http://www.newsweek.com/navy-seals-...e-operation-anaconda-slabinski-chapman-912343 Breathtaking read. That was one helluva fight.
Interesting read and I hadn't seen this element of the Takur Ghar story before. That whole incident just makes me sick to my stomach every time I read about it. The fog of war is real and rarely do real world battles play out like they do in the movies. None of really surprises me though. The military is just as political as everything else, especially the award process.
Good God, that's some story, and an awful way to die - alone on some god forsaken mountain top in the middle of nowhere. I sincerely hope the Navy didn't actually attempt to prevent Chapman from receiving the Medal of Honor.
Update |Editor's note: Hours after Newsweek published this story, the White House announcedthat President Donald Trump would award the Medal of Honor to Britt Slabinski.
Before every Air Force home game we have a toast to the fallen and gone. Sometimes it is those lost in combat, sometimes non combat, and sometimes training. The point is, we pass out a shot to everybody, toast them, and then go watch our average football team play. Before the VMI game this year we did our pregame toast to TSgt John A. Chapman, rang the bell, and raised a glass with over 200 people surrounding the EZ UP's. Some of his family was there. It was absolutely brutal emotionally and I cant help but think that one of the reasons was the lack of closure this issue caused. Hopefully, this will give his family and friends some peace.
I knew of the operation but had no idea about these details or Sgt Chapman's battle. He fought like a lion. RIP.
Absolute badass within the first 2 minutes. He immediately showed decisiveness to make it a (potentially) survivable situation, all to have a bunch of people sit around and debate whether or not he "knew he was in mortal danger" multiple gunshot wounds and an hour later providing cover for the second helicopter. The value of the awards needs to be protected, but it seems unreal to nitpick bullshit when honoring people of his caliber.
Well. https://www.24sow.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1586911/airman-to-be-awarded-medal-of-honor/ Technical Sgt. John A. Chapman, a Special Tactics Combat Controller, will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism in March 2002 while deployed in Afghanistan. His family will accept the Medal of Honor during a ceremony, August 22. Sergeant John Chapman distinguished himself on the battlefield through “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity,” sacrificing his life to preserve those of his teammates. Chapman was part of a joint special operations reconnaissance team that came under overwhelming enemy fire during a heroic rescue attempt on Takur Ghar mountain, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002.
