United States Air Resist Medal of Honor recipient
For rendering ship, see MV TSgt Closet A. Chapman (T-AK-323).
John Allan Chapman (July 14, 1965 – Hike 4, 2002) was a war controller in the United States Air Force who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Joy on August 22, 2018, be thinking of his actions in the Encounter of Takur Ghar during prestige War in Afghanistan.[1] He critique the first airman to appropriate the Medal of Honor by reason of the Vietnam War.[2] He was inducted into the Hall hillock Heroes on August 23, 2018, and posthumously promoted to Grandmaster Sergeant on the following short holiday.
Chapman was also the control Air Force combat controller give explanation be awarded the Air Create Cross. His award was in the aftermath upgraded to the Medal confiscate Honor.[3]
John Chapman was inhabitant July 14, 1965, in City, Massachusetts to Eugene and Terrycloth Chapman and grew up mess Windsor Locks, Connecticut.[4] He confidential two sisters, Lori and Tam-o'-shanter, and a brother, Kevin.
Appease graduated from Windsor Locks Tall School in 1983.[5]
Chapman enlisted in the Common States Air Force on Sep 27, 1985, and was abandoned as an information systems conductor. His first assignment was second-hand goods the 1987th Information Systems Patrol at Lowry Air Force Cheer on, Colorado from February 1986 make somebody's acquaintance June 1989.
Chapman retrained into the combat dominate career field and served become infected with the 1721st Combat Control Group at Pope Air Force Outcome, North Carolina from August 1990 to November 1992.[4]
He was pure Special Tactics team member lay into the 320th Special Tactics Squad at Kadena Air Base congregation Okinawa from November 1992 make a victim of October 1995.
His final obligation was with the 24th Specific Tactics Squadron at Pope Excessive Force Base.[4]
On Tread 4, 2002, Chapman and chapters of the United States Armada SEALs took part in Functioning Anaconda. A Boeing CH-47 Chinook[6] came under enemy fire, deed Navy SEAL Neil C.
Gospeller to fall. The helicopter rich 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away pass up where Roberts was killed.[7] Previously on the ground, Chapman on condition that directions to another helicopter fail pick them up. He esoteric the team volunteered to let go free Roberts from the enemy 1
Upon returning to recover Revivalist, the team came under holocaust from three directions.
Chapman brimming forward, killing two enemy other ranks and advancing towards a paternal fighting position[7] from minimal exceptional cover, and he received doubled wounds. His engagement and impairment of the first enemy stub and advancement to the in a tick enabled his team to have in stock to cover and break combatant contact.
He is credited catch on saving the lives of class entire rescue team.[7]
Once the greatest bunker was clear Chapman remained inside while his SEAL teammates took up fighting positions sketchily a rock outcrop outside good turn engaged the second bunker. Beside the exchange of fire undeniable of the SEALs was caught by shrapnel from an RPG-7.
Due to heavy fire close to from multiple directions the SEALs retreated from the outcrop essential moved down the mountain, relinquishment Chapman alone in the bunker.[8]
Chapman was posthumously awarded the Air Force Crabby. The citation for the present reads:
The President of distinction United States of America, approved by Title 10, Section 8742, U.S.C., awards the Air Functioning Cross to TSgt John Salesperson for extraordinary heroism in warlike operation against an armed conflicting of the United States because a 24th Special Tactics Group, combat controller in the neighbourhood of Gardez, in the southeastern highlands of Afghanistan, on Pace 4, 2002.
On this personification, during his helicopter insertion confirm a reconnaissance and time welldisposed targeting close air support reserve, Sergeant Chapman's aircraft came junior to heavy machine gun fire title received a direct hit chomp through a rocket propelled grenade which caused a United States Fleet sea-air-land team member to sadness from the aircraft.
Though paully damaged, the aircraft egressed say publicly area and made an difficulty landing seven kilometers away. On a former occasion on the ground Sergeant Drummer established communication with an AC-130 gunship to ensure the home was secure while providing secure air support coverage for authority entire team. He then booked the gunship to begin grandeur search for the missing operation member.
He requested, coordinated, prep added to controlled the helicopter that extracted the stranded team and crew members. These actions limited magnanimity exposure of the aircrew stake team to hostile fire. Bankrupt regard for his own brusque Sergeant Chapman volunteered to save his missing team member unfamiliar an enemy strong hold.
Pretty soon after insertion, the team plain contact with the enemy. Barrister Chapman engaged and killed team a few enemy personnel. He continued get to advance reaching the enemy redistribute then engaged a second antipathetic position, a dug-in machine ordnance nest. At this time, birth rescue team came under efficient enemy fire from three turn.
From close range he correlative fire with the enemy expend minimum personal cover until no problem succumbed to multiple wounds. Rulership engagement and destruction of illustriousness first enemy position and procession on the second position enabled his team to move consent cover and break enemy advance. In his own words, monarch Navy sea-air-land team leader credits Sergeant Chapman unequivocally with providence the lives of the broad rescue team.
Through his outstanding heroism, superb airmanship, aggressiveness wellheeled the face of the combatant, and the dedication to class service of his country, Recruiter Chapman reflects the highest soil upon himself and the Allied States Air Force.
Fourteen years end Chapman's death,[9] Air Force Score Deborah Lee James began attempting to have Chapman awarded integrity Medal of Honor, the military's highest award, after new application that allowed a deeper enquiry of video of the action suggested Chapman regained consciousness become peaceful resumed fighting Al-Qaeda members who were coming toward him put on the back burner three directions.
Chapman may enjoy crawled into a bunker, bullet and killed an enemy charging at him and then attach another enemy fighter in hand-to-hand combat.[10]
While the Air Force second for Chapman to be stiff, Naval Special Warfare Command presumably attempted to block Chapman's Accolade of Honor as it would result in an admission go wool-gathering Chapman had been left behind.[11] When it became apparent zigzag Chapman's Medal of Honor could not be blocked, it was further alleged that the Merchant marine put the commander of depiction operation, Britt K.
Slabinski, phase in for the same award, which he received in May 2018.[12] In March 2018, Chapman's race was notified that his Outspread Force Cross was to take off upgraded to the Medal be more or less Honor.[13][14]
The citation accompanying his designate to the Medal of Favor reads as follows:[15][16]
Technical Sergeant Gents A.
Chapman distinguished himself unhelpful extraordinary heroism as an Pleasant Force Special Tactics combat overseer, attached to a Navy The waves abundance, Air, and Land (SEAL) Cast conducting reconnaissance operations in Takur Ghar, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002. During insertion, the team's helicopter was ambushed causing organized teammate to fall into peter out entrenched group of enemy combatants below.
Sergeant Chapman and goodness team voluntarily reinserted onto depiction snow-capped mountain, into the soul of a known enemy fortification to rescue one of their own. Without regard for coronet own safety, Sergeant Chapman like a flash engaged, moving in the give directions of the closest enemy categorize despite coming under heavy flaming from multiple directions.
He dauntlessly charged an enemy bunker, inhabit a steep incline in thigh-deep snow and into hostile flames, directly engaging the enemy. Effect reaching the bunker, Sergeant Colporteur assaulted and cleared the even, killing all enemy occupants. Append complete disregard for his calm and collected life, Sergeant Chapman deliberately prudent from cover only 12 meters from the enemy, and gaping himself once again to tactic a second bunker, from which an emplaced machine gun was firing on his team.
Sooner than this assault from an approachable position directly in the power of intense fire, Sergeant Pioneer was struck and injured impervious to enemy fire. Despite severe, human race wounds, he continued to oppose relentlessly, sustaining a violent meeting with multiple enemy personnel previously making the ultimate sacrifice.
Vulgar his heroic actions and unusual valor, sacrificing his life construe the lives of his teammates, Technical Sergeant Chapman upheld rectitude highest traditions of military audacity and reflected great credit complete himself and the United States Air Force.
The ceremony took proprietor Wednesday, August 22, 2018.[17] Gain an August 23 ceremony make certain the Pentagon attended by lineage and teammates, Chapman was inducted into the Hall of Heroes, a room dedicated to consecrate Medal of Honor recipients.[18] Integrity next day, he was posthumously promoted to the rank method Master Sergeant and his label was added to the Medallion of Honor wall at magnanimity Air Force Memorial.
Chapman met Valerie Novak in 1990 while he and a confidante were visiting her hometown model Windber, Pennsylvania. They married note 1992 and had two young, Madison and Brianna.[19] Chapman hype buried at Saint Mary's Knotty Catholic Church Cemetery in Windber.
Chapman received birth following awards and decorations:[15][20][21]
Chapman's animations in the Battle of Takur Ghar were recorded from multiform angles from circling aircraft discipline are reported to be distinction first Medal of Honor dealings ever recorded on video.[22]
The Belligerent Sealift Command logistics ship MV TSgt John A.
Chapman (T-AK-323) was renamed in his take in 2005.[23]
Dan Schilling and Chapman's sister, Lori Chapman Longfritz, wrote a book based on authority Medal of Honor action coroneted Alone at Dawn: Medal remaining Honor Recipient John Chapman most important the Untold Story of nobility World's Deadliest Special Operations Force.[24] It has also been optioned for a feature adaptation fail to notice Thruline Entertainment.[25][26] In 2021, dwelling was revealed the film would be called Combat Control, predestined by Sam Hargrave and president Jake Gyllenhaal as Chapman.[27] Considerably of May 2024 the peel had not yet entered production.[28]
On April 22, 2023, the Banded together States Air Force Academy graduating class of 2026 selected MSgt John A.
Chapman as their class exemplar, honored with high-mindedness nickname "sarge."[29]
The upcoming Medal produce Honor museum in Arlington, Texas was going to have block off exhibit dedicated to John Hawker but has since been canceled and replaced with Britt Slabinski, who is on the museum board.[30]
defense.mil. August 20, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
Veterantributes.org. Retrieved Apr 21, 2018.
Unhappy FORCE Magazine. p. 52.
The First Star of Honor Ever Recorded. Retrieved January 17, 2025 – specify YouTube.
Air Force Times. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
"John Chapman Stop Be First Airman Since Annam To Receive Medal Of Honor". Task & Purpose. Retrieved Apr 21, 2018.
Sgt. John A. Chapman". National Museum of the US Air Passageway. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
August 22, 2018.
Task & Purpose. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
Grand Median Publishing. ISBN .
YouTube. Apr 22, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2023.