Victor Emmanuel Chapman was born April 17, 1890 in New York City; the great-great grandson of John Jay, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His father was John Jay Chapman, prominent lawyer, poet and essayist. From childhood, Victor took a great pleasure in life outdoors. He was physically strong and took keen delight in placing himself in dangerous situations, like walking the ridge of a steep roof.
After attending private schools in the United States, France, and Germany, Victor graduated from Harvard in 1913 and went to Paris where he studied architecture for one year in preparation for admission to the Ecole de Beaux Arts.In September 1914, Victor joined the Foreign Legion and served in the trenches for a year as a machine gun loader. He received a bullet in the fleshy part of his arm but refused to leave the trenches. Every assignment, whether digging trenches or peeling potatoes, he attacked with a sincere effort working hard and long. His feeling for others and generosity was demonstrated when he searched the countryside one night until he found a cow which he brought back so that a comrade in the Legion could have the milk for his ulcerated stomach.Victor's service as an aviator reflected the same sincere dedication to duty that had been apparent from his service in the Legion. Flying often and attacking the enemy with such abandon that he had to be constantly cautioned by his comrades, it is surprising that he survived as long as he did. He was always the last to return from a patrol, and he would as soon attack five enemy machines as one.Since he carried a letter on him addressed to Clyde Balsley, he was buried under that name by the Germans. It was not until 1921 that Frederick Zinn, who had been sent to Europe as the head of the American Mission for locating the graves of American aviators who fell in enemy territory, located the grave with Balsley's name and the date June 23, 1916. Victor's remains now occupy the first niche in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris.[Source: "Cross & Cockade Journal: The Society of World War I Aero Historians," Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1961.]
After attending private schools in the United States, France, and Germany, Victor graduated from Harvard in 1913 and went to Paris where he studied architecture for one year in preparation for admission to the Ecole de Beaux Arts.In September 1914, Victor joined the Foreign Legion and served in the trenches for a year as a machine gun loader. He received a bullet in the fleshy part of his arm but refused to leave the trenches. Every assignment, whether digging trenches or peeling potatoes, he attacked with a sincere effort working hard and long. His feeling for others and generosity was demonstrated when he searched the countryside one night until he found a cow which he brought back so that a comrade in the Legion could have the milk for his ulcerated stomach.Victor's service as an aviator reflected the same sincere dedication to duty that had been apparent from his service in the Legion. Flying often and attacking the enemy with such abandon that he had to be constantly cautioned by his comrades, it is surprising that he survived as long as he did. He was always the last to return from a patrol, and he would as soon attack five enemy machines as one.Since he carried a letter on him addressed to Clyde Balsley, he was buried under that name by the Germans. It was not until 1921 that Frederick Zinn, who had been sent to Europe as the head of the American Mission for locating the graves of American aviators who fell in enemy territory, located the grave with Balsley's name and the date June 23, 1916. Victor's remains now occupy the first niche in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris.[Source: "Cross & Cockade Journal: The Society of World War I Aero Historians," Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1961.]
Victor Emmanuel Chapman was born April 17, 1890 in New York City; the great-great grandson of John Jay, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His father was John Jay Chapman, prominent lawyer, poet and essayist. From childhood, Victor took a great pleasure in life outdoors. He was physically strong and took keen delight in placing himself in dangerous situations, like walking the ridge of a steep roof.
After attending private schools in the United States, France, and Germany, Victor graduated from Harvard in 1913 and went to Paris where he studied architecture for one year in preparation for admission to the Ecole de Beaux Arts.In September 1914, Victor joined the Foreign Legion and served in the trenches for a year as a machine gun loader. He received a bullet in the fleshy part of his arm but refused to leave the trenches. Every assignment, whether digging trenches or peeling potatoes, he attacked with a sincere effort working hard and long. His feeling for others and generosity was demonstrated when he searched the countryside one night until he found a cow which he brought back so that a comrade in the Legion could have the milk for his ulcerated stomach.Victor's service as an aviator reflected the same sincere dedication to duty that had been apparent from his service in the Legion. Flying often and attacking the enemy with such abandon that he had to be constantly cautioned by his comrades, it is surprising that he survived as long as he did. He was always the last to return from a patrol, and he would as soon attack five enemy machines as one.Since he carried a letter on him addressed to Clyde Balsley, he was buried under that name by the Germans. It was not until 1921 that Frederick Zinn, who had been sent to Europe as the head of the American Mission for locating the graves of American aviators who fell in enemy territory, located the grave with Balsley's name and the date June 23, 1916. Victor's remains now occupy the first niche in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris.[Source: "Cross & Cockade Journal: The Society of World War I Aero Historians," Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1961.]
After attending private schools in the United States, France, and Germany, Victor graduated from Harvard in 1913 and went to Paris where he studied architecture for one year in preparation for admission to the Ecole de Beaux Arts.In September 1914, Victor joined the Foreign Legion and served in the trenches for a year as a machine gun loader. He received a bullet in the fleshy part of his arm but refused to leave the trenches. Every assignment, whether digging trenches or peeling potatoes, he attacked with a sincere effort working hard and long. His feeling for others and generosity was demonstrated when he searched the countryside one night until he found a cow which he brought back so that a comrade in the Legion could have the milk for his ulcerated stomach.Victor's service as an aviator reflected the same sincere dedication to duty that had been apparent from his service in the Legion. Flying often and attacking the enemy with such abandon that he had to be constantly cautioned by his comrades, it is surprising that he survived as long as he did. He was always the last to return from a patrol, and he would as soon attack five enemy machines as one.Since he carried a letter on him addressed to Clyde Balsley, he was buried under that name by the Germans. It was not until 1921 that Frederick Zinn, who had been sent to Europe as the head of the American Mission for locating the graves of American aviators who fell in enemy territory, located the grave with Balsley's name and the date June 23, 1916. Victor's remains now occupy the first niche in the Lafayette Escadrille Memorial near Paris.[Source: "Cross & Cockade Journal: The Society of World War I Aero Historians," Volume 2, Number 1, Spring 1961.]
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