Posted on 11/02/2005 1:08:59 PM PST by StarCMC
UNION TWP., CLERMONT COUNTY | — The parents of the military's only soldier listed as missing-captured said they've "had enough" of the Army's breakdown in alerting them to developments in the search for their son, Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin.
"Twice now they've dropped the ball where we've learned about something happening with our son from other sources, like the media," said Carolyn Maupin, mother of the Army reservist, missing since his April 2004 capture by Iraqi insurgents just outside Baghdad.
The Dayton Daily News was the first of several media outlets to tell the Maupins on Monday about a search for their son in a brush area near Baghdad, based on a tip the Army received.
"Enough is enough," Mrs. Maupin said Tuesday. "Just last night, we had to do a press conference about the latest search without anyone from the Army with us. This is ridiculous and they need to get it together. This is our son we're talking about."
She and her husband, Keith, are going to Washington, D.C., on Thursday for what used to be called a briefing with Pentagon officials regarding the status of the Army's search for their son.
"Not anymore," she said. "We're past the briefing stage. Now it is a progress rescue and recovery report."
Frustrated with the lack of Army communications, Mrs. Maupin said she and her husband plan to give Pentagon officials an earful.
"There's no excuse to put a family through this," she said. "The (casualty assistance officers) don't get reports from Iraq and, it's hard for them, I understand this, but someone should be reprimanded for this."
Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Pamela Hart said she could not comment about the status of the search for Maupin, including whether the three-day search last weekend yielded any results.
She did confirm that since Maupin's capture, "the Army has conducted many searches for him, investigating every lead we get."
Hart said the Army will not let up looking for Maupin.
Evidence from this latest search, including a fragment of a military uniform, was sent to a lab in Delaware, Mrs. Maupin said, noting results are due in about a week.
"The lab didn't even know they were to receive stuff," Mrs. Maupin said. "Now, can you imagine? That's how bad the communication between everyone is."
Hart said Army officials want the Maupin's to know that they are doing everything possible to find the soldier.
This morning, the Maupins plan to take part in another printing of their son's photo, making 100,001 times the photo has been reprinted.
Since his capture, the Maupins and friends have handed out or sent overseas to soldiers 100,000 photos of Matt with an inscription below his image that states: "Love never loses its way home."
A note is attached to each photo that reads: "Please place me in your Bible and say a prayer for me. I'm captured in Iraq and prayers can set me free."
"We're gonna pray him home," Mrs. Maupin said. "He's our son and we're all gonna pray him home. I know it."
Contact Kristin McAllister at (513) 696-4545.
* Phone: (513) 752-4310. * Online: www.yellowribbonsupportcenter.com/
Dayton Daily News
UNION TWP., Clermont county | Carolyn and Keith Maupin beamed with pride Wednesday morning as the 100,000th flier bearing a photo of their son, Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin, the U.S. military's only soldier listed as captured in Iraq, fell into their hands from a printer.
Applause followed a resounding "There it is!" from friends and supporters gathered at Sam's Club in the Eastgate shopping plaza in Union Twp., Clermont County. The fliers are sent to Americans on active duty in Iraq and distributed across the United States. They include information about Maupin, a U.S. Army reservist missing since April 2004 when Iraqi insurgents ambushed his Cincinnati-based unit during a convoy near Baghdad. People are asked to place the fliers in their Bible or other holy book and to pray for Maupin's safe return.
Afterward the ceremony Wednesday morning, everyone signed the back of the photo, which will be displayed at the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, just down the street.
"It was a good day and it was a bad day," said Carolyn Maupin. "I'd rather have Matt than a picture."
It's been a rough week, she said, during which an Army task force unit spent three days searching for Maupin following a tip that he may be buried in a brush area outside Baghdad.
Officials said evidence was collected and sent to a lab in Delaware.
"But to know there's 100,000 prayers out there for Matt, I just know we're going to pray him home."
On Thursday, the Maupins head to the Pentagon to meet with U.S. military officials about the search for their son.
A comment from a veteran I know online:
Keith, Carolyn, and Matt Maupin deserve better than they are getting. The
Veterans and their families are treated like whores when the veteran becomes
POW/MIA. Used up, nice words for then and left when they have served the
purpose.
It is the same thing we saw in past wars when someone was POW/MIA. Nothing
has changed from past wars except the country we are in. We must learn from
history and stop using our veterans and forgetting them. They and their
families deserve some respect and they sure are not getting it.
No, we must not forget our missing.
But what are they expecting to be done that hasn't been done? If the trail is cold and there are no leads... what then?
Please bump for one of our heroes. Dear God, please bring him home!
Continued prayers for Spc. Maupin.
Matt's mother, wearing her "Support our Troops" pin with Matt's picture:
Sgt. Matt Maupin, MIA bump.
Never give up until they are home. And get the McCain's of the world out of the way so that they can be found. McCain went thru a lot in Vietnam himself, and for that I am grateful. But since he's gotten into government he's nothing but an obstructionist when it comes to POW/MIA issues according to folks who know. That goes for Matt, and Speicher and all our heroes left in Vietnam.
Ping
I can't imagine what these folks are going through.
Me either. And I pray I never have to find out.
BTTT
Back in the late 80's or early 90's there were hearings on the POW/MIAS.....McCain was horrible to the families. I will never, ever forgive him for that. He wanted it all to go away because, if I remember correctly, he had interest in trade with VN.
Sgt. Maupin and his family do deserve better! I pray that he is found soon. Same for Capt. Speicher. I always have felt like we left so many behind in Vietnam. This should not continue to happen.
The O'Reilly Factor would be a good start.
Did you even read the article? The Maupins are ticked off because the public finds out information about THEIR son before they do. Not because the trail has gone cold.
Police hold back the names of victims involved in a crime until the next of kin is notified. Why can't the Army?? This has happened three times! I'd say they're right, enough is enough.
Next time read the article.
Yes, I read the article. I saw where they said that. The article also seems to indicate that there is nothing new to know until some lab results are back.
Seems to me that the Army hasn't given up. Maybe they would actually like to have some information when they contact her?
Prayer bump.
I hope they find the young man. War always has it MIA's. When I was in Verdun, France circa 1987 I saw a Marine honor guard bring out the body of a U.S.Marine killed in WWI.
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