Their Story
Remembering James Edward Chaffin III.
James Edward (Ed) Chaffin, III, 27, passed away while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division in Kandahar, Afghanistan on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. He was born to Elizabeth Rhodes Chaffin and the late James Edward Chaffin, Jr. on February 4, 1987 in West Columbia, South Carolina.
Ed was a 2005 Honor Graduate of Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, SC, where he played football, was a member of the Interact Club, the National Honor Society, and the newspaper staff.
A 2009 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he majored in Comparative Politics and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. While at West Point, he was a member of the Russian Club and participated in a club trip to the country of Azerbaijan.
Ed was an avid reader, who enjoyed reading about history, especially on military subjects. He had a passion for travel and experiencing new cultures all over the world, which took him to Thailand, Vietnam, and Greece just to name a few. He had a witty sense of humor, which was immediately evident to all who knew him.
Even far away, he always rooted for Gamecock Football. He had a very caring spirit and a strong work ethic, making him an honored member of the armed forces protecting our freedom.
Ed’s first tour of service was in 2011 for Operation Iraq Freedom. His awards and decorations including two Bronze Star Medals, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the basic Parachutist Badge and the Air Assault Badge. and the NATO Medal.