Medal of Honor recipient Chapman’s name added to Wall of Honor at Air Force Memorial. (Photo by Harry Merritt)
On Friday, August 24,2018 the Medal of Honor was awarded to Air Force Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman (posthumously). He was killed defending his fellow warriors on a mountain in Afghanistan. Part of a Special Operations branch of the US Air Force, Sgt Chapman engaged the enemy fearlessly, charging a bunker uphill in hip-deep snow while under heavy fire.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, a combat controller, will be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.” (Photo courtesy of the US Air Force)
His widow Valerie, daughters Brianna and Madison and mother Terry unveiled his name on the Medal of Honor wall at the Air Force Memorial. Sgt Chapman is the first Air Force member to receive the Medal of Honor since Vietnam.
Thousands attended the solemn event at the Air Force Memorial. (Photo by Harry Merritt)Secretary of the Air Force, Heather A. Wilson, hosted the Chapman Medal of Honor event. (Photo by Harry Merritt)Sergeant Chapman’s widow, Valerie Chapman, shares thoughts on her late husband and his commitment to duty. (Photo by Harry Merritt)Sergeant Chapman’s name etched in the granite forever.(Photo by Harry Merritt)Members of Air Force Special Operations pose with Sgt Chapman’s family in front of the Air Force Memorial Medal of Honor wall. After the ceremony, as traditionally done in Special Ops community, everyone at the event is invited to participate in push-ups. (Photo by Harry Merritt)
Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city.
A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class and has served as President of Living Legends of Alexandria since 2022. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique.
Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.
