Wideawake Engineers

Americans on Ascension Island in World War II

Handy Island

"The Air War Finds A Handy South Atlantic Island" was the caption on this Peter Hurd painting of Ascension Island, from Life Magazine, April 1945. It was the only place for pilots to refuel between Natal and West Africa.

Showing posts with label Roy Chapman. Show all posts

Friday, May 6, 2011

The Army Tradition: Don't Change A Thing

from
The San Jose Mercury News
Thursday, August 22, 1996
by
William Ashley Chapman

"My Dad was a great guy, and a veteran of World War I. He didn't like the Army much because of the ever present confusion and told me I would do well to keep out of it.

Roy Chapman of Goodwater Alabama was a sergeant in World War I.

Posted by Robin Chapman at 9:28 AM 0 comments

Email This BlogThis!Share to X Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest

Labels: Army Reserve, Command and General Staff College, Roy Chapman, William Ashley Chapman

Older Posts Home

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

South Atlantic Patch USA WW II

That is Ascension Island in the center of the patch with the Southern Cross above it. Twenty-five thousand planes landed here as they headed across the Atlantic to theatres all over the world.

38th Engineers Patch

Here's another South Atlantic Patch I found with my father's things. The single dot represents Ascension Island in the vastness of the Atlantic. It is beautiful, isn't it?

Voices of Our Fathers

My father also has a chapter in this book, "Voices of my Comrades: Americas's Reserve Officers Remember World War II" edited by Carol Adele Kelly. Kelly sent us one of the first copies and we received it when Dad was ill. Inside she had written: " For your deeds and for your words, deepest appreciation." It's a terrific book easily found on Amazon. Click the pic and find it.

Blasted Out of Rock

Ascension Island is mostly just a big clinker of volcanic rock. The 38th Engineers blasted Wideawake Field out of this ancient island.

Surf Robin's Other Blog

Click the photo to visit Robin's general interest blog. That's Robin on assignment in Israel.

Contact Us

Just email us at: rchapsblog@gmail.com. Or add a comment to this page. We will get back to you. This is my father, Col. William Ashley Chapman, back on Ascension in 1988.

Sooty Terns Help Name an Airfield.

This bird will help us explain why the American air base on Ascension Island is called "Wideawake Field." Click the pic for the story.

Here's a favorite photo of Robin with her engineer father. If you'd like to contact her just email her at: rchapsblog@gmail.com

The Story of Ascension

Mr. Duff Hart-Davis' book on Ascension Island is excellent. My father corresponded with the author for many years. Click the link to find the book on Amazon.

Ascension Island From the Air

The pilots said "..miss Ascension, your wife gets a pension." But there was a radar beam, so it was actually quite hard to miss.

About Me

Robin Chapman: Television journalist and the author of five books, Robin covered news in the West and in Florida and spent a decade covering national stories in Washington D.C. She now lives and works as a writer in her California hometown. CALIFORNIA APRICOTS: THE LOST ORCHARDS OF SILICON VALLEY, was published by the History Press in 2013; and her latest book, HISTORIC BAY AREA VISIONARIES was published by the History Press in 2018. She now writes a column for the Los Altos Town Crier.

View my complete profile

Capt. Raymond O. Kidd (KIA 1945)

Kidd was a company commander on Ascension 1942-1944. For more on his life and death, click the pic.

"...they had their weaknesses and their flaws and their good sides and bad sides. The one thing they had in common was they were a little too young to die."

World War II cartoonist, Bill Mauldin

quoted in

Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front

Todd De Pastino

Col. Chapman Obituary

Click the pic for the news of his death on 3/26/2010.

Blog Archive

▼ 2013 (3)
- ▼ December (2)
  - Thinking About Ascension
  - "New" Historic Photo of Wideawake's Construction
- ► June (1)

► 2012 (3)
- ► September (1)
- ► August (1)
- ► July (1)

► 2011 (34)
- ► November (1)
- ► October (3)
- ► July (2)
- ► June (7)
- ► May (10)
- ► April (11)

Wartime Artist Peter Hurd's Wideawake View

Wideawake Field in a painting by Peter Hurd for Life Magazine, April 30 1945. My grandparents framed this print.