SENATE RESOLUTION

                            8720

By Senators Shin, Kastama, West, Benton, Brown, Carlson, Costa, Deccio, Eide, Fairley, Finkbeiner, Franklin, Fraser, Gardner, Hale, Hargrove, Haugen, Hewitt, Hochstatter, Honeyford, Horn, Jacobsen, Johnson, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Long, McAuliffe, McCaslin, McDonald, Morton, Oke, Parlette, Poulsen, Prentice, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rossi, Sheahan,

Sheldon, B., Sheldon, T., Snyder, Spanel, Stevens, Swecker, Thibaudeau, Winsley, Zarelli

       WHEREAS, Green Beret, Sergeant First Class Nathan R. Chapman, of Puyallup, Washington, served his country most admirably as a U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier based at Fort Lewis; and

     WHEREAS, the married father of two spent the greater part of his twelve-and-a-half year military career at Fort Lewis with the First Special Forces Group; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Chapman served his country most honorably in several overseas conflicts, including Panama, Haiti, and Operation Desert Storm; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Chapman was assigned to the Fifth Special Forces Group in Afghanistan to assist in the struggle against the al-Quaida terrorist network and its Taliban allies; and

     WHEREAS, the Green Berets, in cooperation with CIA officers, were combing eastern Afghanistan near Khost on intelligence missions with Afghan fighters, searching caves and bunkers for remaining al-Quaida and Taliban soldiers; and

     WHEREAS, on January 4, 2002, near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where Chapman and the CIA were collaborating with Afghan fighters, the Green Beret was hit by intense machine gun and rifle fire; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Chapman was killed in the firefight, becoming the first U.S. Serviceman slain by enemy action in three months of warfare; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Chapman was a dutiful son, loving husband and devoted father, who is survived by his wife, Renae, and children, Amanda, 2, and Brandon, 1, and by his parents, Will and Lynn Chapman of Georgetown, Texas;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That we express our deepest sympathy to the family of Nathan R. Chapman in this time of extreme sorrow; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we commend the courageous actions of Sergeant First Class Chapman, recognizing his loyalty, commitment and selfless service in defending the United States B even at the cost of his own life; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the members of the Washington State Senate do hereby express their most heartfelt appreciation to Sergeant First Class Chapman for his outstanding example of patriotism in the cause of peace and freedom, recognizing his ultimate sacrifice in service to his country; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the family of Sergeant First Class Chapman.

I, Tony M. Cook, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8720,

adopted by the Senate January 18, 2002.

TONY M. COOK

Secretary of the Senate