Thank You Matt Maupin.

In my home town of Batavia, Ohio, there are yellow ribbons attached to everything. To homes, to trees, to telephone poles, to signs, fences. There are American flags lined down the streets, and this has been going on for over 4 years now. I'm honored to be a resident of the town I live in. Along with those ribbons are signs saying "Welcome Home Matt" all throughout the town. You would think that a local hero was coming happily home after serving in Iraq, but when we welcomed this soldier home, it was for his final resting place. SO? Soldiers fight for our country everyday and many have died, why such a big deal for this soldier?Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin was a graduate from Glen Este High School (my highschool I graduated from) in 2001. When 9/11/2001 happened, like many young men and women he felt the need to defend our country, our families and our well being as citizens. He was deployed from Iraq and on April 9, 2004, our small town recieved "World Wide News and Recognition" that this brave young man of only 21 had been captured by a terrorist group and was taped sitting on the ground, surrounded by 5 gunmen horrified but saying he was "alright". These were broadcasted around the world and on Arabic television. Later, another video was released of a man, in a black hood standing by a shallow grave being shot. Four years, our community has kept the yellow ribbons up. Four years, our community has kept the "Matt, we are praying" in cups inbedded in the fence of his former highschool. Today we welcomed Matt home, because after 4 years, they gave in and told officials there this body has been dumped. I wish you could see my town. I wish you could see how it's decorated just right for the welcoming home of one of the only war's POW, MIA. It was so sad to walk in the building by myself to pay respects to this fine young man. There were HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of people visiting him. They showed clips by his military uniform of him at 3 months old, 6 months old, one year old, as a child, as a teenager, stepping onto the plane to go to Iraq..you stopped seeing him as a soldier and realize how young he was. I wasn't expecting to cry, but as I approaching the casket with the American Flag ontop of it, I couldn't help put have tears running down my face. I wasn't the only one.I just wanted to take a second to tell you how honored I feel to be in a community that gave such a respectable funderal and "welcoming home". I'm so glad that there are men and women brave enough to go over there and fight for our country, our families.