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CNN Sunday Morning

Chapman Will be Memorialized at Fort Lewis

Aired January 06, 2002 - 10:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is mourning the death of the first American soldier to die by enemy fire in Afghanistan. Nathan Chapman was killed Friday. His body was taken to Germany yesterday, and is expected to returned to his home in Fort Lewis, Washington this week.

Joining us from there is CNN's Rusty Dornin.

Good morning to you, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Marty.

You know, this is not the first time that the folks here at the First Special Forces group in Fort Lewis have been very sadly touched by events stemming from September 11.

Major Cole Hogan was killed in the attack on the Pentagon. He's a former member of the group here, and now Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman's name will be inscribed, along with Hogan's at a special memorial marker that's on the base here.

This really was a military home of sorts for Chapman. He spent most of his 13-year military career here, coming here right after basic training. He lived here with his wife, Renae, and their two toddlers, Amanda and Brandon.

He had a lot of close friends here. Both his commanders and his comrades in arms say that Chapman was doing in Afghanistan exactly what he joined the Special Forces to do, and his parents in Texas say they believe that as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILBUR CHAPMAN, FATHER OF NATHAN CHAPMAN: He was a young fellow who was very active and like to do things that, in my opinion, most people would feel would be risky, dangerous to do and the Army offered him an opportunity to pursue a career in an area that he could do those kinds of things. So he was doing what he thought -- things he wanted to do and things that he was good at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now, Special Forces are an especially close-knit group. These guys depend on one another for survival in very dangerous situations. Now and they look to each other really as family, and when Chapman was killed, the Green Berets closed rank and sort of formed a protective shield around Chapman's wife, Renae and their two children.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN STEVE PECK, ARMY CHAPLAIN: Shock and grief are the normal emotions, and she's going through that and that's just the right thing. Our job is to take off as many burdens as possible in terms of planning, funerals, anything that could be a burden, even down to meals. We'll take care of all that so she can just take care of her children and grieve and be with her parents and his parents.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: Now Chapman's remains are expected to be flown from Germany on Monday, arriving in Seattle on Tuesday. His parents are expected to arrive here today. There is no set time yet for the memorial. Marty.

SAVIDGE: Rusty Dornin, joining us this morning from Washington State, thank you very much.

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