Sgt Matt Maupin Confirmed Dead

[Woodmonkey]

The Ohio man who had been the only soldier the U.S. Army listed as "missing-captured" in Iraq has been confirmed dead.

Sgt. Matt Maupin was 20 years old, a private first class in the Army Reserve, when he was captured April 9, 2004. His fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Co., was ambushed west of Baghdad.

A week later, television network Al-Jazeera showed a video of Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

His parents, Keith and Carolyn Maupin of Batavia, rallied in support of American troops and kept faith that their son would return home. The divorced couple met several times with President Bush and sent more than 30,000 pictures of their son to U.S. soldiers, hoping they would keep looking.

Maupin was promoted twice after his capture.

An Army general told Maupin’s father that his remains had been found in Iraq, the Associated Press reported. DNA tests were used to confirm Maupin’s identity. The Ohio man who had been the only soldier the U.S. Army listed as "missing-captured" in Iraq has been confirmed dead.

Sgt. Matt Maupin was 20 years old, a private first class in the Army Reserve, when he was captured April 9, 2004. His fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Co., was ambushed west of Baghdad.

A week later, television network Al-Jazeera showed a video of Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

His parents, Keith and Carolyn Maupin of Batavia, rallied in support of American troops and kept faith that their son would return home. The divorced couple met several times with President Bush and sent more than 30,000 pictures of their son to U.S. soldiers, hoping they would keep looking.

Maupin was promoted twice after his capture.

An Army general told Maupin’s father that his remains had been found in Iraq, the Associated Press reported. DNA tests were used to confirm Maupin’s identity.

The Source