the lost soldier

The Lost Soldier
DARCY FARGOThe TelegramBenjamin Alan Best is trying to get his message in newspapers and in theMinds of people around the country by riding on a bicycle. But he¹s not seeking the notoriety for himself. Best, who is from Florida, has been biking around the country for three years trying to make people remember Keith Matthew ³Matt² Maupin, a U.S. Army soldier who was captured in combat in Iraq. ³He¹s been missing since April 9, 2004,² Best said. ³People say, Keith¹s been missing for three years. He has to be dead.¹ I say, tell that to Senator John McCain.¹McCain was a prisoner of war for five years, and he escaped alive.²Maupin, who was 20 at the time of his capture, hails from Batavia, Ohio.Best said he has been contacting Maupin¹s mother, Carolyn Maupin,throughout his journey. ³I¹ve been sending her cards from the different states, ² Best said.³And I carry a picture of Matt that I have people sign on the back. I send those to his mother, too.² Best has also been posting on a Web site ‹ http://www.dirtragmag.com/ tracking his progress. ³There are a lot of people who have been following me since this has been posted on the Web,² he said. ³But, actually, it¹s been surprisingly hard to get this story told.² Best also noted that his travels have taken him into some pretty interesting locations. ³I¹ve been in bars, churches, restaurants and hotels all over the country, and it¹s all on the Web site,² he said. ³And it¹s all true. I talk about everything I experience, and every reaction I get.² Best said he first started riding in memory of the victims of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. ³One day, I was in a Denny¹s drinking coffee, and this young waitress came up to me and asked me what I was doing, ² he said. ³When I told her, she asked me if I wanted a picture of the missing soldier. When I said“Who the heck is that? ¹ she started crying. She gave me this picture, and told me the story of Matt Maupin.² Since then, he has been in all 48 states in the continental U.S., and he is preparing to venture back through many of the northern states through the heart of winter. ³I¹m-hoping people will react differently when it¹s below freezing, ² he said. ³All I have is a tent and sleeping bag, and lots of warm clothes. My next major stop is Niagara Falls.² Best traveled through Malone Thursday afternoon after a stop in Plattsburgh earlier in the day. ³I¹m hoping to make it 50 to 60 miles every day,² he said. ³I figure I¹ll be four or five days getting to Niagara Falls.² When he concludes his trip two years from now, Best says he plans to compile all of his writings from the Web site and write a book. ³I¹m going to give the book to Carolyn Maupin, ² he said. ³She can do whatever she wants with it. I just want her to know her son isn¹t forgotten.² [php](Photo caption)Darcy Fargo, The TelegramBenjamin Best, a Florida resident who is on a five-year bike trip across the country, holds a picture of captured soldier Keith Matthew ³Matt² Maupin of Ohio. Best¹s cross-country ride is meant to bring awareness to Maupin¹s status as captured and missing.