Chase enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was wounded twice in the Battle of Iwo Jima.

[4] He entered Princeton University as a member of the undergraduate Class of 1943[5] but earned his bachelor's degree in 1944, with a major in political science.

[8] After earning his Ph.D. in 1948, Chase joined the faculty of the University of Delaware as an instructor and assistant professor of political science, serving there until 1950.

[4] On the Minnesota campus, Chase was known as a supporter of the Vietnam War and an opponent of loyalty oath requirements for federal student loans.

[11] Chase enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve on September 9, 1942, during World War II.

[4] On October 21, 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Chase as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.

"[11] As secretary, Chase argued that peacetime draft registration had not increased National Guard or reserve enlistments.

[14] To increase the quality and quantity of reserves, Chase advocated better pay and initiatives to encourage employers to give workers time off for training.

He also ruled out future draft deferments for reserve or National Guard service or college, as had been allowed during the Vietnam War.

[14] He served until December 1980, following Carter's defeat by Ronald Reagan in the presidential election the previous month,[7] and returned to his position at the University of Minnesota in 1981.

The prompt is for essays that "articles that challenge conventional wisdom by proposing change to a current Marine Corps directive, policy, custom, or practice.