[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23648-23649]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     SPECIALIST KEITH MATTHEW MAUPIN OF BATAVIA, OH, IS HONORED IN 
              PENTAGON'S PRESTIGIOUS WARRIOR ETHOS EXHIBIT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 16, 2004

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Specialist Keith Matthew 
``Matt'' Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, whose name was added last

[[Page 23649]]

Wednesday to the Pentagon's prestigious Warrior Ethos Exhibit.
  Spc. Maupin, 21, has been missing in action in Iraq since April 9, 
2004, when his convoy came under attack outside Baghdad by rocket-
propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was the first known U.S. 
serviceman to be captured by insurgents and is now the longest held 
military hostage in wartime since the end of the Vietnam War. Spec. 
Maupin is an Army Reservist with the 724th Transport Company stationed 
in Bartonville, Illinois.
  Spc. Maupin went to Iraq to fight for freedom for the Iraqi people 
and for a safer world without the brutal dictatorship of Saddam 
Hussein. Spc. Maupin is an American hero, and we are grateful for his 
bravery and courage.
  In our area of southern Ohio, there has been an outpouring of support 
for Spc. Maupin and for the Maupin family. Matt's parents, Carolyn and 
Keith Maupin, have set a tremendous example of hope and faith, and 
unqualified support for our troops. Spc. Maupin's father is a veteran, 
and his brother, Lance Corporal Micah Maupin, is a Marine stationed in 
Miramar, California. Spc. Maupin is one of the best and brightest. A 
scholar athlete in high school, he is viewed by his fellow soldiers as 
a skilled, professional and compassionate soldier.
  Last Wednesday, Spc. Matt Maupin's name was added to the Pentagon's 
prestigious Warrior Ethos Exhibit. This display honors the service and 
sacrifice of soldiers living the Warrior Ethos, including Spc. Maupin. 
Composed of three diagonal LCD panels, it features the Army Star; a 
sampling of the more than 30,000 ``To Our Troops'' virtual notes sent 
to service men and women by the American people; and images of faces of 
soldiers everywhere. The words, ``We Honor and Appreciate;'' ``We 
Remember;'' and ``We Take Care of Our Soldiers'' are inscribed on the 
panels. Above all, this tribute is an enduring legacy to soldiers, like 
Spc. Maupin, who are keeping us safe and free today.
  Perhaps the Army's ``Soldiers Creed'' states the commitment of these 
outstanding young men and women best: ``. . . I always place the 
mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I am a 
guardian of freedom and the American way of life. . . . I am an 
American Soldier.'' This is Spc. Matt Maupin.
  All of us are proud of Matt Maupin and his family, and we pray for 
his safe return.

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