# Victor Chapman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Victor_Chapman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Victor_Chapman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chapman > Source revision: 1353255949 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|World War I pilot}} {{for|the Canadian press secretary and football player|Vic Chapman}} {{Infobox military person | name = Victor Chapman | image = Victor Chapman, 1916.jpg | caption = Chapman in 1916 | birth_date = {{birth date|1890|4|17}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1916|6|24|1890|4|17}} | birth_place = [New York City](/source/New_York_City), U.S. | death_place = [Douaumont](/source/Douaumont), France | burial_place = [Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial](/source/Meuse-Argonne_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial) | burial_label = | burial_coordinates = | nickname = | birth_name = Victor Chapman | allegiance = United States/France | branch = Aviation/Infantry | service_years = 1915–1916 | rank = Sergeant | unit = [Lafayette Escadrille](/source/Lafayette_Escadrille) | battles = First World War *[Battle of Verdun](/source/Battle_of_Verdun) {{KIA}} | battles_label = | awards = Medaille Militaire, Croix de Guerre with two Palms. | relations = | other_work = | signature = }} '''Victor Emmanuel Chapman''' (April 17, 1890 – June 23, 1916) was a French-American pilot remembered for his exploits during [World War I](/source/World_War_I). He was the first American pilot to die in the war. ==Growing up== Chapman was born in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) to essayist [John Jay Chapman](/source/John_Jay_Chapman) and Minna Timmins (who died in 1897). He and his father moved to France soon after. In France, Chapman obtained dual-citizen status as a French and US citizen.Thomas, Lately. ''A pride of lions: the Astor orphans'', W. Morrow, 1971. His father remarried, to [Elizabeth Chanler](/source/Elizabeth_Astor_Winthrop_Chanler), a sister of [William A. Chanler](/source/William_A._Chanler) from the [Astor family](/source/Astor_family), when Chapman was a teenager around 16 years old. Chapman returned to the United States in his late teens to attend [Fay School](/source/Fay_School) (Class of 1903), [St Paul's School](/source/St._Paul's_School_(Concord%2C_New_Hampshire)), [Concord, NH](/source/Concord%2C_NH), and [Harvard University](/source/Harvard_University). After graduating, Chapman returned to Europe, spending time in France and in [Germany](/source/Germany). ==Fighting in the war== thumb|Chapman is in the center in the back row. When [World War I](/source/World_War_I) broke out, his father and stepmother moved to [London, England](/source/London%2C_England). However, Chapman decided to stay in France, joining the [French Foreign Legion](/source/French_Foreign_Legion) on August 30, 1914, and served in the 3rd March regiment of the Legion. He became friendly with four men during his days in the trenches: a [Polish](/source/Poland) fighter who was known only as "Kohl", and Americans [Alan Seeger](/source/Alan_Seeger), Henry Fansworth, and David King. The trio of Americans watched as Kohl was killed by a bullet while walking with his friends. He was also friends with [Edmond Genet](/source/Edmond_Genet).{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YIjGAAAAMAAJ |title=War Letters of Edmond Genet: The First American Aviator Killed Flying the Stars and Stripes |last=Genet |first=Edmond Charles Clinton |date=1918 |publisher=C. Scribner's Sons |editor-last=Channing |editor-first=Grace Ellery |language=en}} {{rp|83}} After Kohl's death, Chapman and two other friends, ([Norman Prince](/source/Norman_Prince) and Elliot Cowdin), were given an opportunity to fly in a fighter [airplane](/source/airplane). Chapman requested a transfer to the [Aéronautique Militaire](/source/French_Air_Force), the army's air arm. He attended flight school and was certified as a pilot. Chapman flew many missions for the 1st Aviation Group and was promoted to sergeant. He was chosen as one of the founding members of N.124, the Escadrille Americaine, also known as the [Lafayette Escadrille](/source/Lafayette_Escadrille). On June 17, 1916, he was flying over the [Verdun](/source/Battle_of_Verdun) sector when he was attacked by four German aircraft. During the engagement, Chapman suffered a head wound, most likely from an attack by then four-victory German flier [Walter Höhndorf](/source/Walter_H%C3%B6hndorf).van Wyngarden, G. ''Early German Aces of World War 1''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2006. p. 57 {{ISBN|1-84176-997-5}} Chapman landed his aircraft safely, with Höhndorf getting his fifth victory as a result. While recovering Chapman found out that his friend, Clyde Balsley had been wounded in a separate incident. Prior to his last flight Chapman loaded oranges onto his aircraft, intending to take these to Balsley who was in the hospital recuperating from his wounds.{{cite book|last=McConnel|first=James Rogers|title=Flying for France : with the American escadrille at Verdun|year=1917|publisher=Doubleday, Page & company|url=https://archive.org/stream/flyingforfrancewmcco#page/42/mode/2up|page=42}}{{cite book|last=McKenzie|first=Fred Arthur|title=Americans at the front|year=1917|publisher=George H. Doran Company|location=New York|url=https://archive.org/stream/americansatfront00mcke#page/16/mode/2up|page=17}} On June 24, 1916, while en route to Balsley, Chapman was again attacked, north of [Douaumont](/source/Douaumont) by German flying ace ''Leutnant'' [Kurt Wintgens](/source/Kurt_Wintgens), a close friend of Höhndorf. With Wintgens flying a [Halberstadt D.II](/source/Halberstadt_D.II) that day against Chapman's Nieuport 11, Wintgens soon gained the upper hand and Chapman was shot down and killed. A memorial service was held on the 4th of July for Chapman. The service, which was held at the [American Church in Paris](/source/American_Church_in_Paris), included many of the American ambassador to France, American residents of Paris and any American soldiers in France that could make it. {{rp|188}} ==Awards and medals== Chapman earned many medals and commendations during his military career. Chapman was interested in the arts and in writing. He often found inspiration to write while he was in the middle of battles, and many of the letters he sent to his father were written in these circumstances. A book of these letters, called ''Victor Chapman's Letters from France'', with a memoir by John Jay Chapman was published in 1917 after his death. In his memory, the composer [Charles Martin Loeffler](/source/Charles_Martin_Loeffler), a friend of Chapman's father, composed his quartet ''Music for Four Stringed Instruments''.Bruce Gbur, booklet to Naxos CD 8.559077 including a recording of Loeffler's "Music for Four Stringed Instruments" A [cenotaph](/source/cenotaph) in his honor was erected in St. Matthew's Episcopal Churchyard, [Bedford, New York](/source/Bedford_(town)%2C_New_York).[http://www.militaryhallofhonor.com/honoree-record.php?id=2330 Military Hall of Honor] ==Bibliography== * {{cite book|title=Victor Chapman's letters from France, with memoir|year=1917|publisher=The Macmillan Company|location=New York|author1=Chapman, Victor Emmanuel |author2=Chapman, John Jay|url=https://archive.org/details/victorchapmanlet00chap}} ==References== {{reflist|30em}} * Guttman, Jon Nieuport (2006). ''Flyers of the Lafayette'', Albatros Productions, {{ISBN|1-902207-78-5}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Victor}} Category:1890 births Category:1916 deaths Category:Military personnel from New York City Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Aviators killed by being shot down Category:Aviators from New York (state) Category:Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion Category:Military personnel of France of World War I Category:American military personnel killed in World War I Category:Fay School alumni Category:Livingston family Category:Jay family Category:Schuyler family --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Victor Chapman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chapman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Chapman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.