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<em>William Chauncey Barott</em>, known both as Bill and Chance to his family and his wide circle of friends, was born 7 September 1928 at the post hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the only son of William Edwin and Madeline M. Barott. His dad was a career Army officer which no doubt had a strong influence on his own choice of a career. As an Army brat, he spent his boyhood in many places including California, Texas, Tennessee, New York, and the Panama Canal Zone. In 1947 he was graduated from Boys Central High School, Philadelphia, where he played guard on the football team and dreamed of following in Tommy Dorsey's footsteps as a pop trombonist. After he had been accepted at the Coast Guard Academy, it was a fortuitous congressional appointment to West Point from a Philadelphia Congressman which opened the door to his entrance to the Military Academy and an ultimate Army career.</p>
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Chance was always a consummate athlete. His first love was the great outdoors. His only sister, Barbara, reflects, “As a boy in the 1940s, he was jogging well before it became fashionable, but above all, he loved to hunt and fish. He fished mainly with flies he painstakingly tied himself, distaining worms or other live bait which he disapprovingly called ‘garden tackle.’ ” She further recalls, “Golf was another love and when he had the opportunity to sharpen his game, he carried a six or eight handicap.”</p>
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In July 1947, Chance joined the Corps and was assigned to the 7th New Cadet Company in the South Area barracks. I recall our first meeting during those early Beast Barracks days because I was impressed by his good humor, his infectious smile and his “can do” attitude. He had a weight lifter’s physique and always kept himself in top condition, but even emotionally he seemed better prepared for the rigors of Beast Barracks than most of us, and in characteristic fashion, he was instrumental in maintaining high spirits among his comrades.</p>
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In September we moved to our permanent company which was to become our residence for the next four years. In those days we were still assigned to companies according to height—Chance and I ended up in Company C-2 in the old North Area of barracks. Here his circle of friends continued to expand because he had a genuine quality of caring and sharing about him—and always that big, friendly smile! Getting into the swing of academics, and the return of the full upperclass component, did not seem to phase Chance to any degree, despite his mischievous nature which cost him many a pre-meal visitation to upper class rooms— “on call”—reciting all sorts of plebe knowledge. The rough periods were smoothed over to a great degree by the receipt of frequent “care packages” from northern New York— the best cakes I’ve ever tasted—usually hand delivered by close family friends, which also usually meant a special Sunday noon meal at the Thayer to which Chance and his friends normally and most graciously invited me along.</p>
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Continuing to give accommodation to his natural flair for athletics, Chance made the plebe hockey team and found time to support the company intramural program in football and lacrosse. Yearling year his intramural exploits took him into wrestling; despite strong competition, he ultimately won the Corps middleweight championship and, as a result, spent his final two years at the Academy on the varsity wrestling team.</p>
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Upon graduation, anyone who chose to could take parachute training at Fort Benning and earn the jump wings, but only a limited number of the Class could then be assigned to a permanent airborne unit. Chance selected Infantry as his branch and stood high enough academically to obtain one of the coveted assignments to an airborne unit. He chose the 82nd Airborne Division and thus began his official Army career as a platoon leader in the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.</p>
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In June 1952, Chance returned to upstate New York (Syracuse) where he married his O.A.O. from West Point days, Patricia Leyden. With the Korean conflict in full swing, Chance felt he should be a part of it and shortly thereafter obtained orders and became a platoon leader with 38th Infantry Regiment of the famed 2nd “Indianhead” Division, where he was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star Medal.</p>
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Normal type assignments followed Korea, including the Advanced Infantry Course at Fort Benning, a choice assignment with the Berlin Brigade, the Command and General Staff College, and a return to his first love, the 82nd Airborne Division in 1964.</p>
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In 1966, after attending the Military Assistance Training Advisor (MATA) and Vietnamese language courses at Fort Bragg, Chance was sent to Vietnam. He fully expected to be assigned to an ARVN unit as an advisor, although his hope was to command a US battalion. In a typical Chance Barott scenario, disdaining several offers from senior friends to assist in his quest for a command, he shopped around on his own, using his record, experience and motivation as his marketing tools. It paid off. On 28 July 1966 he was given orders to report to the 25th Infantry Division where on 5 August 1966 he took command of the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry. These had to be exhilarating days for this man who had devoted his life to the profession of arms. In a letter just after receiving command of the battalion, he wrote, “Needless to say, I was honored, but I'm still in a state of shock. I haven't been able to close my eyes for two days now because of the excitement and anticipation.”</p>
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On 4 November 1966, during Operation ATTLEBORO, his battalion was sent into the dense jungles some 15 miles east of Tay Ninh to aid a sister battalion which was under heavy attack by the enemy. While he maneuvered his men to hit the enemy flank, several well concealed machine gun bunkers opened up killing or wounding a number of his command. Chance quickly organized an attack force and personally led the assault to knock out the bunkers—during this assault he was hit and killed instantly. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action.</p>
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General John R. Deane, Jr., then a brigadier general commanding the 173rd Airborne Brigade, entered the battle area the following day and later wrote Chance’s mother, "I heard nothing but glowing praise of Bill, the job he did, his great leadership. Everyone there had the greatest respect for him as an officer and was devoted to him as an individual. You can be extremely proud of Bill. There is none any finer.”</p>
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Chance’s wonderful family rejoices in the fact that he was a part of their lives and that the foundations and joyous moments remain and continue to provide guidance and strength. His wife, Pat, resides in Syracuse, New York. Sons, William Edwin and John Leyden, are engineers. Daughter Madeline (Dede) is an ophthalmologist. Cynthia is a nurse, and Suzan is in law school. How proud he would have been of their strength, dedication, and commitment to personal and professional growth! He is also survived by his mother, Madeline, in Kansas City, and his sister, Barbara Lentz, of Shawnee Mission, Kansas; and his grandson, William Chauncey.</p>
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Each of us who knew Chance Barott has had our lives enriched because of that relationship. You will never become just a faded memory with us, old friend—and as we look into the heavens on a starry evening, we know you’re there—and we too are in love with night.</p>
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<em>r.a.p</em></p>