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<em>Billy Junior Chance</em> was born on 20 Sep 1933 in Kensington, KS, to William and Emma (Wachs) Chance. Always an athlete and a scholar, Billy was born into a hard­working, small-town, farm family during the dust bowl. Bill’s father moved the family to Mount Hope when Bill was a boy because the small town in south central Kansas looked “like an oasis” in the drought.</p>
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Billy’s teachers pushed him to do his best in school. His teacher and coach, Mr. Herrin, encouraged him to try for West Point. Someone told him his chances of get­ting in were slim, and he went to Mr. Herrin and told him what people were saying. Mr. Herrin just said, “Well, tell them I said you can.” Billy’s sister Merna was also a strong force in his appointment to West Point. And so it began.</p>
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He played football at West Point under Hall of Fame Coach Earl “Red” Blaik. Bill played both offense and defense—and in various positions. During the 1954 Army vs. Duke game, Bill was playing center on of­fense and linebacker on defense. Both teams were nationally ranked, and Army won. It was the only game all year that Bill played the whole 60 minutes, and he got all four front teeth knocked out. He then became one of the first players to get a facemask.</p>
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Following graduation from West Point, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Joan Clare Hunsberger, and the couple set off for their first assignment, Ft. Benning, GA. Billy completed Infantry Basic Training, Airborne School, Ranger School, 4.2 Mortar School, and Jump Master School.</p>
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Next stop was Ft. Bragg, NC, where their first son, William Michael Chance, was born. After being stationed, briefly, at Ft. Devens, MA, Bill was sent to Korea. In the winter of 1959, Bill, Joan, and William moved back to Ft. Bragg, where their second son, Mark Steven Chance, was born.</p>
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With two young boys to look after, Joan moved in with her parents in Mount Hope, KS, while Billy was sent overseas again, this time to Laos. More can be read about Bill’s interactions with Vang Pao forces in Roger Warner’s book <em>“Back Fire.”</em></p>
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In the fall of 1961, Bill and his fam­ily were stationed at Ft. Knox, KY, for the Advanced Armor School, then back to West Point, where Billy was a Tactical Officer for three years.</p>
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Between 1965 and 1970, Billy bounced between Ft. Leavenworth, KS, for Com­mand and General Staff College—and later as a Special Operations Instructor—and Viet Nam with the Army Security Agency.</p>
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Later, while stationed in Central Amer­ica, the family lived in Panama with the School of the Americas and then Nicaragua as Chief of Army Section. On 23 Dec 1972, an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale wreaked devastation on the Nicara­guan capital of Managua, and Billy was in charge of the American relief and recovery efforts. He was so proud of America and the response that he saw there. The equip­ment manufacturer, Allis-Chalmers, called him and asked, “What do you need?” He answered, “Bulldozers.” They asked, “How many?” and sent what he requested. For the work Bill performed with earthquake relief, he was given the Reuben Dario award by President General Somosa ’46.</p>
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Approaching Bill’s 20-year mark with the military, the family moved to Ft. Lewis, WA, in 1974 where Bill was the executive officer of the Infantry brigade. The family decided it was time to retire, and Joan called her parents in Mount Hope to say, “We’re getting out in July, and we’re expecting a baby girl in May!”</p>
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Bill’s “retirement” life would take place nowhere else but in Mount Hope, KS—back to his roots! William and Mark were away at college, and Bill and Joan almost felt like they were starting over—raising a baby girl while in their forties. Bill found his niche in real estate—selling homes and farmland in and around the area. He also purchased and published The Mount Hope Clarion, the town’s local newspaper.</p>
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Volunteer work was very high on Billy’s list of priorities, so he served eight years on the school board—working hard to keep Mount Hope from being merged into an­other nearby town’s school system. Bill was extremely involved in The American Legion—helping the community in so many ways. He also volunteered as a driver for the local ambulance, which to this day continues to be an entirely volunteer organization.</p>
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Some of Bill’s hobbies included fishing at Cheney Lake and raising his own bait of minnows and crawfish in his front-yard pond, gardening and sharing his produce with friends and neighbors, sitting on the back porch, grilling steaks, and petting his beagles. Bill also loved relaxing in his recliner with his martini while watching the news and weather channels. After all, “It is important to know what is going on in the world!” he always would say.</p>
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Even after all these accomplishments, I have not even touched on what really made Bill so special. He was proud of his accom­plishments but was very humble. He never forgot where he came from, and he never wanted to leave it again. He loved Mount Hope and the home he built for his family. He cherished his children and his wife. He was content with having his own nest in Mount Hope, KS.</p>
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My dad was a wonderful, strong, giv­ing, funny, athletic, handsome, intelligent man, and I miss him very much. He always coached me (while shooting hoops) to “end on a good one.” Bill did just that. He was a good husband, loyal friend, a versatile and natural athlete, a courageous soldier, a true warrior, a hero, and a loving father. Billy ended on a good one!</p>
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<em>—Jennifer (Chance) Roden, daughter, with help from family, friends and classmates</em></p>