Elbridge Chapman

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.

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
Commands held88th Glider Infantry Battalion
Airborne Command
13th Airborne Division
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Cross
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Star

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 he 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, later becoming the Assistant Division Commander of the 13th Airborne Division,[6] later commanding the division in North-West Europe but never commanded it in action.

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

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.
  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.
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