The U.S. Air Force released a 2002 video of a soldier’s final battle with al-Qaeda terrorists in Afghanistan.
U.S. Air Force Sergeant John Chapman, 36, of Connecticut, is seen charging at the enemy on mountain Takur Ghar, according to Task & Purpose. He joined an effort to retrieve a wounded U.S. soldier who fell out of an aircraft after it was shot by a rocket-propelled grenade.
“During the rescue attempt, Chapman and his teammates once again received heavy enemy fire from multiple directions. Chapman, despite the enemy fire, charged uphill through thigh-deep snow to directly assault an enemy position. He took the enemy bunker, cleared the position, and killed the enemy fighters occupying the position,” the U.S. Air Force said in a release on July 27, saying that he will be awarded the Medal of Honor. The video was published on Aug. 9.
The Air Force Times reported that the video was captured via a Predator drone that flew overhead. The Predator video played a role in the military’s move to upgrade his award from an Air Force Cross to the Medal of Honor.
“With complete disregard for his own life, Chapman deliberately moved from the bunker’s protective cover to attack a second hostile bunker with an emplaced machine gun firing on the rescue team,” the Air Force said of the video. “During this bold attack, he was struck and temporarily incapacitated by enemy fire.”
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Chapman, in the battle, regained consciousness at one point and kept fighting until he was shot and killed by machine gun fire.
According to the Air Force Times, Chapman’s autopsy revealed that he had bruises on his hands, neck, and face, and the military believed that it showed he had engaged in hand-to-hand combat in the bunker with al-Qaeda operatives.
“In performance of these remarkably heroic actions, he is credited with saving the lives of his teammates,” the Air Force added.
Chapman’s family will get the posthumous award from President Donald Trump on Aug. 22 at the White House, according to Task & Purpose.
Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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