A Civil Air Patrol (CAP) squadron based at Knox County Regional Airport in Mount Vernon, Ohio, has been renamed the Capt. Peter Hayden Chapman II Composite Squadron, honoring a local pilot who began flying at the airport before serving in the U.S. Air Force.
A Centerburg, Ohio, native, Chapman, was killed in Vietnam on April 6, 1972. Chapman was part of the crew of an HH-53C Super Jolly Green Giant, which was shot down during an attempted rescue mission. The mission later became the basis for the 1988 film “Bat*21.”
The squadron said the name has local significance because Chapman learned to fly as a teenager at what is now Knox County Regional Airport.
“We felt it was important to remember and honor a Knox County son who gave his life so that others may live,” 1st Lt. John Morgan, the CAP squadron’s public affairs officer, said. “Capt. Chapman learned to fly at this airport as a teenager, and by naming the squadron in his honor, we hope to ensure his story of sacrifice is never forgotten.”
The squadron will hold a formal dedication June 27 during the ribbon cutting for the Becker Mining Systems Aviation Education Center at Knox County Regional Airport. An open house is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and members of Chapman’s family are expected to attend.
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