Captain Kimberly Nicole Hampton

CPT Hampton died when the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter she was flying was shot down near Fallujah, Iraq on January 2, 2004. Captain Hampton was the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire.^[She was also the first female combat casualty in Iraq from South Carolina. Captain Hampton's resting place is located in the cemetery section just east of the bell tower at Robinson Memorial Gardens on Powdersville Road near her hometown of Easley, South Carolina.

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimberly_Hampton

Our namesake, CPT Kimberly Hampton is was the first female military pilot in United States history to be shot down and killed as a result of hostile fire. She was also the first female combat casualty in Iraq from South Carolina. Its only fitting that we carry on her memory representing her as North Carolina's first all-female American Legion Post. Kimberly's mother Ann Hampton and journalist Anna Simon wrote a book about Kimberly titled  KIMBERLY'S FLIGHT: The Story of Captain Kimberly Hampton, America's First Woman Combat Pilot Killed in Battle. It was first published in May 2012.

CPT Hampton also has a service dog officially commissioned into service to Veterans at the Salisbury, NC VAMC. Service dog Kimberly was officially commissioned into service to Veterans on Thursday, August 9, 2010.  Kimberly is currently the service dog for the Specialized Inpatient Posttraumatic Stress Treatment Program (SIPU).  Christopher Watson, Ph.D., VHA-CM, Acting Coordinator, SIPU, administered the oath of service to Kimberly and Pam Spears, R.N.  Ms. Spears, owner and handler, and Kimberly took the oath of service to Veterans during the graduation ceremony of the SIPU Class 123.  Kimberly and Ms. Spears pledged to offer comfort and support to all Veterans and/or active duty service members, serve with compassion and integrity and to do their very best to serve with energy and zeal. Capt. Hampton's mother, Ann Hampton attended the commissioning.