Link to Foxnews.com article.

Per article, foul play not suspected.

Condolences to his colleagues, family, and friends.

Sad when one so accomplished takes their life.

On the way!

Last military suicide I remember was Burda. Over wearing a medal he wasn’t entitled to wear.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
Last military suicide I remember was Burda. Over wearing a medal he wasn’t entitled to wear.

Jeremy Michael Boorda.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
Last military suicide I remember was Burda. Over wearing a medal he wasn’t entitled to wear.

Tragically, there are hundreds per year. Every year.

quote:

Originally posted by senza nome:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:
Last military suicide I remember was Burda. Over wearing a medal he wasn’t entitled to wear.

Jeremy Michael Boorda.

Man of extreme honor.

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:

quote:

Originally posted by senza nome:
Jeremy Michael Boorda.

Man of extreme honor.

Not universally accepted. Ask Scott Speicher's family about that; then again that was weighing on his mind when he offed himself. That and the "V".

OT, Adm Stearney was a fine officer when I served under him. I'm sure if I check my logbook we flew together a handful of times.

Sad to ses, RIP.

Rhino, what do you think happened to Speicher? Do you think he survived all that time? I remember reading the reports back in the early days of the Iraq war of finding evidence that he survived. I thought I read something more recent that they finally found remains close to where he crashed. Sad story either way.

Job pressure is a possibility, work pressure has a way of manifesting those demons that take a tragic turn. Infidelity and the public embarrassment to the spouse and family are very real.

What is the patch on his left shoulder?

Its a Gadsen flag. My college buddy pinned on his first star and I recently saw a picture with him wearing the same one. Only difference is he is surface Navy so I'm pretty sure it crosses all warfare specialties.

Gadsen flag? I'm familiar with the "Don't Tread on Me" Gadsden flag...oh wait.

Interesting. I found it as the "First Navy Jack" flag. Wiki said this....

"The First Navy Jack, which was not directly related to the Gadsden flag, has been in use by the United States Navy since its beginnings. Unlike the Liberty Tree Flag with the letter by Colonel Joseph Reed that describes it, there is no document that describes the Snake on Stripes flag, only an image by English artist Thomas Hart in the background of a portrait of Commodore Esek Hopkins. In that same painting is a round "tree flag". The triangular Liberty Tree flag is derived from the only surviving tree flag from the Revolution, found in an old trunk in 1993 on Long Island, the 5th Regt. Connecticut Militia. The Snake on Stripes flag was included in a book of flags by Admiral Preble, but later Preble determined the flag not valid, so he removed it from his text. However, the book publisher used the old color plates, so the image was continued in the new edition and subsequently picked up by other publications and Webster's Dictionary.[citation needed]"

In preparation for the 1976 bicentennial year, staff officers in the Secretary of the Navy's office sought a powerful image for the Navy's Bicentennial. One Navy officer saw the Snake on Stripes Flag in Webster's Dictionary, so the staff officers ordered a large number to give away as Navy promotional items and then turned to the Naval Historical Center to "get the history". They were told that the flag had probably never flown during the Revolution, based on Admiral Preble's later discoveries, but a decision was made to use the Snake on Stripes Flag, or the "Fake Snake Flag", anyway. Beginning in 1975, commissioned Navy ships flew this Jack in place of the Naval Jack (officially known as the Union Jack, not to be confused with the United Kingdom's flag) at the bow. In 1977, the Secretary of the Navy directed that the ship in active status with the longest total period of active service shall display the First Navy Jack until decommissioned or transferred to inactive service, at which time the flag shall be passed to the next ship in line with appropriate honors. The display of this jack by the oldest ship in the fleet is intended as a form of recognition to promote pride of service, enhance morale, and contribute to the tradition of naval service. USS Enterprise (CVN 65) became the oldest active ship in the United States Navy upon the decommissioning of USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) on May 12, 2009. Enterprise is only the third aircraft carrier ever to hold the honor of flying the First Navy Jack.[12]

Since the first Patriot Day on September 11, 2002, which commemorates the lives lost in the September 11 attacks, the rattlesnake from the flag is also shown on the US Army's Drill Sergeant Identification Badge. After the Snake on Stripes Flag became the Navy's symbol for the Global War on Terrorism, flag history professionals[vague] (vexillologists) have done extensive research papers that further question the claim that the flag ever flew during the American Revolution, yet it continues to fly at the bow of American warships today.[citation needed]"

Anyway, thanks. Back on topic now, sorry for the sidebar.

quote:

Originally posted by Erick85:
Rhino, what do you think happened to Speicher? Do you think he survived all that time? I remember reading the reports back in the early days of the Iraq war of finding evidence that he survived. I thought I read something more recent that they finally found remains close to where he crashed. Sad story either way.

As I read things and talked to some people who were there, the biggest crime with Speicher is nobody, and I mean NOBODY went looking for him until years after the fact. Boorda was CNO when the Navy was finally deep diving into what Speicher 'status' really was (ie, nobody looked for him, went the crash site, there was no body or proof that he died, etc) and by all accounts he just wanted it wrapped up & settled, as opposed to actually figuring out what happened.

I mean if you kill yourself over two silly "V's" on a uniform, you were never really that strong in the first place, so I don't doubt there was more to it.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
Job pressure is a possibility, work pressure has a way of manifesting those demons that take a tragic turn. Infidelity and the public embarrassment to the spouse and family are very real.

It can certainly happen, lots of these Flag Officers spend years deployed, climbing the ladder with long separations from family.

It is not just members of the military. The life expectancy of the average American has DECREASED largely because of the increase in suicide. The elderly continue to have the highest rate.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
As I read things and talked to some people who were there, the biggest crime with Speicher is nobody, and I mean NOBODY went looking for him until years after the fact. Boorda was CNO when the Navy was finally deep diving into what Speicher 'status' really was (ie, nobody looked for him, went the crash site, there was no body or proof that he died, etc) and by all accounts he just wanted it wrapped up & settled, as opposed to actually figuring out what happened.

I can back up RHINOWSO. At the time I was based at NAS Cecil Field and attended Speicher's memorial service. It was pretty sobering for us all, but especially the wives. For weeks afterwards, the thrust of the discussions was about WHY it happened and how to prevent it in the future. Since the missile came from the forward quarter everybody just assumed he didn't survive the the missile impact and/or aircraft breakup, especially since nobody made contact with Spike afterwards. AFAICR nobody asked if CSAR had been accomplished on the wreckage, and we (the stateside pilots) would not have gotten an answer anyway.

Apologies to the OP for the thread drift.

Re: Adm. Stearney

Just a very sad reminder that no matter how amazing a person's life may appear, sometimes the demons win.

Asked and answered, but a Navt shooting team buddy of mine calls it the pirate patch.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
What is the patch on his left shoulder?

quote:

Originally posted by Tailhook 84:

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
As I read things and talked to some people who were there, the biggest crime with Speicher is nobody, and I mean NOBODY went looking for him until years after the fact. Boorda was CNO when the Navy was finally deep diving into what Speicher 'status' really was (ie, nobody looked for him, went the crash site, there was no body or proof that he died, etc) and by all accounts he just wanted it wrapped up & settled, as opposed to actually figuring out what happened.

I can back up RHINOWSO. At the time I was based at NAS Cecil Field and attended Speicher's memorial service. It was pretty sobering for us all, but especially the wives. For weeks afterwards, the thrust of the discussions was about WHY it happened and how to prevent it in the future. Since the missile came from the forward quarter everybody just assumed he didn't survive the the missile impact and/or aircraft breakup, especially since nobody made contact with Spike afterwards. AFAICR nobody asked if CSAR had been accomplished on the wreckage, and we (the stateside pilots) would not have gotten an answer anyway.

I'm not all that familiar with the details Speicher's case other than being a Gulf War pilot and knowing about it. But that same thing happened to a Harrier pilot, Capt. Craig Berryman. His Harrier was hit by an SA-6 missile, his wingman saw no chute, only the explosion. No response to radio calls, etc. so he was first pronounced MIA then soon to KIA. When the Iraqis released the prisoners after the war there was Craig. No one outside had known he was a POW. It can happen (it shouldn't but it can).

I flew with Craig Berryman when we both served as flight instructors together so I've heard both the official story and the real story.

My apologies also to the OP for the thread drift

I have read about Sreicher. His body was found and positive ID made. Bedouin's buried him, most likely he was dead when the Bedouin came across him. If he survived the crash, he probably died from dehydration and injuries.

As Rhinowso stated, nobody looked for him, a distressing situation.