Local soldier abducted in Iraq

[LanDroid]

Private First Class Keith Maupin of Batavia (NY Times)

Local coverage

<font color="#000002" size="1">[ April 16, 2004 07:32 PM: Message edited by: LanDroid ]</font>

[Sluggo]

I always have an American flag outside, it is small but the wind beats up our normal sized flag. And I have a red,white & blue bow with a yellow ribbon attached to it. It has been outside since the war with Iraq started but now I have a huge yellow ribbon (pre-made) attached to another flag outside in a flower pot. I wish everyone would put a yellow ribbon out because I know how worried I was about my son when her was in the Navy and serving, for nineteen months in Bahrain. And we were not at war at that time. So I can only imagine what he is going through now and also his family, especially his mom. I, of course, look at things from a mom's viewpoint!

Come on!! It will only cost you a couple of bucks to show your support for our troops. I am not saying I support the president on the whole thing BUT I DO support our boys and girls in the service! Some of them are still kids. JMHO.

[cincygreg]

He's from an area not too far from me so I've been seeing and hearing even more about it. Whether you were for or against the war, you have to feel for his family and for him. Hopefully they'll free him soon and he can get home to his family. The most worrisome thing is that the captors are using "Islamic Law" in their treatment of him and as we all know that can be interpreted many different ways. Hopefully, it won't be in the extremists interprtation.

[Sean Pa]

I would imagine there are very intense efforts by special forces to rescue this fella quickly,cause I dont think American soldiers stand much of a chance of getting released alive. Hope to god I am wrong, he is only 20 with a young family must be scared out of his mind.

[Sluggo]

Yeah, Sean. That is what I am trying to get across. But since I had my stroke I can't explain things well. I want people to put up the yellow ribbons to show support for the kid and his family. I don't know if he is married or not and either way it would not help him any at all but it would show his mom and wife/girlfriend/whatever that people care and support HIM & HIS FAMILY. If we (generally speaking) had done this sort of thing when our kids and men & women were in Vietnam there would not be all the problems with the Vietnam Vets. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

[Sluggo]

Years ago, I read a book about Vietnam. It had the last letters home for about 75 servicemen. All of them are dead and the average age (printed on the back of the book) of the servicemen is 19 years and 4 months. How sad!!!! [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img] [img]frown.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img]

[Boo Boo]

My heart goes out to his family. I can imagine the mixed emotions. You are relieved to see him alive, but worried to death knowing he is captured and what could be in store for him. Let pray our special forces can get this guy out of there.

Sean BTW. According to an intervew with Maupin's best freind. He does NOT have a wife or child. I'm not sure if Maupin said that as an attempt to save his skin, or if the captures made him say it to feed into the propaganda.

[jumper69]

The likely hood of our special forces troops rescuing this troop are slim. We are only as good as the intelligence we receive from sources. Remember also that we don't negotiate with terrorists. They are more than likely moving him nightly, if not more often. It makes it unlikely we will get good TIMELY intelligence on his whereabouts (a critical necessity). I also suspect that our SF troops have quite a bit more on their plate than the rescue of one soldier. I sincerely hope that we can pull off a rescue than that this soldier will be freed unharmed. I really do hope that. The reality, however, is that this troop will probably be killed.