President Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Fallen Air Force Sergeant for Valor in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman the Medal of Honor Wednesday afternoon at the White House.
Chapman, a native of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, was killed in 2002 during a mission to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in eastern Afghanistan. He is credited with saving the lives of more than 20 fellow servicemembers.
During the ceremony in the East Room, President Trump commended Chapman for his bravery and introduced some of the members of Chapman's combat team who survived due to his heroic actions.
Chapman's helicopter came under heavy fire and the evasive maneuvers performed by the pilot resulted in Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts falling out of the helicopter and onto the enemy-infested Takur Ghar mountain. The helicopter crash-landed in a valley, and Chapman and other team members returned to the snow-capped mountain to rescue Roberts.
"His charging the bunker up allowed rest of team to move up behind a rock, a big boulder that provided the little bit of cover that allowed his team to continue to fight," said a special tactics officer. "That's why his team said that his actions in charging up that bunker is what allowed the team to live."
Chapman and his team engaged al-Qaeda fighters from two bunkers. He was wounded in the exchange of gunfire and believed to be dead.
But he later re-emerged, and with his back to machine-gun fire, helped deter an attack on a Chinook rescue helicopter approaching the mountain ridge.
"You realize that this person made those sacrifices knowing he wouldn't be coming home to his kids, what that must have gone through his head in that moment to jump out of a bunker with that machine gun behind is kind of awe-inspiring," said the special tactics officer.
"If John hadn't engaged the first enemy position, it would have surely killed us all before we reached cover," an eyewitness on Chapman's team told Air Force investigators.
Chapman's widow, Valerie, accepted the award in his honor. She was also joined on stage by their two children and the president.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.