Keith Matthew Maupin

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Keith Matthew Maupin
July 13, 1983 – c. 2004

Nickname	Matt
Place of birth	Batavia, Ohio
Place of death	unkown
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	2002 — death (exact date of death unknown)
Rank	Staff Sergeant
Unit	U.S. Army Reserves, 724th Transportation Company
Battles/wars	Post-invasion Iraq

Keith Matthew "Matt" Maupin (born July 13, 1983, died c. 2004-2008) was a United States Army Private First Class (PFC) captured by Iraqi insurgents on April 9, 2004, while serving in the Iraq War, after his convoy came under attack by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire near Baghdad, Iraq.

On June 28, 2004, Arabic-language television network Al Jazeera aired a low-quality video purportedly depicting Maupin's execution. On June 30, 2004, an Army spokesman said the video was "totally inconclusive."^[1]

His body was found in late March 2008, but confirmation was not made until March 30, 2008 in Iraq.^[2]^[3]

1 Biography
2 Funeral Photos
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Biography

Born on July 13, 1983 in Batavia, Ohio, Maupin was a student at Glen Este High School in Union Township, Clermont County, Ohio, with a grade point average of 3.5. He played football there and was also a rower for both Glen Este High School and Clermont High School Crew, whose boathouse is located on Harsha Lake, East Fork State Park in Bethel. He graduated in 2001 and enrolled in the University of Cincinnati Aerospace Engineering Program, using a scholarship that he had received from winning a writing competition. In 2002 he joined the United States Army Reserve and was stationed with the 705th Transportation Company based in Dayton, Ohio.

[edit] Deployment

Maupin began basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and continued on to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for training as a Motor Transport Operator (88M)^[4]. By the time he had completed training in spring 2003, the 705th Transportation Company had deployed to Iraq, and Maupin was assigned to the 643rd Area Support Group out of Whitehall, Ohio.

While fulfilling his monthly obligations as a reservist, Maupin worked at a Sam's Club warehouse store and continued courses at the University of Cincinnati. In November 2003, Maupin was transferred to the recently mobilized 724th Transportation Company based out of Bartonville, Illinois. Maupin and the 724th TC arrived in Kuwait on February 20, 2004 and on March 5 proceeded to Logistics Support Area Anaconda, Iraq, with the 7th Transportation Battalion, 172nd Corps Support Group, 13th Corps Support Command, to begin missions delivering fuel to various coalition installations.

[edit] Capture

Maupin is seen on this undated image made from a video broadcast by Al Jazeera on Friday, April 16, 2004. Maupin appeared alert and unhurt.
Associated Press / Al Jazeera

On April 9, 2004, Maupin's fuel convoy came under attack near the Baghdad International Airport. In what was described as a 5-mile (8.0 km)-long ambush, the 26-vehicle serial was pummeled by gunfire, mortar rounds and RPGs, disabling many of the civilian fuel tankers and Army vehicles. After the remnants of the convoy reached safe ground it was learned that around ten soldiers and civilian KBR contractors were wounded, while one soldier, SPC Gregory Goodrich, and a civilian driver had been killed in the battle. PFC Maupin was among the nine people unaccounted for – seven civilians and two soldiers. One of the missing civilian drivers, Thomas Hamill, had been taken hostage during the ambush and escaped his captors on May 2, 2004. The bodies of five other civilians and the second soldier were subsequently recovered; all are thought to have been killed in the ambush. Civilian driver Timothy Bell remains missing and is presumed dead, since he never appeared in a hostage video.

On April 16, 2004, Maupin appeared on a videotape that was broadcast by the Arabic-language television network Al Jazeera. The tape, reportedly delivered to the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar, raised hopes that Maupin was still alive. In the video, the soldier identified himself as "Private First Class Keith Matthew Maupin", a standard procedure followed by prisoners of war that protects their rights under the Third Geneva Convention.

On June 28, 2004, Al Jazeera reported that Maupin was executed by a group identifying itself as The Persistent Power Against the Enemies of God and the Prophet. The method of execution in the video was a gunshot to the head. The U.S. Army deemed the tape inconclusive, because it is unclear whether the man was Maupin.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Search for Maupin

The Clermont County community, friends of Maupin's family, and Clermont High School Crew raised funds and received donations to build a memorial pavilion in his honor at the finish line of the rowing race course on Harsha Lake Beach, East Fork State Park, Bethel, Ohio.

Maupin was promoted three times since he was declared missing in action, first from Private First Class to Specialist, then to Sergeant, then lastly, Staff Sergeant.

"Love never loses its way home" (Twi: Odo Nnyew Fie Kwan Frame^[5]) is a West African proverb used in Iraq^{[verification needed]} among the troops to describe the search for Staff Sergeant Maupin^{[citation needed]}. The Maupin family also used the phrase as a cornerstone for their hope that Matt would one day return home.^[6]

[edit] Body found

On March 30, 2008, Maupin's father told local newsmedia that the remains of his son had been found. He states that an Army general had told him that DNA was used to identify the remains.^[7] According to an Army statement, Maupin's remains "were recovered northwest of Baghdad on March 20, by soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, based out of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, attached to 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment."^[8] The unit called the recovery effort "Operation Trojan Honor", after the mascot of Maupin's high school, Glen Este.^[9] A tip from an Iraqi citizen led to the recovery of Maupin's remains.^[10] The US military reportedly paid a $200,000 reward for the tip that led to the recovery of Maupin's remains. Two Iraqis who were reportedly involved in Maupin's capture and death have been tried for other crimes and sentenced to death by Iraqi courts. According to Maupin's parents, as of April 2008 US and Iraqi authorities are currently searching for six to eight more Iraqis that they believe were also involved with Maupin's death.^[11]

A memorial was held in Cincinnati, OH on April 27th, 2008 in Great American Ball Park. Maupin was laid to rest at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH on April 27, 2008 while surrounded by a group of close family and friends.

[edit] Funeral Photos

Photos of Matt Maupin's return to Clermont County and his funeral at Great American Ball Park, taken by David Miller for LovelandMagazine.com, can be viewed here: [1]