Medal Of Honor

[waltky]

Former Vietnam War army medic to receive Medal of Honor...

Medal of Honor Recipient A Hero to Generations of Students
For his acts of valor during the Vietnam War, former Army medic Jim McCloughan will be the first person to receive the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump. The official facts are impressive, as detailed in this Military.com article.

But talk to folks in his hometown of South Haven, Michigan, where he returned after service to teach and coach, and you’ll find that he’s been an inspiration in many other ways. His positive influence has rippled through the lives of thousands of students, faculty, and parents.

McCloughan taught sociology and psychology at South Haven High School until his retirement in 2008 earning him the Michigan Education Associations’ 40 years of Service Award. He was also the recipient of the Wolverine Conference Distinguished Service Award for 38 years of coaching football and baseball, in addition to 22 years of coaching wrestling. “In the middle of combat, you have to keep your calm to do your job effectively. This mental discipline helped me as a teacher and coach,” says McCloughan. “When things were down for our team, I would always say to myself, well, at least they’re not shooting at me.” Former soldiers from his company, students, faculty, and friends, all say the same thing—McCloughan’s humor (and his impressive singing) along with his remarkable ability to inspire the best in others, are what they remember most about him.

This 1969 photo provided by James McCloughan shows him with the former Army medic, right, with a platoon interpreter in Nui Yon Hill in Vietnam​

Many of his students credit him for shaping and guiding them. Says former South Haven High student James Brack, “Mr. McCloughan was my teacher and wrestling coach. He taught me to never give up, never surrender, and be the best person you could possibly be. I am who I am today because of him.” “He is the type of man every student looked up to. He motivated you to bring the very best in both the classroom and on the mat. I would have ran through a wall for him and never questioned why.” Lisa Rostar, Art Teacher at South Haven High School, worked with Jim for more than a decade. She says that Jim “coached the whole student” and that “students on his teams became model students, not only doing the right thing and giving their all on each assignment but intervening if they saw a student making poor choices."

Former students praised McCloughan as the kind of teacher that was meant to teach, and genuinely cared about every student. He was known for integrating life lessons into the subjects he taught, which made an impression on students such as Georgia Dulik-Lyons. “Little did he know it but he was a history teacher too! Actually, it was history that only a veteran can give because you won't find it in any history book,” says Dulik-Lyons. When asked about the impact he made on the lives of thousands of students, McCloughan says, “I always told my students that I am not the only teacher in this room -- you are all teachers as well. We are here to learn together.”

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[waltky]

Vietnam Army medic to finally get well-deserved Medal of Honor...

Trump to Award Medal of Honor to Alabama Veteran
21 Sep 2017 | WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will award the Medal of Honor to a retired Army medic from Alabama who risked his life several times to provide medical care to his comrades during the Vietnam War, the White House announced Wednesday.

Trump will award retired Army Capt. Gary M. Rose of Huntsville, Alabama, the nation's highest military honor for his actions in combat. Trump will honor Rose for his conspicuous gallantry during a White House ceremony on Oct. 23.

The White House said Rose, 69, will be recognized for risking his life while serving as a medic with the 5th Special Force Group during combat operations in Vietnam in September 1970. Rose repeatedly ran into the line of enemy fire to provide medical care, and used his own body on one occasion to shield a wounded American from harm. On the final day of the mission, Rose was wounded but put himself in the line of enemy fire while moving wounded personnel to an extraction point, loading them into helicopters and helping to repel an enemy assault on the American position.

Retired Army Capt. Gary Michael Rose​

As he boarded the final extraction helicopter, the aircraft was hit with intense enemy fire and crashed shortly after takeoff. The White House said Rose ignored his own injuries and pulled the helicopter crew and members of his unit from the burning wreckage and provided medical care until another extraction helicopter arrived. Rose is a 20-year veteran of the Army. He will be the second person to be awarded the Medal of Honor by Trump. The president honored James McCloughan of South Haven, Michigan, in July for his actions to save wounded soldiers in a Vietnam kill zone.

Trump to Award Medal of Honor to Alabama Veteran | Military.com

 

[frigidweirdo]

Thank you Hero.






Staff Sgt. Sal Giunta, Medal of Honor Recipient | The Weekly Standard

Thank you for putting your life on the line so rich people can get richer.

It's sad but true, that many soldiers go and fight, for whatever reason, because they want a college education, they think they'd like the job, they want to get anger out of their system, they can't get another job, whatever, but end up literally putting their lives and limbs on the line for policies that suck balls.

 

[waltky]

Vietnam Hero soon to get his due reward...

Marine Gunny Gets Medal of Honor Nod for Battle of Hue Actions
12 Jan 2018 - In a rare move, Congress waived the time limit for the Medal of Honor recommendation.

With backing from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, paperwork to upgrade the Navy Cross awarded to then-Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Canley to the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Hue City in 1968 was forwarded to President Donald Trump on Friday. "After giving careful consideration to the nomination, I agree that then-Gunnery Sergeant Canley's actions merit the award of the Medal of Honor," Mattis said last month in a letter to Rep. Julia Brownley, D-California, Canley's chief sponsor in Congress. Mattis noted that Congress would first have to waive the five-year limit for recommending the Medal of Honor, but once that happened, "I will provide my endorsement to the president." In a statement Friday, Brownley said the House waived the time limit on Dec. 21 and the Senate took similar action Thursday. All that is needed now is Trump's signature to give the nation's highest award for valor to the 80-year-old Canley, of Oxnard, California, who retired as a sergeant major and is reportedly battling cancer, Brownley said.

In the brutal battle to retake Hue City in 1968, Canley's "valorous actions and unwavering dedication to his fellow service members is the reason so many of the men who support his nomination are alive today to testify on his behalf. His incredible gallantry and selflessness is an inspiration to us all," Brownley said. In his account published last year -- "Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam," Mark Bowden, author of "Black Hawk Down" about the Battle of Mogadishu, cited Canley's actions in the house-to-house fighting more than 30 times. In a statement to Brownley on the MoH recommendation, Canley said, "I want to profusely thank Congresswoman Brownley for her continued work helping me with this honor." "The credit for this award really should go to all the young Marines in Vietnam who inspired me every day. Most of them didn't receive any recognition, but they were the foundation of every battle in the Vietnam War," he said. John Ligato, who served as a private first class under Canley in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, in Hue, said the Medal of Honor was long overdue.

Marine Gunnery Sgt. John Canley, who has received a recommendation from Congress to receive a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Hue City in 1968.​

Canley served several tours in Vietnam from 1965 to 1970. "The sheer cumulative effect of Gunny Canley's actions and deeds over this continued period rank with the acts of America's greatest heroes from the Revolutionary War to this present day," Ligato said. "This man is the epitome of a Marine warrior." Others agreed. "I spent nine months in the St. Albans hospital, required numerous surgeries and am disabled, but I would have died if [Canley] had not risked his life for mine," said Pat Fraleigh, another Marine who served under him. The battle of Hue "was not the first time I saw Gunny Canley act heroically," Fraleigh said. In previous fighting at the Con Thien Marine base near the demilitarized zone, Canley "not only carried Marines to safety, but also exposed himself to enemy fire. He was always leading and attacking the enemy and always standing up and encouraging us," he said. Canley's Navy Cross cites his actions from Jan.31 to Feb. 6, 1968, during which he took command of Alpha Company when the company commander was wounded. "On 31 January, when his company came under a heavy volume of enemy fire near the city of Hue, Gunnery Sergeant Canley rushed across the fire-swept terrain and carried several wounded Marines to safety," the citation states.

Canley then "assumed command and immediately reorganized his scattered Marines, moving from one group to another to advise and encourage his men. Although sustaining shrapnel wounds during this period, he nonetheless established a base of fire which subsequently allowed the company to break through the enemy strongpoint." On Feb. 4, "despite fierce enemy resistance," Canley managed to get into the top floor of a building held by the enemy. He then "dropped a large satchel charge into the position, personally accounting for numerous enemy killed, and forcing the others to vacate the building," the citation states. The battle raged on. Canley went into action again on Feb. 6 as the company took more casualties in an assault on another enemy-held building. "Gunnery Sergeant Canley lent words of encouragement to his men and exhorted them to greater efforts as they drove the enemy from its fortified emplacement," the citation reads. "Although wounded once again during this action, on two occasions he leaped a wall in full view of the enemy, picked up casualties, and carried them to covered positions. "By his dynamic leadership, courage, and selfless dedication, Gunnery Sergeant Canley contributed greatly to the accomplishment of his company's mission and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and of the United States Naval Service," the citation states.

Marine Gunny Gets Medal of Honor Nod for Battle of Hue Actions

 

[waltky]

Two more Vietnam MoH's awarded...

Trump Signs Bill Approving Medal of Honor for Battle of Hue Marine
30 Jan 2018 - The Medal of Honor has been authorized for Marine "Gunny" John L. Canley.

Fifty years after Battle of Hue City, retired Marine John L. Canley has moved a step closer to receiving the Medal of Honor for his "above and beyond" actions in the house-to-house fighting. On Monday night, President Donald Trump signed a bill passed by Congress to waive the five-year limit on recommendations for the nation's highest award for valor and authorized the upgrade of Canley's Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor. The bill (H.R.4641), sponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley, D-California, "authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to Gunnery Sergeant John L. Canley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War while serving in the Marine Corps." No date has been set for the formal award, but Canley has the backing of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

In a letter to Brownley last month, Mattis said, "After giving careful consideration to the nomination, I agree that then-Gunnery Sergeant Canley's actions merit the award of the Medal of Honor." The 80-year-old Canley, of Oxnard, California, who retired as a sergeant major after 28 years of service, will be Brownley's guest of honor Tuesday night at Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Canley "is a true American hero and a shining example of the kind of gallantry and humility that makes our armed forces the best military in the world," Brownley said in a statement Monday night. "It is my great honor that he will be attending the State of the Union with me tomorrow -- 50 years to the day of the start of the Tet Offensive, where his bravery and courage saved many lives," she said.

Marine "Gunny" John Canley, originally from Arkansas, now lives in Oxnard, Calif.​

In a statement to Brownley after Trump signed the bill, Canley said, "This honor is for all of the Marines with whom I served. They are an inspiration to me to this day." He earlier told Military.com that in the grueling 1968 fight to retake Hue from the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet-Cong: "The only thing I was doing was taking care of troops, best I could. Do that, and everything else takes care of itself." Canley also thanked Brownley and a member of her staff, Laura Sether, "for their effort and work to make this happen." They worked closely with the survivors from Alpha Co., 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, who fought with Canley at Hue and mounted a 13-year effort to get past the red tape to upgrade his Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor. John Ligato, a private first class in Alpha 1/1 and a retired FBI agent who was part of the effort to upgrade the medal, said of Canley: "This man is the epitome of a Marine warrior."

At Hue, Canley took command of Alpha 1/1 when Capt. Gordon Batcheller, the company commander, was wounded and evacuated. He fought alongside Sgt. Alfredo Cantu "Freddy" Gonzalez, who had taken command of Third Platoon, Alpha 1/1, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Canley's Navy Cross cites his actions from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 1968, when he had command of Alpha 1/1 before being relieved by then-Lt. Ray Smith, a Marine legend who earned the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts during his tours in Vietnam and retired as a major general. "On 31 January, when his company came under a heavy volume of enemy fire near the city of Hue, Gunnery Sergeant Canley rushed across the fire-swept terrain and carried several wounded Marines to safety," the citation states.

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See also:

A Marine's Heroic Sacrifice During the Tet Offensive
On Sunday morning, Feb. 4, 1968, Marine Corps Sgt. Alfredo Cantu "Freddy" Gonzalez and his buddies were striding uneasily through Hue City, as the Tet Offensive raged like a forest fire all across the Vietnamese countryside. Tet took U.S. military commanders by total surprise, because it was a holiday for the Vietnamese—their New Year.

Gonzalez was a member of Alpha Company, when the roughly 100 men arrived from nearby Phu Bai to check things out--to find out if intelligence reports of an enemy build-up there were accurate. They were joined by Australian troops, with a total number of about 200 men in the ancient imperial city of Hue. Gonzalez was given the Medal of Honor posthumously, after being killed defending his platoon—3rd Platoon, AKA Third Herd—even after being ordered by his company commander, through combat hardened vet, Gunnery Sgt. John Canly, to evacuate for medical treatment. “Sgt. Canly…I told him to go relieve Gonzalez and later he came back to me and said `Lt. Smith, I will go and follow Gonzalez around if you want me to, but Gonzalez is in command of third platoon,’” said Ray Smith, now a retired Marine Corps general. Canly was tough, and even he was impressed by Gonzalez and his leadership qualities at a critical moment in the Vietnam War.

Into Enemy Fire

When the platoon of 30 or so men reached the St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church inside Hue, they were hit hard on all sides by the enemy forces. To help distract enemy fire away from his pinned-down platoon, Gonzalez grabbed a dozen or so light anti-tank weapon (LAW) rockets from his men, climbed a stairway of the church school, and ran through an open school room door. He fired all his rockets, suppressing enemy fire long enough to save the platoon from total annihilation. Then, the NVA fired back and hit him in the mid-section, blowing his body in two pieces—the legs were on one side of the small room, and his torso and head on the other, as Navy Corpsman Jim O’Konski arrived on scene to assess damage. “He was still breathing, and his eyes were open, but he tried to say something and he knew he was a goner, and while he was still alive I administered morphine and then more enemy rounds were hitting all around the doorway, so I ran out to get away. I’ve always been haunted by that moment, leaving him while he was not yet gone,” O’Konski said, in an October 2006 meeting with Gonzalez's mother in her hometown of Edinburg, Texas. He cried and hugged Ms. Gonzalez, and said later it seemed like she absolved him of all guilt.

"He Gave One Hundred Percent"

Ms. Gonzalez, now almost 90, only had one child and the father was married with another family, so she raised Freddy alone and on the wages of a waitress and a farm worker. They were very close. “I was 16 when he was born,” Ms. Gonzalez said. “I almost died after the delivery, and so did he.” But her boy would grow up to be fearless, and strong. “He was the soul of our football team,” said former Edinburg High coach Fred Akers—also a legendary coach in later years at University of Texas at Austin. “He wasn’t fast, or big, but he gave one hundred percent on every play,” Akers said, remembering Gonzalez. “He was the best player I ever coached because of his heart, and he gave his all, and so the team rallied around him when the times were bad.”

Marine Corps Sgt. Alfredo "Freddy" Garcia, Medal of Honor recipient.​

Marine Corps top brass has announced that Sgt. Canly, now 80, will soon be given the Medal of Honor—a step up from the Navy Cross he received for courageous actions at Hue. Somewhere Gonzalez must be smiling. He was the type of guy who would have been horrified to be given the top medal when he saw so many other fellow marines, like Canly, doing brave things daily. Some gave their lives, and Gonzalez was there to see it. This only hardened his resolve.

The following is Canly’s account of the actions he saw up close, when he had time to observe Gonzalez:

 

[waltky]

Kentucky WWII veteran to get Medal of Honor...

Trump to Award Medal of Honor to World War II Infantryman
29 Mar 2018 - President Donald Trump will soon award the Medal of Honor posthumously to an Army lieutenant who directed artillery fire from an exposed position for three hours while fending off "fanatical German infantrymen" during a 1945 battle near Houssen, France.

Garlin Murl Conner, then a first lieutenant, will be the third service member to be awarded the military's highest combat award since Trump took office. According to a White House statement released Thursday, Conner's widow, Pauline Lyda Wells Conner, and other families will be present at the medal ceremony. The date for the ceremony has yet to be announced. In January 1945, Conner was serving as an intelligence officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, according to information released by the White House. "Then-First Lieutenant Conner voluntarily left his position of relative safety to place himself in a better position to direct artillery fire onto the assaulting enemy infantry and armor," the White House announcement said. "He remained in an exposed position, which was 30 yards ahead of the defending force, for a period of three hours." During that time, enemy soldiers came within five yards of him and he was constantly at risk from friendly artillery shells, the announcement states. Despite all that, "he continued to direct the fire of friendly artillery, which ultimately repelled the assaulting enemy elements." Conner survived the battle and would be discharged from the Army on June 22, 1945.

He had first entered the service as an enlisted soldier in 1941, according to released information, and would ultimately participate in an amphibious assault landing on French Morocco and serve in combat operations in Italy and elsewhere in continental Europe. He received a battlefield commission in June 1944 and became a lieutenant. Trump's announcement comes a day after the Lexington Herald-Leader of Lexington, Kentucky, reported that Pauline Conner, 88, had received a call from Trump notifying her of the award. According to the publication, Conner was a native of Clinton County, Kentucky. He died at age 79 in 1998, the outlet reported. According to a report from the Army Board for Correction of Military Records reviewed by Military.com, Conner had received an astounding four Silver Stars, one Bronze star and three Purple Hearts during his brief but intense Army career. He also received the Distinguished Service Cross, according to the report.

This undated photo provided by the family's attorney, Donald Todd, shows Lt. Garlin Murl Conner, of Albany, Ky. Conner left the U.S. Army as the second-most decorated soldier during World War II, earning four Silver Stars, one Bronze Star, three Purple Hearts and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during 28 straight months in combat. Now, he's been nominated for the Medal of Honor.​

The Distinguished Service Cross was awarded for the Jan. 24, 1945, act of heroism now being recognized with the Medal of Honor. The citation for that award, posted by the Military Times Hall of Valor, is striking in its dramatic description of the fight. "First Lieutenant Conner ran 400 yards through the impact area of an intense concentration of enemy artillery fire to direct friendly artillery on a force of six Mark VI tanks and tank destroyers, followed by 600 fanatical German infantrymen, which was assaulting in full fury the spearhead position held by his battalion," the citation reads. According to the citation, Conner unspooled telephone wire to set up an observation post, which he then bravely manned for hours of fighting. "He was individually credited with stopping more than 150 Germans, destroying all the tanks, and completely disintegrating the powerful enemy assault force and preventing heavy loss of life in his own outfit," the citation reads. "First Lieutenant Conner's intrepid actions, personal bravery and zealous devotion to duty exemplify the highest traditions of the military forces of the United States and reflect great credit upon himself, the 3d Infantry Division, and the United States Army."

The Herald-Leader reported Conner had twice been rejected for the Medal of Honor, in 1997 and 2000, by an Army review board. But in 2015, according to the report, the Board of Correction for Military Records decided Conner's actions deserved a recommendation for the award. Trump has previously awarded two Medals of Honor. On July 31, 2017, he presented the award to James McCloughan, a 71-year-old former Army medic who served in Vietnam; and on Oct. 23, he presented the medal to another Vietnam Army medic, 70-year-old Gary Michael Rose. Trump has also approved the Medal of Honor for a Marine who served in Vietnam, John L. Canley. A date for that presentation has yet to be announced.

Trump to Award Medal of Honor to World War II Infantryman

 

[waltky]

Navy SEAL to Receive Medal of Honor for Heroism in Afghanistan...

Navy SEAL to Receive Medal of Honor for Heroism in Afghanistan
7 May 2018 - A Navy SEAL who led a risky assault on a mountain peak to rescue a stranded teammate in Afghanistan in 2002 will receive the Medal of Honor later this week, according to a White House announcement.

Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski will receive the military's highest honor May 24, according to the announcement. According to the White House release, Slabinski is credited with leading a team back to rescue another SEAL, Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts, after he was ejected from an MH-47 Chinook crippled by enemy rocket-propelled grenade fire March 4, 2002 in eastern Afghanistan. The operation would ultimately be known as "The Battle of Roberts Ridge" in honor of Roberts. The team had originally begun the mission the day before, tasked with establishing an outpost on the top of Takur Ghar mountain as part of Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kot Valley. "Then-Senior Chief Slabinski boldly rallied his remaining team and organized supporting assets for a daring assault back to the mountain peak in an attempt to rescue their stranded teammate," the White House announcement reads. "Later, after a second enemy-opposed insertion, then-Senior Chief Slabinski led his six-man joint team up a snow-covered hill, in a frontal assault against two bunkers under withering enemy fire from three directions."

Slabinski "repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire" as he took on al-Qaida forces in the rescue attempt, according to the release. "Proximity made air support impossible, and after several teammates became casualties, the situation became untenable," the release said. Moving his team into a safer position, Slabinski directed air strikes through the night and, as daylight approached, led "an arduous trek" through waist-deep snow while still under fire from the enemy. He treated casualties and continued to call in fire on the enemy for 14 hours until an extract finally came. Slabinski previously received the Navy Cross for leading the rescue and directing continued fire on the enemy throughout the lengthy and brutal fight. "During this entire sustained engagement, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski exhibited classic grace under fire in steadfastly leading the intrepid rescue operation, saving the lives of his wounded men and setting the conditions for the ultimate vanquishing of the enemy and the seizing of Takur Ghar," his medal citation reads. "By his heroic display of decisive and tenacious leadership, unyielding courage in the face of constant enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, Senior Chief Petty Officer Slabinski reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

Retired Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Britt K. Slabinski will receive the military’s highest honor May 24, 2018.​

Slabinski's actions were highlighted in a moving 2016 New York Times account that emphasized the role of Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman, who was attached to the SEAL team and ultimately died on the mountain. Task and Purpose reported in late April that Chapman, credited with saving the entire SEAL team he was attached to during the operation, will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor. The White House has not confirmed that. Chapman reportedly directed air strikes from AC-130 gunships after Roberts was ejected from the MH-47. During follow-on attempts to rescue Roberts, Chapman would ultimately be wounded by enemy fire from close range. Reporting surrounding the role of Slabinski and the SEALs in recovering Chapman paints a complex picture. According to the New York Times report, Slabinski believed, and told his men, that Chapman was dead. Air Force officials, however, reportedly contest that Chapman was still alive and fought by himself for more than an hour after the SEALs moved back to a safer position. Predator drone footage reportedly supports this belief.

Slabinski himself told the publication doubt persisted in his mind. "I'm trying to direct what everybody's got going on, trying to see what's going on with John; I'm already 95 percent certain in my mind that he's been killed," he said in an interview with the Times. "That's why I was like, 'O.K., we've got to move.'" Slabinski would be just the second living SEAL to receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan. The first, Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward Byers, received the award in February 2016 for his role in rescuing an American doctor who had been captured by the Taliban. Slabinski will also be the 12th living service member overall to receive the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan. According to a biography provided by the White House, Slabinski enlisted in the Navy in 1988 and graduated Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in 1990. He completed nine overseas deployments and 15 combat deployments over the course of his career, including multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired as director of the Naval Special Warfare Safety Assurance and Analysis Program after more than 25 years of service, according to releases. In addition to the Navy Cross, Slabinski's previous awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, five Bronze Stars with combat "V" device, and two Combat Action Ribbons.

Navy SEAL to Receive Medal of Honor for Heroism in Afghanistan

 

[waltky]

Final Heroic Moments That Earned John Chapman the Medal of Honor...

Video Shows Final Heroic Moments That Earned John Chapman the Medal of Honor
9 Aug 2018 - The USAF has released video highlights from an overhead aircraft that shows the final moments of Tech Sgt. John Chapman

The U.S. Air Force has released video highlights from an overhead intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft taken on March 4, 2002 that shows the final heroic moments of Tech Sgt. John Chapman, who will receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery later this month. Chapman charged multiple machine-gun nests and engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the 10,000-foot peak known as Takur Ghar in Afghanistan during Operation Anaconda. Chapman, an Air Force combat controller, and six members of Navy SEAL Team 6 -- callsign Mako 30 -- were tasked with helicopter-inserting high above the valley so they could direct air strikes and provide intelligence for conventional troops below, who were attempting to flush out an estimated 200 to 300 lightly-armed Al Qaeda fighters, just five months after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, who died in an attack by Al-Qaida and Taliban forces.​

Before they landed, Chapman and the team came under heavy enemy fire from al Qaeda fighters, which led Navy SEAL Neil Roberts to fall from the back of the aircraft. The team later mounted a rescue operation for Roberts, in which Chapman and SEAL Team Leader Britt Slabinski paired up to clear a series of bunkers on the mountaintop. Chapman personally shot and killed at least two enemy fighters shortly after his insertion, alongside Navy SEAL Chief Britt Slabinski, who engaged multiple enemy positions and cleared a small bunker (Slabinski received the Medal of Honor in May for his actions during the battle). Amid withering fire and after Chapman was wounded and presumed dead, the SEALs evacuated the peak.

As the video shows, Chapman trudged far ahead of the team as they tried to go up a snowy slope, as enemy fighters fired at the Americans from two bunkers. Chapman charged into the first bunker, then "deliberately moves from cover to attack a second hostile machine gun firing on his team" before he was wounded and temporarily incapacitated, the Air Force says. Meanwhile, Chapman remained behind and regained consciousness. Now alone, he continued to fire on enemy positions and engaged in hand-to-hand combat. And when a quick reaction force helicopter was heard, he provided covering fire until he was struck twice in the chest and killed. "John Chapman engages enemy positions as RPGs impact the incoming quick reaction forces on Razor 01," the video says. Chapman's family will receive the posthumous award from President Donald Trump on Aug. 22 in a ceremony at the White House.

Video Shows Final Heroic Moments That Earned John Chapman the Medal of Honor