Many African Americans have contributed immensely with their achievements to building a robust Black History. One of these is Benjamin O. Davis- The first African American to earn the rank of General in the United States Air Force. Davis Jr. was born on the 18th of December 1912 in Washington D.C., to Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. and Elnora Dickerson Davis. His father was also the first African American to become a general in any arm of the U.S. military, a significant milestone in African-American History.
In 1926, when Davis Jr. was 13, he flew with a barnstorming pilot at Bolling Field; this experience made him decide that he was going to become a pilot himself. After graduating from Central High School, Cleveland, Ohio in 1929, he attended the University of Chicago and later got admitted into the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. in July 1932.
Davis Jr. suffered racial discrimination and segregation just like other African-American cadets who attended before him. He was lonely, since no white cadet would talk to him or even want to be his roommate. Nevertheless, he remained determined and graduated in June 1936 and was commissioned as a second Lieutenant of Infantry. He was the fourth African American to graduate from the academy. During his time, there was still racial segregation in the U.S. Army. Although he wanted to be an Army Aviator, there was no All-black Aviation Unit then, so he was assigned to the 24th infantry at Fort Benning, Georgia.
In 1941, he was among the first African American groups who were admitted to the Army Air Corps and Pilot Training. Upon graduation, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Davis also got an appointment with the Commander of the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite group of African-American pilots who flew combat missions during World War II.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr.
sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
The Tuskegee Airmen earned an exceptional record under the leadership of Davis. They flew over 15,000 sorties that escorted bombers and attacked enemy targets during the war. In 1959, Davis became the first African American to be promoted to the rank of General (Major) in the Air Force, and he was later promoted to Lieutenant General in 1965. He retired from the force in 1970, but his service was still relevant in the U.S. He was named the Director of Civil Aviation Security U.S. Department of Transportation. On the 9th of December 1998, General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to four-star
general by President Bill Clinton. He died on the 4th of July 2002 at the age of 89.
Davis Jr. received a lot of honors for his exceptional achievements during his lifetime. He was awarded the Silver Star for his combat leadership, the Legion of Merit for his contributions to military aviation, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his courage under fire. In 2015, a newly constructed barracks was named after him. Benjamin O. Davis J’s achievement paved the way for greater racial integration within the U.S. military. His commitment to excellence and the advancement of civil rights resonates even today, making him an icon in Black history online.
Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr.
management says is possible