World War II Honoree

Eugene K. Chapman, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fairhaven, Massachusetts

Honored By

Robert S. Chapman

Relationship

Son

ARMY SERVICE NUMBER 11130808. GRADE: TECHNICAL SERGEANT. SERVICE: ARMY AIR CORPS. ORGANIZATION: 2523RD ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT, HONDO, TEXAS. DATE ENLISTED: DECEMBER 8, 1943. DATE OF SEPARATION: OCTOBER 2, 1945 WITH HONORABLE DISCHARGE. PLACE OF ENTRY: FORT DEVENS, MASSACHUSETTS. AIRPLANE MECHANIC GUNNER 748, FLIGHT ENGINEER. DEPARTURE: JULY 12, 1944 INDIA. DEPARTURE: AUGUST 8, 1944 KUNMING, CHINA. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS FOR THE TRIP TO CHINA. PICKED UP B-24J AT AIR BASE IN SAN FRANCISCO, FLEW TO LANGLEY FIELD, VIRGINIA; BOMBING RUN PRACTICE OFF VIRGINIA BEACH. FIRST STOP, BANGOR, MAINE; 2ND STOP, GANDER FIELD, NEWFOUNDLAND; 3RD STOP, AZORES (BURNED OUT AUXILIARY GENERATOR, PUT-PUT, USING 100 OCTANE GASOLINE); 4TH STOP, MARRAKESH, WEST AFRICA; 5TH STOP, CASABLANCA, FRENCH MOROCCO; 6TH STOP, TRIPOLI, ALGERIA; 7TH STOP, CAIRO, EGYPT (VISITED PYRAMIDS) 8TH STOP, BAHRAIN ISLAND, OFF SAUDI ARABIA, (ENGINES OVERHEATING, DUMPED MOST OF BAGGAGE); 9TH STOP, ABADAN, IRAN; 10TH STOP, KARACHI, INDIA; 11TH STOP, CHABUA, INDIA, (BLEW NOSE WHEEL AND STRUT); 12TH STOP, KUNMING, CHINA. THE TRIP HOME: PICKED UP EMPTY C-54, A PILOT, AND NAVIGATOR. FROM KUNMING, CHINA OVER THE HUMP TO CHABUA, INDIA; 2ND STOP, JORHAT, INDIA; 3RD STOP, LALMANIRHAT, INDIA; 4TH STOP, GAYA, INDIA 5TH STOP, AGRA, INDIA; 6TH STOP, DELHI, INDIA; 7TH STOP, KARACHI, INDIA; 8TH STOP, ABADAN, IRAN; 9TH STOP, CAIRO, EGYPT; 10TH STOP, TRIPOLI, ALGERIA; 11TH STOP, CASABLANCA, FRENCH MOROCCO; 12TH STOP, ATAR, FRENCH WEST AFRICA; 13TH STOP, DAKAR, 14TH STOP, NATAL, BRAZIL, SOUTH AMERICA; 15TH STOP, GEORGETOWN, BRITISH GUIANA; 16TH STOP, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA.