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Elbridge Chapman

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Elbridge Gerry Chapman Jr.
Major General Elbridge Chapman (left), commander of the 13th Airborne Division, and Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair, commander of Army Ground Forces, inspect troopers of the Elbridge's division, May 13, 1944
Nickname(s)"Gerry"
Born(1895-11-20)November 20, 1895
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
DiedJuly 6, 1954(1954-07-06) (aged 58)
San Bruno, California, U.S.
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1917–1946
RankMajor General
Service number0-6232
UnitInfantry Branch
Commands88th Glider Infantry Battalion
Airborne Command
13th Airborne Division
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star

Elbridge Gerry Chapman Jr. (November 20, 1895 – July 6, 1954)[1] was a senior United States Army officer who served in both World War I and World War II.[2] During the latter he commanded the 13th Airborne Division,[3] but saw no action.

Early life and education

Chapman attended the University of Colorado, where he played college football and was captain of the 1916 Colorado Silver and Gold football team.[4]

Military career

Chapman entered the United States Army in 1917, due to the American entry into World War I and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Infantry Branch. He served with distinction on the Western Front in France as a company commander with the 5th Machine Gun Battalion (attached to the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division) and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star Citation for valor.[5]

During the interwar period Chapman remained in the army, and by the time the United States entered World War II in December 1941 he was an enthusiastic supporter of the army's rapidly growing airborne forces, commanding the 88th Glider Infantry Battalion. He later became the Assistant Division Commander of the 13th Airborne Division,[6] eventually commanding the division in North-West Europe, though he never commanded it in action.

Chapman retired from the army in 1946, after almost thirty years of service, and died in San Bruno, California, in July 1954, aged 58.

Awards

Dates of rank

  • 1st Sergeant, Troop D, 1st Cavalry, Colorado, National Guard - 20 June 1916 to 28 September 1916
  • 2nd Lieutenant, Infantry, Regular Army - 14 June 1917 (accepted 16 July 1917)
  • 1st Lieutenant - 14 June 1917
  • Captain (temporary) 22 November 1917
  • Resigned - 15 September 1919
  • 1st Lieutenant, Infantry - 1 July 1920 (accepted 21 October 1920)
  • Captain - 1 July 1920
  • Major - 1 August 1935
  • Lieutenant Colonel - 26 July 1940
  • Colonel, Army of the United States - 24 December 1941
  • Brigadier General, Army of the United States - 20 July 1942
  • Major General, Army of the United States - 17 March 1943
  • Retired - 30 November 1946 [7]

In media

Chapman was portrayed in the television miniseries Band of Brothers by David Andrews.

References

  1. ^ "Biography of Major-General Elbridge Gerry Jr. Chapman (1895 – 1954), USA". www.generals.dk. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  2. ^ Gregory Orfalea (1997). Messengers of the Lost Battalion: Heroic 551st and the Turning of the Tide at the Battle of the Bulge. Simon & Schuster. p. 77. ISBN 978-0684828046.
  3. ^ "13th Airborne Division During WW II - Overview". www.ww2-airborne.us. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  4. ^ "Athletes Make Good In Uncle Sam's Army". Salt Lake Telegram. Salt Lake City, Utah. International News Service. October 17, 1917. p. 46. Retrieved December 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Valor awards for Elbridge G. Chapman , Jr". valor.militarytimes.com. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  6. ^ Andrew Rawson (2012). Eyes Only: The Top Secret Correspondence Between Eisenhower and Marshall. The History Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0752462905.
  7. ^ U.S. Army Register, 1948. Vol. II, pg. 2121.
Military offices
Preceded by Commanding General Airborne Command
1942–1943 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commanding General 13th Airborne Division
1943–1946 		Succeeded by
Post deactivated
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