Willis Brown Chapman was born on January 7, 1920, in Hewitt, McLennan County, Texas. He was the son of Glenn Dee Chapman and Clara Conger Brown Chapman. He was married to Dorothy R. Schiemenz Chapman. Willis attended local schools and worked on his family’s farm. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1941 with a degree in Agronomy. During his time there, he was part of the Army ROTC Headquarters Troop and the Cavalry Cadet Corps, and was among the last members of the mounted horse cavalry. A lifelong supporter of Texas A&M, he remained active in the Capitol City A&M Club. After graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and was called to active duty a month later, reporting to Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Willis served in the United States Army with the 740th Tank Battalion in World War II. Known as the “Daredevil Tankers”, the 740th was a separate battalion that fought from Utah Beach all the way to the Baltic Sea in support of various divisions of the US war effort.The unit was deployed to Belgium and saw combat operations across Belgium and France, advancing toward the German border beginning in December 1944. He remained in Germany on occupation duty until the end of the war in the Pacific, returned to the United States in 1946, and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. After the war, Willis worked for Olin Matheson Agricultural Supplies until his retirement, then transitioned into real estate, specializing in farm and ranch sales. He also continued managing his family’s farm throughout his life. He died on November 28, 2004, and is now buried in the Waco Memorial Park, Robinson, McLennan County, Texas, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.legacy.com