MV MERLIN becomes the MV TSgt. John A. Chapman: MSC ship renaming ceremony held at Sunny Point honors fallen hero.

After several months of planning and preparation the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point and Military Sealift Command hosted the renaming ceremony of the MV TSgt. John A. Chapman.

Friday, April 8, 2005 was supposed to be cloudy and rainy yet the sun decided to shine, helping to make the ceremony an enormous success. Over 300 guests along with Chapman's wife, Valerie, and their two daughters, Madison and Brianna, and other members of the Chapman family, attended this solemn occasion. Mrs. Chapman and Mrs. Mickey Handy, wife of Gen. John W. Handy, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, co-sponsored the re-naming of the ship which will be used to strategically place Air Force ammunition and other supplies in the Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Chapman, a combat air controller assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., was killed in action during a rescue mission on March 4, 2002, while serving in Afghanistan. The helicopter transporting Chapman and others came under fire causing Navy SEAL, Neil Roberts, to fall from the aircraft. Chapman led the rescue team that went back for Roberts and in the process exchanged fire with the enemy enabling his team to break contact. Even though Chapman was mortally wounded his team credits him with saving their lives. Chapman was posthumously awarded the Air Force Cross in January of 2003.

The renaming ceremony speakers--Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III, MSC Commander, Col. Kenneth Rodriguez, 720th Special Tactics Group commander and Chapman's commander in Afghanistan, and Valerie Chapman--were all moving in their comments.

"John Chapman would tell you that he was just doing his job," said Col. Kenneth Rodriguez. "In your last act John, you were trading your life for the life of all the members of your team."

"What a wonderful legacy this vessel will be, especially for Madison, Brianna and all John's nieces and nephews," said Valerie Chapman.

"John would want us to go on, be happy and live life. To the men and women who will serve our country on the MV TSgt. John A. Chapman, I wish you all the best. John's spirit will be with you. God bless all of you," she said at the end of her speech.

Both MSC and MOTSU staffs put forth a tremendous amount of time and energy into ensuring the ceremony went off as planned. The detailed planning between MSC's director of public affairs, Marge Holtz, and 597th's acting commander, Cmdr. Larry Lewis, insured the ceremony was a success. Everything fell into place; the ceremony started on time, the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard was precise, champagne flowed at the right moment and the USAF fly-over was an impressive sight for all to see.

"We wanted to make sure that this was a first class act. Tremendous effort was given to the preparation of this ceremony to include beautification of the installation," said Sgt. Maj. Eugene Young, 597th Transportation Group. "The Logistics Rail/Equipment maintenance personnel did an outstanding job of cleaning up the train used to transport the official party and the local police support was critical to the entire ceremony. We just could not have had a better day."

Several local law enforcement agencies were on hand during the ceremony to provide security augmentation to Sunny Point's Provost Marshall Office; the support included the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

The MV Chapman will bring the number of prepositioned ships to 36. These ships are vital to the nation's readiness, ready to support military forces involved in war or humanitarian operations. The memory and legacy of TSgt. John A. Chapman will live on in the ship that now displays his name as it transports ammunition in support of the Air Force.

Maj. Karen Conley, Public Affairs Officer

597th Transportation Terminal Group