Alone at Dawn

MOH Recipient – Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman

In the predawn hours of March 4, 2002, just below the 10,000-foot peak of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan, a fierce battle raged. Outnumbered by Al Qaeda fighters, Air Force Combat Controller John Chapman and a handful of SEALs struggled to take the summit in a desperate bid to find a lost teammate. Chapman, leading the charge, was gravely wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness, finding himself alone with the enemy who was closing in on three sides. Thus began the most difficult and exceptional fight of his life.

John Chapman’s incredible display of valor—first by saving the lives of his SEAL teammates and then, aware that he was mortally wounded, single-handedly engaging two dozen hardened Chechen and Uzbek fighters to save the lives of an incoming rescue squad—posthumously earned him the Medal of Honor, a distinction reserved for America’s greatest heroes, becoming the first airman in nearly fifty years to do so.

Alone at Dawn is also a behind the scenes look at the Air Force Combat Controllers: the world’s deadliest and most versatile special operations force, whose members must not only exceed the qualifications of Navy SEAL and Army Delta Force teams, but also act with sharp decisiveness and  deft precision—even in the face of life-threatening danger.

Drawing from firsthand accounts, classified documents, dramatic video footage, and extensive interviews with leaders and survivors of the operation, Alone at Dawn is the story of an extraordinary man’s brave last stand and the brotherhood that forged him.

Aerial Video Footage of John’s Final Assault

Here is a YouTube link to a video of John’s SEAL team’s assault on a snowy and steep mountain in Afghanistan to find a lost teammate.

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The United States Congress has designated March 25th of each year as National Medal of Honor Day, a day dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. (Public Law 101-564)

The date of March 25th was chosen to highlight this special day because it was on March 25, 1863, that the first Medals of Honor were presented to six members of Andrews’ Raiders, all soldiers from Ohio. 

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On our site there are readings of Medal of Honor stories,  produced and recorded by Ken Rogge for Veterans Radio. Click on the MORE INFORMATION button to listen to these stories.