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Fayetteville (NC) Observer
January 7, 2003

Chapman To Be Posthumously Awarded The Air Force Cross

By Henry Cuningham, Military editor

The Air Force on Friday will present its second highest award to the family of a Pope Air Force Base special operations airman who died while fighting in Afghanistan.

Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman will posthumously receive the Air Force Cross during a ceremony at 10 a.m. at the base.

Gen. John Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff, will present the award to Chapman's widow, Valerie, and his mother and father.

Chapman was mortally wounded March 4, 2002, during Operation Anaconda.

He was assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope. The squadron is part of Air Force Special Operations Command's 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

The commanding officer of the 24th Special Tactics Squadron said Chapman stood in the face of hostile fire to save the lives of his fellow soldiers during a battle with Taliban forces, The Associated Press reported.

The 36-year-old technical sergeant was one of seven servicemen killed when al-Qaida and Taliban fighters engaged in a firefight with U.S. helicopters. He died while attempting to retrieve the body of an airman who had fallen from a helicopter during the attack, Lt. Col. Kenneth Rodriguez said at Chapman's funeral in Windber, Pa.

Chapman knew his team was going back into an area "crawling with enemy," Rodriguez said, but, "All he said was 'Let's go!' and go they did, right back into the jaws of death."

President Bush met with Mrs. Chapman and Sheila Harriman on March 16 during a visit to Fayetteville. Harriman's husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer Stan Harriman, also died during fighting in Afghanistan.

actually, I think he was supposed to get the Air Force Cross..

Actually,that IS what he was awarded. I see nowhere in the article where a MOH is mentioned,although it is a GREAT honor to be awarded the AF Cross,as it is to be awarded the Navy Cross,or the army Distinguished Service Cross. The usual route to all is to nominated for a Medal of Honor,and and having the MOH denied. This takes NOTHING from these various "Crosses",though. It is DAMN rare to see anybody wearing one and there is a very good reason for this. They don't give them away.