Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr.
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About
United States Air Force general best known for being the first African-American brigadier general in the USAF. He was an aviation cadet in the first class of the Tuskegee Airmen, and the first African-American combat fighter pilot in the United States military. He also assisted in enforcing the racial integration order of the armed forces in 1948.
Before Fame
As a teenager, he flew with a stunt pilot, which inspired him to become a pilot as well. He graduated from Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, and Western Reserve University.
Trivia
While enlisted at the United States Military Academy, he was disregarded by his white classmates and was never given a roommate or allowed to eat with his colleagues. They hoped that by giving him the "silent treatment," he would resign from the academy; however, their attempts only strengthened his dedication to graduate and succeed. He served in WWII as a commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 332nd Fighter Group.
Family Life
He was the middle of three children born to mother Elnora Dickerson Davis and father Benjamin O. Davis Sr., who was the first black brigadier general in the United States Army.
Associated With
In 1998, he was advanced to four-star general by President Bill Clinton.
