Nathan Chapman (soldier)
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 in combat in the war in Afghanistan.
Nathan Chapman | |
|---|---|
 Chapman's coffin being carried by military pallbearers in January 2002. | |
| Birth name | Nathan Ross Chapman |
| Born | April 23, 1970 Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 4, 2002 (aged 31) Gardez, Afghanistan † |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/ |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1988–2002 |
| Rank |  Sergeant First Class |
| Unit | 1st Special Forces Group |
| Battles/wars | United States invasion of Panama Gulf War Operation Uphold Democracy war in Afghanistan |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Purple Heart |
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, but 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.[1]
Career
Chapman's military career spanned 13 years[2] and included combat service in Haiti, Panama and the Persian Gulf War.[3] In 1989, he parachuted into Panama as part of the invasion during Operation Just Cause. He also served in Operation Desert Storm and later attended the U.S. Army Special Forces School 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.[4][5] Although originally dubbed an "ambush", the military backed away from using the term.[6]
He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.[4] 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.[7]
Personal
Chapman, his wife Renae and two children[8] lived in Puyallup, Washington. He was buried at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, Washington.[9]
There is a Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail in Pierce County, Washington.[10]
On September 11, 2006, a casting commemorating Chapman was displayed "in Georgetown, Texas".[11]
References
- Widow of first servicemember to die in Afghanistan War still struggling with loss and Veterans Administration CBS News, July 10, 2012
- "Soldier's body to arrive in the U.S. Tuesday". CNN. January 7, 2002. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Fallen Green Beret Is Eulogized The Los Angeles Times, January 11, 2002
- Bongioanni, Carlos. Okinawa bureau Stars and Stripes, "Okinawa service salutes Nate Chapman a former Torii Station Green Beret killed in Afghanistan" Pacific edition, Sunday, January 13, 2002
- U.S. War Victim Rode Into Afghan Turf Fight The New York Times, February 9, 2002
- "CNN.com - U.S. backs away from term 'ambush' in soldier death - January 9, 2002". Edition.cnn.com. January 9, 2002. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- Neff, Thomas-Gibbons (April 17, 2016). "After 13 years, CIA honors Green Beret killed on secret Afghanistan mission". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- Daly, Michael (January 4, 2010). "First American to die in Afghanistan, Nathan Chapman, remembered eight years later". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 10, 2019.
- Nathan Ross Chapman at Find a Grave
- "Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail". Pierce County, Washington. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- "Memorial Statue of First Soldier Killed during Operation Enduring Freedom Will be Unveiled in Georgetown, Texas, on 11 Sept". Houston Chronicle. September 7, 2006. Retrieved June 15, 2020.