On this day in 1920, an American hero is born. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. is often remembered as the first black man to become a four-star general, but would he have preferred to avoid such a label?
“The power of excellence is overwhelming,” he once said. “It is always in demand, and nobody cares about its color.”
James was born in Pensacola, Florida, on February 11, 1920. The youngest in a family of 17 children, James often spoke of his mother’s 11th commandment: “Thou shalt not quit.”
“Don’t stand there,” he remembered his mother saying, “banging on the door of opportunity then when someone opens it, you say, wait a minute, I got to get my bags. You be prepared with your bags of knowledge, your patriotism, your honor, and when somebody opens the door, you charge in.”
James grew up near a Navy aviation training base in Florida, and he was fascinated by the planes constantly flying overhead. He didn’t think the Navy would let a black man learn to fly, though, and he ended up going to the Tuskegee Institute on a football scholarship.
When that school began offering civilian pilot training under a government-sponsored program, he leapt at the opportunity, just as his mother had always taught. He earned his civilian pilot certification, and he spent time stunt flying. Soon, he was working as a flight instructor.
By 1943, he had enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and he spent much of World War II training cadets.
Segregation of military forces came to an end after the war, and James was finally dispatched overseas. The transition into a truly integrated force wasn’t instantaneous, of course, but James kept his focus on hard work.
Over the course of the Korean and Vietnam wars, James flew nearly 200 combat missions. Notably, he worked with the legendary Robin Olds in Vietnam, helping to plan and lead Operation Bolo. That operation has been called the “greatest air battle of the [Vietnam] war.” Half of the North Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter force was destroyed, but Americans didn’t suffer a single casualty.
James kept serving, kept working, and kept getting promoted. By 1975, he’d earned a promotion to four-star general, and he was chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
“This promotion is important to me,” he said at the time, “by the effect it will have on some kid on a hot sidewalk in some ghetto.”
Others would speak of him as the first black man to achieve such a rank, but James offered another perspective. “I think you are limiting yourself anytime you decide to be a black leader,” he told a reporter, “anytime you decide to be a white leader, anytime you decide to be a Catholic leader.” He added that leaders “make themselves through total dedication and preparation.”
Indeed, it seems that, if he wanted to be remembered for anything, it would be the importance of hard work—and patriotism.
“I fought in three wars,” he wrote, “and three more wouldn’t be too many to defend my country. I love America and as she has weaknesses or ills, I’ll hold her hand.”
Unfortunately, James was forced into retirement when he began having heart problems at age 57. Just two weeks after his 58th birthday, a massive heart attack proved fatal.
James received numerous awards and medals during his lifetime, and he received more memorials afterwards. In 1987, Ronald Reagan spoke at a dedication for a General Daniel “Chappie”' James Center at Tuskegee University.
“He had 4 stars on his shoulder and 50 stars in his heart,” Reagan concluded. “Chappie James was an unabashed patriot; his expressions of affection and dedication to the cause of freedom stirred the hearts of his countrymen. He loved America, and America loved Chappie James.”
Primary Sources:
Body of 1st Black 4-Star General Taken to Washington for Burial (Indianapolis Star; Feb. 27, 1978) (p. 27)
Col. Taro K. Jones, Celebrate, recognize diversity daily (Joint Base Andrews; March 4, 2008)
General Daniel James Jr. (U.S. Air Force website)
Katie Lange, Air Force’s Daniel ‘Chappie’ James Jr. Was 1st Black 4-Star General (Dept. of Defense; Feb. 10, 2022)
Max Laudun, Youngest of 17 kids challenged racial norms (Tampa Bay Times; Feb. 19, 2004)
Peter Grier, The Chappie James Way (Air Force Mag., Aug. 30, 2018)
Ronald Reagan, Remarks at the Dedication of Tuskegee University's General Daniel “Chappie”' James Center in Alabama (May 10, 1987) (reprinted HERE)
Fair winds and following seas General.