Jacksonville, Florida firefighters will be featured in a Discovery Channel documentary because of their efforts to raise awareness of a U.S. Navy pilot who has been Missing In Action in Iraq for over 12 years.
The documentary tells the story of Jacksonville resident Michael Scott Speicher, who was declared dead in 1991 after his plane was shot down on the first night of the Gulf War, but who was re-classified as a Prisoner of War in 2002 after Pentagon officials concluded that he ejected from his F/A-18 strike fighter and was most likely captured alive.
The Jacksonville Association of Firefighters and Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department have participated in efforts to publicize Speicher's plight and to press U.S. government officials to keep working until they bring Speicher home or obtain evidence of his death.
Local union spokesman Mark Treglio said firefighters got involved after he ran into the web site for "Friends Working To Free Scott Speicher" and spoke to Speicher's friends about their efforts.
"They weren't getting any help so we stepped in," Treglio said.
The firefighters held a ceremony on January 17th to mark the 12th anniversary of Speicher's disappearance, and they now bring officials from his organization with them every time they attend or host an event.
The firefighters also raised a banner stating their support for Speicher on an old training tower that overlooks Interstate 10, where it is seen daily by 120,000 drivers coming to and from downtown Jacksonville, and they placed another banner at one of Jacksonville
