Pfc. Chance Phelps, (July 14, 1984 – April 9, 2004) of Dubois, Wyoming and Clifton, Colorado, was killed in action in Al Anbar, Iraq, April 9, 2004. He was with the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Expeditionary Force from Twenty Nine Palms, California. He was posthumously awarded LCpl.

Chance, the son of Gretchen Mack and stepson of Jeff Mack, of Dubois, Wyoming, and son of John Phelps, of Cody, Wyoming, was the fallen Marine featured in the HBO television movie TAKING CHANCE, starring Kevin Bacon.

Phelps was born in Riverton, Wyoming and moved to Colorado as a young boy. He lived first in Craig and then Clifton, Colorado. He graduated from Palisade High School, Clifton, CO, in 2003. He joined the Marines motivated by the events of September 11, 2001. He attended recruit training at MCRD San Diego and artillery school at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He was assigned to 3/11, and deployed in February 2004.

Chance was killed in action at approximately 15:30 on April 9, 2004 (Good Friday), outside Ar Ramadi, Iraq. His unit was conducting convoy escort, which included the assistant commander of the 1st Marine Division, Brigadier General John F. Kelly, (left) when they came under heavy small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Despite being wounded, he refused to be evacuated, manning his machine gun to cover the evacuation of the rest of his convoy. Upon withdrawal, he sustained his fatal wound to the head.

Chance was buried in Dubois, Wyoming on April 17, 2004. His remains were escorted home by LtCol Michael Strobl (right) (on whose written accounts the HBO movie TAKING CHANCE is based). In attendance at this service were his parents, stepparents, sister, Kelly Phelps Petty officer 2nd class (an aide to Rear Admiral Richard Porterfield, Director of Naval Intelligence), and every veterans organization within 90 miles (140 km), many friends and acquaintances.

Several days later, a memorial service was held by his unit, in Camp Ramadi, Iraq.

Chance was awarded a posthumous promotion to Lance Corporal shortly after his death. In addition, a baseball field constructed in Camp Ramadi was dedicated Phelps Field. In mid-2005, a mess hall was dedicated Phelps Hall at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twenty Nine Palms, with his citation posted on a boulder in front. Chance is also memorialized by a rock garden at the 3/11 office and at the Dubois VFW post, as well as a plaque that travels with Battery L wherever it deploys and a battery mascot named after him.

Chance was the subject of a video segment originally broadcast on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer on April 20, 2004, entitled "A Fallen Son". PBS ran a segment on Phelp's journey home as part of their "Operation Homecoming" documentary in the "America at Crossroads" series in April of 2007.

CLICK HERE to read the email of April 21, 2004, written by General John F. Kelly 12 days after the ambush, detailing what happened April 9, 2004 when LCpl Chance Phelps was KIA in Al Anbar, Iraq.The email was in response to LtCol Mike Strobl's story, Taking Chance, which has since been made into a movie of the same name by HBO Television.

A Cousin's Tribute
A Charity Event Tribute: HBO

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