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Funeral held for soldier captured in 2004

Military workers and supporters from across the country joined in memorials Sunday for a slain Army reservist who had become a poignant picture of the war in Iraq after he was captured by insurgents.
Iraq Soldiers Remains
Thousands of people attend a memorial service Sunday for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Maupin was listed as missing for nearly four years after his fuel convoy was attacked by insurgents near Baghdad. His remains were found last month. David Kohl / AP
/ Source: The Associated Press

Military workers and supporters from across the country joined in memorials Sunday for a slain Army reservist who had become a poignant picture of the war in Iraq after he was captured by insurgents.

Thousands walked past Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin's casket during a daylong visitation at a civic center in Clermont County, east of Cincinnati, where he grew up. Many of them headed to Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, for an afternoon memorial service.

The crowd occupied the lower portion of the 42,000-seat stadium, behind home plate, stretching from first base to third.

Maupin's flag-draped casket was on a platform in the area of the pitcher's mound. The only people on the field were members of the 338th Army band and about 100 family members, military representatives and dignitaries.

Cincinnati Community Holds Candlelight Vigil For Soldier Missing In Iraq
BATAVIA, OH - APRIL 15: A photo of Keith \"Matt\" Maupin on display April 15, 2004 near Batavia, Ohio. Maupin is a local Army Reservist missing in Iraq. (Photo by Mike Simons/Getty Images)Mike Simons / Getty Images North America

"Matt Maupin was the all-American kid," said retired Lt. Gen. James Campbell, representing the Army at the service. "We are so proud of you. You have served your country with honor and distinction."

Maupin's remains were found in Iraq last month, nearly four years after he was captured when his fuel convoy was attacked near Baghdad on April 9, 2004. He became the face of the war for many Americans after the Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape in April 2004 showing him wearing camouflage and a floppy desert hat, sitting on a floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.

Members of his unit, the Illinois-based 724th Transportation Co., were among those on the field Sunday.

"In his service, he became a son to all of Batavia and a son to all of Ohio," said Gov. Ted Strickland. "The Maupins heard the prayers of people from across the state and across the world."

Maupin, a 20-year-old private first class when he disappeared, was listed as missing-captured until a tip from local Iraqis led to the discovery of his remains on the outskirts of Baghdad, about 12 miles from where the convoy was ambushed.

The Army had promoted Maupin three times since his capture, to keep his military career on a par with his contemporaries in case he survived. At a private ceremony with his family on Saturday, the Army awarded Maupin the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, the POW Medal and other commendations.

Since his capture, the Yellow Ribbon Support Center founded by his parents, Keith and Carolyn Maupin, has sent nearly 10,000 packages of toiletries, magazines, snacks and games to soldiers. They have said that work will continue.