Daniel James, Jr.
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. (* 1920 in Pensacola (Florida) ; † February 25, 1978 ) was a general in the American Air Force . He was the first African-American to achieve the rank of four-star general in the United States Armed Forces .
Life
After Daniel James Jr. In 1937 the high school was completed in his hometown of Pensacola, he attended the Tuskegee Institute , where he earned a degree as a Bachelor in Science acquired in 1942 and completed training as pilots for civil aircraft. Subsequently, he became an instructor for pilots in the cadet program of the Tuskegee Institute. In January 1943 he became a cadet himself at the institute and completed the program in July 1943 with the rank of Second Lieutenant of the Tuskegee Airmen . This was followed by training as a fighter bomber pilot .
James then served in various units. He was transferred to the Philippines in 1949 and then transferred to Korea in 1950 . During the Korean War , he carried out 101 combat missions. In 1951 he returned to the USA. In 1953 he was commanded a squadron , the 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron . In 1955 he took command of the 60th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron . In June 1957 he graduated from Air Command and Staff College.
He was then posted to the US Air Force Headquarters and in the summer of 1960 posted to a Royal Air Force site in Bentwater , England . In 1964 he was transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona . In December 1966, James was ordered to Thailand during the Vietnam War . Here at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base , he was appointed deputy squadron commander in 1967. During this time he flew 78 combat missions. In one of these missions seven enemy MiG-21s were destroyed, which was the largest number in a mission during the war.
In December 1967 he was transferred to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and in August 1969 he was transferred to Wheelus Air Base in Libya as a squadron commander. From March 1970 to 1974 he worked in the US Department of Defense . On September 1, 1974, he was appointed deputy commander of the Military Airlift Command .
On September 1, 1975 he was appointed four-star general and commander in chief of strategic defense for the airspace of the United States and Canada ( North American Aerospace Defense Command ).
Honors
Daniel James Jr. was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame .
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | James, Daniel, Jr. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | James, Daniel junior; Chappie (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American Air Force Officer, Air Force General |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pensacola (Florida) |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 25, 1978 |