In 1940, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first Black person to achieve the rank of brigadier general in the US Army.
Twenty years after his father made history, Davis Jr. became the first Black brigadier general in the Air Force in 1960.
Davis Sr. was born in Washington, DC, less than 20 years after the ratification of the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery.
So, Davis Jr. moved alone to Chicago for nearly two years to secure the nomination and his spot at West Point.
“So, (the Army) provided no opportunities for African Americans to lead troops, it provided no opportunities before 1940 for African Americans to fly airplanes, there were no African Americans in the Marine Corps,” Moye added.
Persons:
Benjamin O, Davis, Davis Jr, “ Davis, ”, J, Todd Moye, “, White, ” Moye, Sr, West Point Davis, Oscar S, De Priest, Illinois, ” “, Doug Melville, ’, America’s, Ben Jr, ” Benjamin O, Simon, Simon & Schuster, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Moye, Army shouldn’t, Harry S, Truman, Melville, Le’Trice Donaldson, ” Donaldson, Bill Clinton, Davis , Jr, ” Clinton, ” Melville
Organizations:
CNN, US Army, Tuskegee Airmen, Air Force, University of North, Service’s Tuskegee, Guard, 8th US Volunteer Infantry, Army, Army’s, of, 9th Cavalry, Buffalo Soldiers, Army War, Corps, West Point, African, Blacks, Tuskegee Institute, 99th Fighter Squadron, 332nd Fighter Group, Chanute Air Museum, Simon &, Marine Corps, Alabama’s Tuskegee Army, US Air Force, Armed Services, United States Army, United States Air Force, Black, Texas, Corpus Christi, Department of Transportation, Federal Air Marshal Service, America
Locations:
University of North Texas, Washington ,, Spanish, Philippines, Mexico, American, France, Chicago, West, West Point, Italy, Washington, America, North Africa, Sicily, Vietnam, “