Service for fallen soldier Sunday in Ohio
Many expected to gather to remember, honor Staff Sgt. 'Matt' Maupin
BY ANDY KRAVETZ
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
PEORIA - Tens of thousands of people will fill the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park on Sunday to pay their final respects to a Bartonville-based Army reservist whose body was found after he had been missing in action for four years.
Among those will likely be dozens of soldiers, both past and present, from the 724th Transportation Co. who made the trek from Illinois, Florida and even one from Iraq to honor their fallen comrade, Staff Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin.
The funeral for Maupin will begin at 1 p.m. at the ballpark and last for about an hour. Afterward, a private burial will be in a nearby cemetery.
Today, Maupin's remains are expected to land in Ohio and be escorted to a nearby civic center, where a 24-hour visitation will be held, ending at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio, was captured on April 9, 2004, during what officials have called one of the largest coordinated attacks against U.S. forces. He was providing security to a fuel convoy headed to the Baghdad International Airport when, just west of the city, the convoy of about two dozen civilian and military vehicles came under attack by an estimated 200 insurgents.
Two other soldiers, Sgt. Elmer Krause and Spc. Gregory Goodrich, also died, along with six Halliburton truck drivers. Dozens were wounded.
Maupin was listed as missing for nearly four years and continued to be promoted, a sign the Army believed him to be captured, not dead. Then on March 30, the military announced they had found his remains not far from the ambush site.
Locally, there was a memorial service at Parkview Cemetery on April 9, where more than 300 people gathered to pay their respects.