Politics

Trump awards posthumous Medal of Honor to late airman

/ CBS/AP

Medal of Honor recipient "sacrificed his life" to save fellow troops

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, President Trump awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor to an Air Force sergeant who died trying to save a Navy SEAL in Afghanistan in March 2002 during the Battle of Takur Ghar in Afghanistan.

Trump presented the medal to the widow of Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, a native of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, at the White House.

He commended Chapman for his bravery and for having helped save more than 20 American service members.

Chapman's helicopter came under heavy fire in Afghanistan, throwing Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts onto enemy-infested Takur Ghar mountain. The remaining members of Chapman's special operations team crash-landed nearby and boarded another aircraft to mount a rescue attempt for Roberts.

Chapman continued to fight after being severely wounded.

He's the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Chapman's wife accepted the award from Mr. Trump.

Valerie Nessel accepts the Medal of Honor from President Donald Trump for her husband Air Force Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman, posthumously for conspicuous gallantry during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Wed., Aug. 22, 2018. AP

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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