Trump awards posthumous Medal of Honor to family of fallen Air Force sergeant

President Trump on Wednesday awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor to the widow of an Air Force technical sergeant who died on a rescue mission in Afghanistan.

Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman was honored Wednesday for charging into enemy fire and securing enemy positions during a 2002 mission that went awry. Trump presented the nation’s highest military honor to Chapman’s widow, Valerie Nessel, during a ceremony at the White House.

Chapman and other troops pressed through deep snow and a hail of enemy gunfire in search of team members who were stranded when a helicopter crash-landed near the peak of Takur Ghar, a 10,000-foot mountain in Afghanistan.

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Trump said Chapman was the first to clear an enemy bunker and exposed himself to gunfire to secure a second bunker. He was shot and lost consciousness.

“Even though he was mortally wounded, he regained consciousness and he fought on,” Trump said. “And he really fought. We have proof of that fight. He really fought.” 

“Through his extraordinary sacrifice, John helped save more than 20 American service members,” Trump added.

Pres. Trump awards a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor to the family of Air Force Technical Sergeant John Chapman for his heroic actions during a 2002 mountainside battle in Afghanistan. https://t.co/jAPoSYQPJm pic.twitter.com/kHht85BjmT

— ABC News (@ABC) August 22, 2018

Chapman, a Connecticut native, is the 19th member of the Air Force to receive the Medal of Honor. 

Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Robert Wilkie attended Wednesday’s ceremony, as did Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.).

Earlier this year, Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to retired Navy SEAL Britt Slabinski for his efforts during the same mission. 

The mission, known as the Battle at Roberts Ridge, came under scrutiny after the fact for lack of planning and communication at senior levels, The Washington Post reported.

The newspaper reported that Slabinski and other team members believed Chapman was dead and retreated from the mountain.

The Air Force reviewed drone footage years later that showed Chapman was likely just unconscious and was forced to fight extremists alone after he regained consciousness.