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Renamed MV TSgt. John A. Chapman (AK-323), 8 April 2005

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Specifications:
Displacement 26,438 t.(lt), 40,357 t.(fl)
Length 670'
Beam 87'
Draft 34' (max)
Speed 16 kts.
Cargo Capacity 143,000 sq ft., 1,063 20-ft containers.
Armament none
Complement 19 Civilian Mariners
Propulsion 2 SEMT-Pielstick 18 PC2.5 V diesels; 23,400 hp; 1 shaft; bow thruster

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
MV TSgt. John A. Chapman (AK-323) - MSC Charter
	210k	Namesake Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman, from the 24th Special Tactics Squadron, was killed March 4, 2002, while fighting against the Taliban during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. He was posthumously decorated with the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. The President of the United States Takes Pride in Presenting The Medal of Honor (Posthumously) To: John Chapman T/Sergeant, U.S. Air Force For Services as Set Forth in the Following Citation Technical Sergeant John A. Chapman distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism as an Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controller, attached to a Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Team conducting reconnaissance operations in Takur Ghar, Afghanistan, on March 4, 2002. During insertion, the team’s helicopter was ambushed causing a teammate to fall into an entrenched group of enemy combatants below. Sergeant Chapman and the team voluntarily reinserted onto the snow-capped mountain, into the heart of a known enemy stronghold to rescue one of their own. Without regard for his own safety, Sergeant Chapman immediately engaged, moving in the direction of the closest enemy position despite coming under heavy fire from multiple directions. He fearlessly charged an enemy bunker, up a steep incline in thigh-deep snow and into hostile fire, directly engaging the enemy. Upon reaching the bunker, Sergeant Chapman assaulted and cleared the position, killing all enemy occupants. With complete disregard for his own life, Sergeant Chapman deliberately moved from cover only 12 meters from the enemy, and exposed himself once again to attack a second bunker, from which an emplaced machine gun was firing on his team. During this assault from an exposed position directly in the line of intense fire, Sergeant Chapman was struck and injured by enemy fire. Despite severe, mortal wounds, he continued to fight relentlessly, sustaining a violent engagement with multiple enemy personnel before making the ultimate sacrifice. By his heroic actions and extraordinary valor, sacrificing his life for the lives of his teammates, Technical Sergeant Chapman upheld the highest traditions of military service and reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force		Gayle Alvarez, Medal of Honor Historical Society, US
	71k	MV TSgt. John A. Chapman (AK-323) moored pierside at Military Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, N.C., 8 April 2006 during renaming ceremony.		MSC web site
MV Merlin (AK-323) - MSC Charter
	42k	MV Merlin (AK-323) moored pierside, date and place unknown.		MSC web site

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There is no DANFS history for MV American Merlin (AK-9302) / MV Merlin (AK-323) / MV TSgt. John A. Chapman (AK-323) at NavSource

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
Not Applicable to this vessel

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Congressional Medal of Honor Society

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 8 February 2019