President Clinton promoted Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. to the rank of
General for his great contributions to the United States. Gen. Davis’
life is an incredible story of personal triumph and significant military
accomplishments.
His career was a series of firsts. He was the first African-American
to graduate from West Point Military Academy during the 20th century. He
was the first African-American general in the Air Force and the first
African-American commander of the Tuskegee Airmen during WW II. But more
significant than these firsts, was his enduring example of
determination. He was an example of how one man’s dream and personal
determination overcame tremendous personal adversity.
GEN Davis was strongly influenced by his father. His father was the
first black general in the Army. In the 1920’s, his father served on the
teaching staff at Tuskegee Institute. In those days segregation and
acts of discrimination were common place. The KKK terrorized the Davis
family. They carried flaming torches past their house. During these
terrorist acts his father would put on his dress white uniform and stand
on the porch with his family as a show of pride and defiance.
Davis had two overpowering goals. The first goal was to Attend West Point and the other was to become an aviator.
During the four years at West Point he was treated as if he didn’t
exist. He was excluded from social events. He was shunned and given the
silent treatment. He didn’t have a roommate nor was he invited to eat at
anyone’s table. But despite the silent treatment he graduated 35th out
of a class of 276 in 1936. Later, GEN Davis, JR reflected, “I was
silenced solely because cadets did not want blacks at West Point. Their
only purpose was to freeze me out. What they did not realize was that I
was stubborn enough to put up with their treatment to reach the goal I
had come to attain.”
In his second year at West Point his second goal of becoming an
aviator was addressed. He was told he could not be a pilot in Army Air
Corps because there were no black aviation units. The dream was stifled
but not extinguished.
After graduation he was sent to Ft. Benning, Ga. The same negative
treatment he received at West Point continued. His commanding officer
did not visit him. He was not welcomed and even his classmates from West
Point still wouldn’t talk to him or his wife.
Policy during WWII was separate and not equal. It was at Ft. Benning
where he considered the most insulting action taken against him during
his entire career. He was not allowed to enter the Officer’s Club. Only
white officers were allowed. African-American officers received worse
housing, trained in inadequate training facilities and were trained by
white officers of a lower caliber. He had entered an era when the
military felt that blacks “were not deemed fit to command white troops.”
His break came in 1941 when he was reassigned back to Tuskegee for
Aviation training. Tusgegee was called the “second Tuskegee Experiment”.
The experiment was to prove that black aviators were just as capable as
their white counterparts. “It worked ‘famously’ and stood as a
‘powerful symbol’ of what African-Americans could achieve given the
opportunities to do so; and would provide important role models for
blacks everywhere in a time when few existed and many were needed.”
The 332nd Fighter Group combat record was exceptional. At the end of
the war the unit totaled 111 enemy planes shot down. One of the most
remarkable achievements was the destruction of a German Navy destroyer
by assigned aircraft. They earned three Distinguished Unit Citations
never losing one bomber it escorted. The unit awarded approximately 1000
individual awards. In fact they shot down 12 German fighters in two
consecutive days during January, 1944.
Davis credits his success to his wife and his father who always told
him, “Don’t give up, no matter what. Gen. Davis’ life exemplified one
who has overcome tremendous odds and achieved unequaled success in the
U.S. military.
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