Robert John Dwyer is a United States Navy Lieutenant who went missing in action on February 5, 1991 during the Persian Gulf War. He is one of two American servicemen in the war to remain unaccounted for. A third serviceman, Scott Speicher, was located in 2009.
Background[]
Robert Dwyer was born on September 29, 1958 and grew up in Worthington, Ohio. His father was a Vietnam Veteran who flew for the United States Air Force. According to family and friends, Dwyer looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. At some point in his life, he attended Ohio University and got married. In 1981, he was commissioned into the United States Navy and became a F/A-18 pilot.
Persian Gulf War[]
On August 2, 1990, the Iraqi Ground Forces under Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed the country of Kuwait. This invasion led to the beginning of the Persian Gulf War. A United Nations-backed coalition of thirty-five countries, led by the United States, instigated Operation Desert Shield between August 2, 1990 and January 17, 1991, which saw the build-up of soldiers and defense of Saudi Arabia. Operation Desert Storm began on January 17, 1991, two days after a deadline for the Iraqi forces to leave Kuwait had passed.
By the time the Persian Gulf War began, Lieutenant Dwyer's primary unit was Commander Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) of the VFA-87 Golden Warriors which was attached to the USS Roosevelt.
On February 5, 1991, Dwyer flew his F/A-18 on a combat mission and was last seen forty nautical miles east of Kuwait City, Kuwait. He failed to return to the USS Roosevelt afterwards. A US Navy assessment speculated that he lost his INS, possibly from combat damage, and in the ensuing chaos got lost, ran out of gas, and crashed into the Persian Gulf. It is believed combat was a factor in Dwyer's disappearance, but it was not the direct cause.
Aftermath[]
Neither Dwyer's remains or his aircraft have been recovered. A memorial marker at Memorial Section H in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia was set up in his honor.
