Nathan Chapman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Nathan Ross Chapman |
| Born | April 23, 1970 Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 4, 2002 (aged 31) |
| Buried | Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1988–2002 |
| Rank |  Sergeant First Class |
| Unit | 1st Special Forces Group |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Purple Heart |
Nathan Ross Chapman (April 23, 1970 – January 4, 2002) was a United States Army Sergeant First Class with the 1st Special Forces Group. He was the first American soldier to be killed by enemy action in the War in Afghanistan.[1]
Early life and education[]
The son of Wilbur and Lynn Chapman, Chapman was born at Andrews Air Force Base, where his father was stationed at the time. Chapman grew up in a variety of towns across the United States, and graduated from Centerville High School, near Dayton, Ohio. He listed his hometown as San Antonio, Texas when he joined the military at the age of 18. He had never lived in San Antonio, but that is where his grandparents lived.[2]
Career[]
Chapman's coffin being carried by military pallbearers in January 2002
Chapman's military career spanned 13 years[3] and included combat service in Haiti, Panama, and the Persian Gulf War.[4] In 1989, he parachuted into Panama as part of the invasion during Operation Just Cause. He also served in Operation Desert Storm and later completed selection for the Army Special Forces at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group following the 11 September attacks, Chapman was directing troop movements from the back of a flatbed truck when he was shot. He did not die instantly from the attack, which also saw a CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer from Special Activities Division wounded.[5][6] Although originally dubbed an "ambush", the military backed away from using the term.[7]
He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.[5] Forward Operating Base Chapman was named after SFC Chapman.
On May 18, 2015, the CIA acknowledged Chapman had been detailed to a six-man CIA unit known as "Team Hotel" and unveiled a star on their memorial wall in his honor.[8]
Awards and decorations[]
SFC Chapman was awarded the following during his military career:[9]
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Personal life[]
Plaque adorning the memorial trail
Chapman, his wife Renae and two children[10] lived in Puyallup, Washington. He was buried at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.[citation needed]
There is a Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail in Pierce County, Washington.[11]
On September 11, 2006, a casting commemorating Chapman was displayed "in Georgetown, Texas".[12]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "iCasualties Iraq: Afghanistan Fatalities". http://icasualties.org/App/AfghanFatalities?cause-contains=hostile%20fire&sort=d-date&order=asc&country-name-contains=united%20states&rank-not-equals=cia&rows=10.
- ↑ Caldwell, Leigh Ann (10 July 2012). "Widow of first servicemember to die in Afghanistan War still struggling with loss, VA". https://www.cbsnews.com/news/widow-of-first-servicemember-to-die-in-afghanistan-war-still-struggling-with-loss-va/.
- ↑ "Soldier's body to arrive in the U.S. Tuesday". January 7, 2002. http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/01/07/ret.soldier.killed/index.html.
- ↑ Murphy, Kim (11 January 2002). "Fallen Green Beret Is Eulogized". https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-11-mn-21965-story.html.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bongioanni, Carlos (13 January 2002). "Okinawa service salutes Nate Chapman a former Torii Station Green Beret killed in Afghanistan". Stars and Stripes Pacific edition.
- ↑ Burns, John F. (9 February 2002). "A Nation Challenged: A Soldier's Story; U.S. War Victim Rode Into Afghan Turf Fight". https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/09/international/asia/09SOLD.html.
- ↑ "U.S. backs away from term 'ambush' in soldier death". CNN. January 9, 2002. http://edition.cnn.com/2002/US/01/09/ret.pentagon.chapman/index.html.
- ↑ Gibbons-Neff, Thomas (April 17, 2016). "After 13 years, CIA honors Green Beret killed on secret Afghanistan mission". https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/04/17/after-13-years-cia-honors-green-beret-killed-on-secret-afghanistan-mission/.
- ↑ "Nathan Ross Chapman, SFC". January 4, 2002. https://greenberetfoundation.org/memorial/nathan-ross-chapman/. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ↑ Daly, Michael (January 4, 2010). "First American to die in Afghanistan, Nathan Chapman, remembered eight years later". https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/american-die-afghanistan-nathan-chapman-remembered-years-article-1.457847.
- ↑ "Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail". https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/1401/Nathan-Chapman-Memorial-Trail.
- ↑ "Memorial Statue of First Soldier Killed during Operation Enduring Freedom Will be Unveiled in Georgetown, Texas, on 11 Sept.". September 7, 2006. https://www.chron.com/news/article/PRN-Memorial-Statue-of-First-Soldier-Killed-1884008.php.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Nathan Chapman (soldier) and the edit history here.