We are coming up on the 4th anniversary of the capture of Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin. He was captured by al-Qaeda in Iraq on April 9, 2004 when the convoy he was traveling with was ambushed outside of Baghdad. Following the ambush a video of a captured Maupin was aired by Arab network al-Jazeera. A couple of months later the insurgents released a grainy video of an execution and claimed it as Maupin. There was no way to identify the person being executed in the video and the family did not feel it was Matt.
His parents have been forced to accept a role they never asked for and certainly would never have wanted. They are now advocates for missing soldiers. They have founded The Yellow Ribbon Support Center.
“I figured that if I don’t do this work Matt’s going to go away, and I’m not going to let that happen,” said Keith Maupin, who quit his job to run the foundation. “We need to make people aware that we do have guys missing over there, and we need to support the ones who are there.”
The Yellow Ribbon Support Center grants scholarships and sends care packages to troops. It’s sent more than 10,000 boxes and 90 computers to Iraq. In the boxes is a button with their son’s picture and a message that reads, “My name is Matt Maupin. Please remember my face.”
Keith Maupin, Matt’s father, recently visited Wesley Chapel in the St. Petersburg area to tell Matt’s story to a group of veterans and military families at the Support Our Troops warehouse where volunteers stuff care packages for deployed troops.
WESLEY CHAPEL - Keith Maupin hangs hope for his son’s safe return from Iraq on a deep feeling in his heart. It’s all he has.
His son, Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin, was captured April 9, 2004, when his convoy was ambushed outside Baghdad. The U.S. military continues to list him as “missing-captured.”
It’s not much, but it’s enough for Maupin’s parents.
“Matt’s my buddy. He’s my friend. He’s my hero, and I’m not going to give up on him,” said Keith Maupin during a visit to Wesley Chapel on Wednesday. “I know he’s there in my heart, and I feel he’s still alive. And if he’s not alive they can’t hurt him anymore.”
This is really too painful for me to write. I can’t imagine the purgatory that these parents are enduring. They aren’t celebrating the return of their son nor can they put him to rest. They are left just waiting. I just can’t imagine it and frankly don’t like to let my mind even go there. But then how can we not let our minds go there? As they say, but for the Grace of God, there go I.
Men like Matt Maupin volunteer to do their duty for our country. We have a duty to them to never forget them.
Please. Remember his face.
March 6th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Nice post, Beth.
May god be with Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin… his family, friends and loved ones…
AubreyJ………
March 8th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Beth, I’m with you. This is so heartwrenching. I can’t get over a photo I saw of Matt Maupin with his dad…it was taken after a high school football game and Matt was beaming, dad looked so proud…it tears me up thinking about it. I wish Matt didn’t have to endure what he did and I wish his wonderful parents had answers and enough comfort to get them through until they are reunited with their son - in this life or the next.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Sgt. Matt Maupin remains identified in Iraq…
After nearly four years of hoping, waiting and praying, the family of Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin (captured by insurgents in April 2004) learned Sunday their missing son died in Iraq. A Defense Department official also confirmed the identification, sayin…
March 31st, 2008 at 10:51 am
Sgt. Matt Maupin Remains Identified in Iraq…
This is not surprising news, but its certainly not what was hoped for.
(CNN) — After nearly four years of hoping, waiting and praying, an Ohio family learned Sunday their missing son died in Iraq.
“It hurts — it really hurts. You go …
April 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
My name is jessica i am a year old student at milford high school. I would just like to say that PFC. Matt Maupin was my hero. Since i had found out that he was caputerd it has always stayed in my mind that one day matt will make it home safely. My brother Pfc. Matthew Vroman is in the marines and sense he is in iraq i just always think that no matter what happens my brother and matt will come home to us. In my bedroom i have a yellow ribbon hanging up and even outside our home my parents also put a yellow ribbon around our pole. Well thank you so much for letting me write this.
<3 Jessica Milford,Ohio