessica Lynch

AFTER THE RESCUE

Pfc. Lynch

Lynch was flown back to the United States. She spent three months recovering from her most severe injuries at Walter Reed Medical Center before returning to her home. She received a medical discharge due to the wounds she sustained in Iraq.

The Other POWs

A Marine Corps unit rescued the seven remaining POWs from a house in Samara on April 13, 2003.

Recovery of the KIA

During Lynch's rescue, one of the doctors in Saddam Hussein General Hospital informed the team that the American soldiers who were killed were buried on the hospital grounds. She directed them to the location, and Army Rangers exhumed the bodies.

Image of POW/MIA Flag