From a young age, John Chapman was fiercely competitive and constantly curious. He loved tinkering with muscle cars, and even restored a Pontiac GTO. He pushed himself physically, always finding a way to overcome obstacles and adversity. He was extremely intelligent, humble, and enjoyed helping others. In 1985, Chapman enlisted in the Air Force, initially working in information systems. Wanting tougher challenges, he trained as a combat controller, where his intellectual gifts and physical abilities took the spotlight.
“During one of his first days at Combat Control School, I noticed a slight smirk on his face like [the work] was too simple for him … and it was,” one of his instructors recalled. Chapman was among one in 10 to graduate from the difficult course. While stationed in North Carolina, he met and married his wife, Valerie. The couple had two girls, Madison and Brianna. Besides his military work, Chapman was a devoted father and husband, and spent as much time with his girls as possible. He showed the same dedication, passion, and sacrifice for his family as he did for his combat control teammates.
A Mountain Mission Gone Wrong
In early March 2002, Chapman and his special operations team were assigned to capture Takur Ghar, a snowy mountaintop in Afghanistan, as part of Operation Anaconda during the Global War on Terrorism. The tall, steep peak rendered itself strategically as an observation post, with high visibility of the surrounding area and enemy locations.
“This was a very high profile, no fail job, and we picked John,” recalls retired Air Force Colonel Ken Rodriguez, Chapman’s commanding officer. “In a very high-caliber field, with the highest quality of men — even then — John stood out as our guy.”
On March 4, 2002, the operation began — but was ambushed from the start. As the MH-47 “Chinook” helicopter tried to drop off Chapman and his team, it was struck by heavy enemy fire on the left side, knocking Navy Petty Officer First Class Neil Roberts to the icy, snow-covered ground below. Unable to recover Roberts, the aircraft made a controlled crash landing a few miles away. After voluntarily boarding a second MH-47 and returning to the mountain ridge, Chapman and the rest of the special operations team made their way back to Roberts. Without any regard for his personal safety, Chapman led the way, running directly into enemy fire up the steep hill, dodging ammunition from three sides.
Surrounded by gunfire from all directions, Chapman and his teammates headed for cover. On the way, Chapman struck and killed two enemy fighters. As the team worked to disband machine-gun fire from one enemy position, he charged up and into an enemy bunker, killing its occupants. Putting his life at risk again, Chapman deliberately moved to the open ground to immobilize another enemy fighter at close range. As Chapman moved to attack a second bunker, he received severe wounds to the torso, and was incapacitated.
When he came to, Chapman was severely wounded and completely alone. But he continued to fight the enemy, even as he sustained additional injuries that would prove fatal. For his extraordinary bravery, and selfless sacrifice to save the lives of many others, Chapman was awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions and sacrifice.
Evaluating the Evidence
When then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter reviewed Air Force Cross and Silver Star recipients for potential upgrades, he endorsed Chapman for his unparalleled gallantry and personal sacrifice. Traditionally, a Medal of Honor is not awarded unless two eyewitness accounts can confirm the action. However, a special case was made for Chapman. For the first time, aerial drone footage was used as supporting evidence instead of two on-the-ground eyewitnesses. On August 22, 2018, Chapman’s widow, Valerie, accepted the Medal of Honor on his behalf.
“[John] would want to recognize the other men that lost their lives,” she said. “Even though he did something he was awarded the Medal of Honor for, he would not want the other guys to be forgotten — that they were part of the team together.”
Chapman is remembered not only for his immense sacrifice, but his humility, his love for family, and his fierce determination to protect American lives and freedom.
