Remains of Missing Soldier Found

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The American Legion Online Update Story

On Sunday, nearly four years to the day that insurgents captured Staff Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin, Army officials told his parents that their missing son died in Iraq. "My heart sinks, but I know they can't hurt him anymore," said Keith Maupin, Matt's father.

According to the Dayton Daily News, a tip from an Iraqi led to the discovery of Maupin's remains in northwest Baghdad; DNA testing confirmed his identity. 

Maupin was a 20-year-old private first class on April 9, 2004, when his fuel convoy, part of the 724th Transportation Company, came under attack west of Baghdad. A week later, the Arab television network Al Jazeera aired a video that showed Maupin seated and surrounded by five men holding rifles, their faces hidden by scarves. The group wanted to trade him for prisoners held by the United States.

Later that summer, Al Jazeera televised a second videotape, one purporting to show the execution of Maupin. Because the footage didn't show the soldier's face, the Army ruled it inconclusive, and the Maupin family - indeed, their entire hometown of Batavia, Ohio - held out hope that Matt was still alive.

Keith Maupin and his ex-wife, Carolyn, vowed their son would not be forgotten.

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