Nathan Chapman | |
|---|---|
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| Birth name | Nathan Ross Chapman |
| Born | (1970-04-23)April 23, 1970 |
| Died | January 4, 2002(2002-01-04) (aged 31) |
| Buried | |
| 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 aUnited States ArmySergeant First Class with the1st Special Forces Group. He was the first American soldier to be killed by enemy action in theWar in Afghanistan.[1]
The son of Wilbur and Lynn Chapman, Chapman was born atAndrews 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 fromCenterville High School, near Dayton, Ohio. He listed his hometown asSan 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]
Chapman's military career spanned 13 years[3] and included combat service inHaiti,Panama, and the PersianGulf War.[4] In 1989, he parachuted into Panama as part of theinvasion duringOperation Just Cause. He also served inOperation Desert Storm and later completedselection for the Army Special Forces atFort Bragg, North Carolina.
Assigned to the1st Special Forces Group following the11 September attacks, Chapman was directing troop movements from the back of aflatbed truck when he was shot. He did not die instantly from the attack, which also saw aCIA Paramilitary Operations Officer fromSpecial Activities Division wounded.[5][6] Although originally dubbed an "ambush", the military backed away from using the term.[7]
He was posthumously awarded thePurple Heart and theBronze 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 theirmemorial wall in his honor.[8]
SFC Chapman was awarded the following during his military career:[9]
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| Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge with star (denoting second award) | |||||||||||
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| 1st row | Bronze Star with"V" device | |||||||||||
| 2nd row | Purple Heart | Meritorious Service Medal | Army Commendation Medal with 1Oak leaf cluster (2 awards) | |||||||||
| 3rd row | Army Achievement Medal with 3 Oak leaf clusters (4 awards) | Army Good Conduct Medal with 3Good conduct loops | National Defense Service Medal with 1Service star | |||||||||
| 4th row | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal withArrowhead device | Southwest Asia Service Medal with 1Campaign star | Afghanistan Campaign Medal | |||||||||
| 5th row | Armed Forces Service Medal | Humanitarian Service Medal | Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon withAward numeral 3 | |||||||||
| 6th row | Army Service Ribbon | Army Overseas Ribbon | United Nations Medal | |||||||||
| 7th row | NATO Medal for ex-Yugoslavia | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) | Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | |||||||||
| Badges | Master Parachutist Badge with 1 bronze combat jump star | Special Operations Diver Badge | Expert Marksmanship badge with rifle component bar | |||||||||
| Tabs | Special Forces Tab | Ranger Tab | ||||||||||
Chapman, his wife Renae and two children[10] lived inPuyallup, Washington. He was buried at theTahoma National Cemetery inKent, Washington.[citation needed]
There is a Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail inPierce County, Washington.[11]
On September 11, 2006, a casting commemorating Chapman was displayed "in Georgetown, Texas".[12]
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