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Posted on 01/13/2003 11:02:54 PM PST by america-rules
Pope combat controller awarded Air Force Crossby Airman 1st Class Jason A. Neal43rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs 01/13/03 - POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) -- Senior Air Force leaders awarded the Air Force Cross to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman here Jan. 10.
Secretary of the Air Force James G. Roche said Chapman was "an American's American" and a hero. "We gather today to pay tribute to the heroic efforts of Technical Sergeant John Chapman," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper. "Today we know that John is here with us." Jumper presented the Air Force Cross to Chapman's widow, Valerie. Chapman's parents, Terry Giaccone and Gene Chapman, each received one of the medals from the chief of staff. The Air Force Cross has been awarded to 23 enlisted airmen, only three of those since the Vietnam conflict. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald R. Murray said, "Such is the high degree of heroism for the merit of this medal's award." Chapman and his team were inserted by helicopter into an area of Afghanistan on March 4 for a mission. During insertion, the helicopter came under heavy machine-gun fire and was directly hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The grenade caused a Navy SEAL team member to fall from the aircraft. The helicopter was severely damaged and made an emergency landing seven kilometers away from where the SEAL fell. After landing, Chapman called in an AC-130 gunship to provide close-air support and cover the stranded team before directing the gunship to search for the missing team member. Chapman called for, coordinated and controlled an evacuation helicopter for the team, limiting their exposure to enemy fire. According to the award citation, Chapman volunteered to rescue the missing team member without regard for his own life. He engaged and killed two enemy personnel then continued advancing until engaging a dug-in machine gun nest. "At this time, the rescue team came under effective enemy fire from three directions," read the citation. Chapman exchanged fire at close range with the enemy until succumbing to multiple wounds. "His engagement and destruction of the first enemy position and advancement on the second enemy position enabled his team to move to cover and break enemy contact." The team leader credited Chapman's aggressive and selfless actions with saving the lives of the entire team. After the award ceremony, Gene Chapman spoke of how his son always called him "ole man," rather than old man. He then told of his last conversation with his son. "It was March 1, four days before he died. He called, and I heard that, 'Hey ole man,'" Gene Chapman said as his eyes began filling with tears. "I told him 'what are you calling me for? I told you to talk to Val and the kids if you could call.' He said, 'I took care of that. I only have a minute and a half, and I just wanted to hear your voice.' That was the last time I talked with him." |
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Wednesday, 06 March, 2002; Raleigh, NC A Pope AFB was one of seven military men killed in Afghanistan when their helicopters were fired upon, Pentagon officials said yesterday.
The remains of Tech Sergeant John A. Chapman, 32, of Waco, Texas, and those of the others killed Monday when Al Quieda and Taliban fighters fired on U.S. helicopters were brought Tuesday to a base in Rammstein, Germany, heading for the United States. Chapman, raised in Windsor Locks, Conn., joined the Air Force in 1985. He was a combat controller who had received two Air Force Commendation medals.
Lori McQueeney, an older sister who still lives in town, said her family always knew he could be killed in action.
"We knew it was a possibility, but you never think it's going to happen to you," McQueeney said.
Niccolas Giaccone, Chapman's stepfather, told the (Manchester Conn.) Journal-Inquirer on Tuesday that military officials informed him and his family of Chapman's death at 10:30 P.M. on Monday.
Lisa Hawes, a friend of the Chapman family, told the newspaper that Chapman had a wife, Valerie, and two daughters, ages 5 and 3.
A man who answered the telephone at a number in Fayetteville, N.C. registered to John Chapman declined to discuss the report and referred questions to Pope officials.
A memorial service is planned for later this week in North Carolina.
Just so. The Vikings believed, that so long as the tales were told and the songs were sung about a warrior's deeds during the time he spent on this world, so he would remain in Valhalla's Hall of Heroes, discussing and considering those times, with old friends and old foes who shared both those common fights and a common valor as fit companions for such conversation, while unlimited feasting continued, and other fitting guests, some from very different places and cultures but just as deserving, arrived as their time to join in came, and a few others quietly faded away for them to finally join other loved and departed ones in the next phase of that afterlife.
If that's how it is, Sergeant Chapman will be with those other old warriors for a good long while, explaining to them what an airplane is, and what his weapons were like and how they worked- and those of his now-former enemies. It's a shame he had no sons to carry on his warrior's ways and traditions, but perhaps there'll be grandsons someday, as proud to be American fighting men as their grandaddy was, and just as good at it. And maybe they'll even still have Charley-charlies and P-jocks then too, and one of them will be one of the few doing that critical job.
But the tales of the warrior Sergeant John Chapman, USAF? Oh yes, they'll be telling them for quite a while, I'm sure. And perhaps soon too, a song like this one for the skalds to sing.
-archy-/-
Our hearts, prayers, and eternal thanks go out to Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, his father Gene Chapman, and all of the Chapman Family.
John was a man's man, a hero, and one of America'svery finest - The "Best of The Best!
Amen. Like so many others we knew,his photo and story will always hang somewhere in a hall of fame to inspire and awe the young men coming up to walk in his footsteps.
Noooooooooooooo
Me too. Though I recalled the photo of the *USAF Cavalry* Combat Controller riding with the Afghans, he's not identified by name in the USAF caption. But as soon as I saw the pic of Chapman, I noted the similarity, and if it's not him, it's certainly someone close enough in appearance to him to be his brother- which he was. If I'm wrong, I don't think either of those so depicted would mind- that's just *another day at the office* for those in the Charlie-Charlie line of work.
I hope his kids grow up knowing dad was a hero, and a hell of a man.
They'll know. Almost certainly, they knew long before he set foot out the door of their home for his last assignment. If not, they'll find out as they grow up to have kids of their own, who may well follow in grandad's footsteps.
Per ardua ad astra...
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