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Remembering Matt Maupin, POW/MIA Iraq, April 9, 2004
April 9, 2007
Today is a day that I would ask for every one of our readers to keep one of our Heroes in their thoughts and prayers. This hero, Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, known as Matt by his family, is the only US Soldier known to still be Missing In Action/Captured during the current Iraq War and today marks the third anniversary of the date that he was captured. Let’s all keep a candle lit for Matt, in hopes that he is located safe and returned home to his waiting family.
Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin
Three years ago today, Sgt Keith Matthew Maupin was part of a fuel convoy with 724th Transportation Company when their convoy was ambushed and Keith was taken captive. At the time, Maupin was a 20 year old PFC. Since his capture, he’s been promoted to Sgt and is listed by the US Army as missing in action/captured. The military continues to look for Matt and follow leads as they get them.
Matt’s hometown, Batavia, Ohio has yellow ribbons tied to trees, parking meters and everyplace imaginable in support of Matt. Fund raising events are held in his manner on a regular basis and draw huge crowds. Soldier’s at home relay messages to his family of search efforts in Iraq. It is these signs of support and messages of hope that keep Matt’s parents, Keith and Carol Maupin going. They take comfort when hearing from the father of a military interrogator who said that detainees are regularly asked if they know anything about Matt.
“He said, ‘These guys are not going to give up on Matt. Their mission is to stay focused on finding Matt and get all the information they can out of these detainees,’” Keith Maupin said. “That made me feel good.”
Due to the sensitive nature of such information, the Army of course cannot confirm or deny if that is occurring. Their concern is that by doing so, the enemy could either harm Matt or move him.
A week after Matt was captured, Al-Jazeera aired a video tape showing Matt in uniform, sitting on the floor and surrounded by 5 men wearing masks and holding automatic weapons. Later that year, in June Al-Jazeera aired another videotape claiming the show the execution of an American Soldier being shot. However the video was too dark and grainy and only showed the back of the purported victim’s head and not the shooting itself. There was no way to tell if it was Matt or not. His parents refuse to believe that it was Matt and the Army continues to list Matt as missing/captured according to Lt. Col. Bob Tallman.
Today, more than 1000 people are expected to attend a banquet fundraiser in Matt’s honor, the third anniversary of Matt’s capture. On the following Saturday, about 700 bikers are expected to participate in a Motorcycle Ride in Matt’s honor and sponsored by Rolling Thunder, which is a POW/MIA awareness group. In May, a youth baseball tournament has been scheduled. The event has drawn more entries than it could handle, even though the tournament will be held on several different baseball fields. Each of these benefits are raising money for the Matt Maupin scholarship fund which will be given by Cincinnati area high schools where soldiers attended who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We won’t let people forget,” Clermont County Commissioner Bob Proud said. “Whenever we see yellow ribbons, we think about Matt and all our warriors. It always reminds me of the sacrifice that Matt and all of our troops have made.”
Keith Maupin now works full time with the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, which Carolyn founded before their son was captured. Carolyn and Keith Maupin, though divorced, have united in their effort to be a touchstone for families who have lost loved ones in the war.
“A lot of people come in here and a lot of people call, and they just want to talk,” Keith Maupin said. “That’s OK by me; that’s what we’re here for.”
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7 Responses to “Remembering Matt Maupin, POW/MIA Iraq, April 9, 2004”
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Where is Private First Class Keith Matthew Maupin?
LindaSog at Something …. and Half of Something reminds us that today is the third anniversary of the capture of Private First Class Keith Matthew Maupin by terrorists in Baghdad when a convoy he was in came under attack.
A group called ‘Per…
Thank you for sharing this story. Matt and his family will definately be in my family’s thoughts and prayers for all our heroes, and will continue forever after his safe return home.
Everything you say here is 100% true, down to the tiniest detail. The Maupin family is truly united in their support for Matt and all soldiers, and the search for him does continue. I wrote about Matt today too- thank you for remembering my neighbor.
It was my pleasure. Matt deserves to be remembered and he’ll remain in our thoughts and prayers until he returns home.
I would like to to introduce myself at the person putting on the 1st Annual SSG Keith “Matt” Maupin Scholarship Fund Baseball Tournament. If you would like to help with the Scholarship Fund or Sponsor the Baseball Tournament with a sponsorship you can conatact. The web site is freewebs.com/mmsftournament
Matt watches over me everyday through his picture. And he keeps me motivated like any good soldier would. I awaiting his return so I can go to dinner with him and his family. They are all such great hearted individuals and I have come to love them dearly…Even Keith..LOL
Welcome to A Soldier’s Mind Renee. I’ll definitely check out the link you provided.
When I came home from Iraq I was diagnosed with PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I was told that I am sick that I am not Right. Then I turned on the TV and I see Dick Durbin saying American soldiers are committing acts of torture at places like Abu Grab and Quantico because they had a Al-Qaida terrorist who saws civilians heads off with their hands tied behind their backs, Al-Qaida terrorist who places bombs on three year old children (I was in Iraq and I seen it first hand!), Al-Qaida terrorist who came in our country when we were at peace and murdered over three thousand American civilians, and they had these terrorist standing on a bar stool with a dunce cap on their head and that’s Torture! Why in the hell didn’t he say a damned thing about Matt Maupin, Shoshana Johnson, Edgar Hernandez, James Riley, Patric Miller, Joseph Hudson, Jacob N. Fritz, Johnathan B. Chism, Shawn P. Falter, Johnathon M. Millican, or any of the other American soldiers who have been captured during this war! Private Kristian Menchaca of Houston and Private Thomas Tucker of Oregon were captured by terrorists in Iraq , hacked to death, their eyes gouged, their bodies defiled.
In fact it was the American soldiers who have died including all those who have been captured in this war (and I haven’t seen seen any enemy POW camps but I’ve seen a shit load of bodies that have been tortured to death by these scum that Dick Durbin is defending!) that give Dick Durbin the FREEDOM to call them terrorist for putting some Al-Qaida dirt bag on a bar stool with pajamas and a dunce cap!
I might have PTSD but I’m not the one who is sick it’s DICK DURBIN! Are you Really an AMERICAN DICK?!?! Or just another Fucked up FAG Loving Liberal who hates AMERICA ?
Is this where all my tax money is going to support dumbasses like this MORON, who spit on my brothers who have the BALLS to wear the uniform and risk their lives so this sorry excuse of an American can live his pampered lifestyle and spit on the very men and women who die and bleed so he can have the freedom to spit on them?
And you of the ACLU were does your heart lie?!?
You support the VERY Scum who killed and tortured my Brothers in Arms, Fuck You!