President Trump presented the widow of Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Chapman the Medal of Honor during an Aug. 22 White House ceremony, in recognition of the extraordinary valor he displayed during combat operations in Taku Ghar, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002.
“Even though [her husband] did something he was awarded the Medal of Honor for, he would not want the other guys to be forgotten — they were part of the team together,” said Valerie Nessel.
Video footage shoed Chapman aggressively engaging the enemy during the fight, while he and his comrades were trying to locate and rescue Navy Petty Officer 1stClass Neil Roberts in the mayhem that ensued following the ambush of their helicopter. He died while fighting the enemy. He initially was awarded the Air Force Cross. The recognition was later upgraded to the Medal of Honor, largely based on evidence provided by the video.
In the following days, Chapman was inducted into the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon and immortalized at the Air Force Memorial, adjacent to the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.
