Thank You Ms. Maupin

Talk about a class act. Carolyn Maupin, mother of Matt Maupin, is a profile in grace, courage and patriotism. She continues to honor her son's sacrafice.

From A message of hope:

Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin became a very human face of the war in Iraq last year when gun-toting captors paraded him before a television camera and demanded the United States change its Middle East policy.

Although the soldier with the Army Reserve's 724th Transportation Company from Bartonville, Ill., has been missing for about 16 months, his parents have not abandoned hope of seeing him return home safely.

"We're not going to give up," his mother, Carolyn Maupin, of Batavia, Ohio, said Friday after a wreath-laying ceremony at Arsenal Island. "We're just going to hold on to believing in Matt."

Keith and Carolyn Maupin visited the Quad-Cities after receiving an invitation from Sgt. Mike Bailey, who served in their son's platoon and now works as a civilian employee on Arsenal Island.

Carolyn Maupin shed tears and shared hugs with some of her son's comrades after a large wreath was placed on the Arsenal POW-MIA memorial. A photo of her son adorned the wreath with the message "Lighting the way home."

Matt Maupin remains the only American soldier officially listed as captured since the conflict in Iraq began. Although the insurgents who abducted him later released a videotape showing a man they claimed to be Maupin being shot in the back of the head, the Pentagon has been unable to verify the tape's authenticity.

The military recently reviewed the Maupin case and decided to continue listing him as captured instead of dead. "We wanted it to remain that way because he doesn't deserve for them to stop looking for him," Carolyn Maupin said. "Matt was proud to be a soldier. He was proud to go over and fight for his country.

"We ask that everybody keep hoping and praying for his safe return."

Matt Maupin was taken prisoner April 9, 2004, when a fuel convoy he was guarding came under attack. Unlike the mother of a fallen soldier who is camped outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, the Maupins do not blame the government for whatever has happened to their son.

"We don't blame anyone for Matt," Carolyn Maupin said. "No one likes war, but we have to support our troops who are there."