Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
| Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. | |
|---|---|
General Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
|
|
| Born |
December 18, 1912 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | July 4, 2002 (aged 89) Washington, D.C. |
| Place of burial | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1936–1970 |
| Rank |
 General
|
| Commands held |
99th Pursuit Squadron 332nd Fighter Group Tuskegee Airmen 51st Fighter Wing Thirteenth Air Force |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal Army Commendation Medal |
| Other work | Federal Sky Marshal Program Assistant Secretary of Transportation |
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) was an American United States Air Force general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen.
He was the first African-American general officer in the United States Air Force. On December 9, 1998, he was advanced to four-star general by President Bill Clinton. During World War II, Davis was commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group, which escorted bombers on air combat missions over Europe. Davis himself flew sixty missions in P-39, Curtiss P-40, P-47 and P-51 Mustang fighters. Davis followed in his father's footsteps in breaking racial barriers, as Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first African-American general in the United States Army.
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. was born in Washington, D.C. on December 18, 1912, the second of three children born to Benjamin O. Davis Sr. and Elnora Dickerson Davis. His father was a U.S. Army officer, and at the time he was stationed in Wyoming serving as a lieutenant with an all-white cavalry unit. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. served 41 years before he was promoted to brigadier general in October 1940. Elnora Davis died from complications after giving birth to their third child (Elnora) in 1916. At the age of 13, in the summer of 1926, the younger Davis went for a flight with a barnstorming pilot at Bolling Field in Washington, D.C. The experience led to his determination to become a pilot himself.
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