Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr was the first Afro-American to become the brigadier general in the US Air Force.He had also served as a valiant commander of Tuskegee Airmen, 99th Fighter Squadron, and 332nd Fighter Group during the Second World War. His leadership in combating the air missions over Europe was worth praising and awarded him with accomplishments.Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr had a name for not only being the first Afro-American to serve as general but also led commendable missions and strikes like that of P-39, Curtiss P-40, P-47, and P-51 Mustang Fighters. His father, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was entitled to be the first black general in the Army of the United States. No wonder, his son was following his path to break the shackles of racial discrimination in the US. He died in the year 2002, at the age of 89, and now rests in Arlington National Cemetery. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.He was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Langley Gold medal amongst several other honors.As President Bill Clinton quoted, Davis overcame adversity and discrimination, turned skeptics into believers, and brought change through his own example and perseverance. From a second lieutenant in 1936 to a four-star general in 1998, the life of Benjamin O Davis Jr. is inspirational.When did he retire from active duty? How did his knowledge of military science help him shape his military tactics? What sort of relationship did he enjoy with other soldiers? Read on for some of the most interesting facts about the decorated officer who became the first African American Major General of the Air Defense Branch of the US Armed Forces.Benjamin O Davis Jr Childhood FactsBorn an army-brat, Benjamin too had several ups and downs in his childhood. Take a brief glance into his childhood that instilled vigor and valiance in him at an early age. Here are some interesting facts related to the childhood of the decorated African American soldier.Benjamin was born on December 18, 1912, in Washington DC, US. Born to Elnora Dickerson Davis and Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr., who served as an officer in the US Army, Benjamin Jr. was the second child in the family of five. When Benjamin was born, his father was serving as a lieutenant in a cavalry unit situated in Wyoming. In 1916, he lost his mother Elnora to post-partum complications, following the birth of the third child, Elnora.In 1926, as Davis turned 13, he accompanied a stunt pilot at Bolling Field in Wahington DC. Needless to say, this intrigued the pilot in him and determined him to join the Air Force. Before the Great Depression reached its zenith, in 1929, Davis had graduated from Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio. In the same year, he found himself in Western Reserve University. He attended the University of Chicago and then in 1932, went forth to join the United States Military Academy, located at West Point in New York. He graduated in 1936 and earned the title of being the first black man to graduate from the military academy in 1889.His life in the military academy was not a bed of roses. There were stones and pricks on his path, which came in form of racial discrimination, as he strived to graduate. He was ignored, isolated, was subject to ‘silent treatment’, and his colleagues made attempts to drive him off the campus. With no companion or roommate, Benjamin stood for himself alone against all ills and odds. With his perseverance and courage, he graduated with flying colors and won the admiration of the batch mates. He came 35th in a class of 276 when he graduated in 1936. The racial discrimination didn’t end here. He was rejected from Army Air Corps and was to join the All-Black 14th Infantry Regiment in 1936 and US Army Infantry School at Fort Benning in 1937.Benjamin O Davis Jr Accomplishments FactsBenjamin O. Davis Jr. has been one of the most noted African American soldiers in the history of the United States. His accomplishments assume greater importance in the light of the fact that he did not always receive support from others. Here are some important facts related to the accomplishments of Benjamin O. Davis Jr.Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was crowned with dozens of awards that recognized his immense contribution to the US Air Force.In 1998, he was accorded the title of four-star general by then-President Bill Clinton.Benjamin O Davis Jr was very determined to fly as a military pilot under the Army Air Forces, but he was denied the opportunity for the next four years because of some official reasons. He was the only black cadet at West Point but was surprised to note that while he stood at 35th Rank in a class of 276 members in the Class of 1936, he was unable to satisfy the Army Air Corps to enable him to enter flight training. But once President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave promotion to the elder Davis to the position of brigadier general, the Army Air Corps was ordered to form a flying organization for black soldiers. Being the only existing West Point graduate, Davis Jr was ordered to move to the Tuskegee Army Air Field.From 1954 to 1955, Benjamin O Davis Jr served as the director of operations and training at Far East Air Forces Headquarters in Tokyo from 1954 to 195. As a part of the Far East Air Forces, he was promoted to the post of vice commander of the Thirteenth Air Force and also served the extra duty as the commander of Air Task Force 13 (Provisional), Taipei, Formosa.Molefi Kete Asante, a leading scholar in African-American studies, regarded Davis among the 100 Greatest African Americans in 2002. There are several educational institutions in his honor- Benjamin O Davis Jr. Aerospace Technical High School in Detroit, Benjamin O Davis Jr. Middle School in Compton, and Aviation High School in Cleveland, named after him.For a year from 1954 to 1955, Davis was appointed the Vice-Commander of the Thirteenth Air Force. He was appointed the staff chief of Twelfth Air Force, USAFE. For around two years, from 1968 to 1970, Davis was appointed the Deputy-Commander-in-Chief of the US Strike Command, which is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. After he retired in 1970, Davis was promoted to the position of four-star General of the US Force (retired) in 1998.Benjamin gives us insights into valorous life in his detailed autobiography, ‘Benjamin O Davis Jr.; American; an autobiography’, which he initiated from the late 1980s.Benjamin O Davis Jr Children FactsBenjamin O. Davis Jr. married Agatha Scott in 1936 after he graduated from the United States Military Academy. He had met her in a cadet at West Point.While they enjoyed a long and happy married life, they sadly did not have any children of their own. His wife Agatha died on March 10, 2002, at the age of 94 years. He himself was suffering from Alzheimer’s during that time. He was unable to live for long after the death of his wife and he later died at the age of 89 years on July 4, 2002, at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was then buried with his wife at Arlington National Cemetry.Bravery Facts About Benjamin O Davis JrBenjamin O. Davis Jr. won the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters for his bravery. Need we say anything else? His bravery was never in doubt and the number of awards and recognitions that he won during his tenure with the army are worthwhile. Here are some important bravery facts about Benjamin O. Davis Jr: -The US Defense Secretary William Cohen once remarked that Benjamin is “a great warrior, a great officer and a great American”. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. had to struggle to reach his position and it was a constant struggle to put an end to racial divisions in the American military service.Benjamin Davis was among the four, who graduated from the aviation training to join the US military as the first Afro-American combat fighter pilot. He was the first Afro-American to solo pilot an Army Air Corps aircraft. He became the lieutenant colonel that year and became the commander of the 99th Pursuit Squadron. He led combats in Tunisia in North Africa and dive-bombing missions as a part of Operation Corkscrew in Germany.In June 1937 after a year as commander of an infantry company at Fort Benning, Ga., he entered the Infantry School there and a year later graduated and assumed duties as professor of military science at Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee.He withstood allegations that deprived black men of joining the combat that was all set to fly overseas in 1943. He held a press conference to defend the unit and ordered an inquiry that proved the unparalleled might of the regiment. The combat missions against the German Luftwaffe, commanded by Davis was outstanding.Benjamin Davis had also presided over the Freeman Field mutiny of 1945 that compelled the then Harry Truman government to integrate both the black and white forces in 1948.He then attended Air War College, served in Pentagon, and had also commanded the operation in Korea in 1953. His leadership and commanding skills throughout World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Second Taiwan Strait Crisis are notable achievements in Southern Asia. It was while in the Pentagon, he got a nod to create a demonstration team for the Air Force Thunderbird Flight.When he returned to the United States and Headquarters of the U.S. Air Force in July 1961, he acted as the director of manpower and organization as well as the Deputy Chief of Staff, programs, and requirements. He retained that position until April 1962, when he was appointed as the chief of staff for the United Nations Command and U.S. Forces in Korea. He also took up the position of the commanding officer of the Thirteenth Air Force at Clark Air Base in the Republic of the Philippines. He was later deployed as the Deputy Commander in Chief, US Strike Command with the headquarters located at the MacDill Air Force Base. In the year 1998, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to the post of general where President Clinton pinned on his four-star insignia.
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr was the first Afro-American to become the brigadier general in the US Air Force.
