Benjamin O. Davis Jr.
Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) was a United States Air Force (USAF) general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen.
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 18, 1912 Washington, D.C., United States |
| Died | July 4, 2002 (aged 89) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | 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 Second Taiwan Strait Crisis Vietnam War |
| Awards | Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2) Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Star Legion of Merit (3) Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (5) Army Commendation Medal (3) Langley Gold Medal |
| Relations | Benjamin O. Davis Sr. (father) |
| Other work | Federal Sky Marshal Program Assistant Secretary of Transportation |
He was the first African-American brigadier general in the USAF. 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 flew sixty missions in P-39 Airacobra, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 Mustang fighters and was one of the first African-American pilots to see combat. Davis followed in his father's footsteps in breaking racial barriers, as Benjamin O. Davis Sr. had been the first black brigadier general in the United States Army.