James, Daniel, 1920-1978

Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. (February 11, 1920 – February 25, 1978) was an American fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, who in 1975 became the first African American to reach the rank of four-star general in any of the armed forces.

In September 1937, James enrolled in Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. James graduated from Tuskegee with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He learned to fly at Tuskegee as well and completed Civilian Pilot Training during his senior year. It was also in Tuskegee that James met his wife Dorothy Watkins. They were married on the Tuskegee campus on November 3, 1942.

Having shown great skill as a pilot, James obtained a job at Tuskegee as a civilian instructor for the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet program. He trained other pilots until January 1943 when he entered the cadet program himself. James was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps in July 1943. During the next six years he completed fighter pilot combat training as well as bomber pilot combat training and was stationed at various bases in the United States. His first assignment outside the United States came in September 1949 when he was assigned to Clark Field in the Philippines as the flight leader for the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 18th Fighter Wing. But it was in 1950, when hostilities broke out in Korea, that he first experienced combat. Between July 1950 and July 1951, he flew 101 missions over Korea and became part of the first generation of jet combat pilots.

James returned to the U.S. after his year in Korea and over the next two decades rose quickly through the ranks of the United States Air Force. He graduated from the U.S. Air Command and Staff College in 1957. James returned to combat during the Vietnam War and flew 78 missions between 1966 and 1967. In 1969, he was given the command of Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya. One year later, in March 1970, James was promoted to Brigadier General and became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and assigned to the Pentagon. James was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1974 and was assigned to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois as Vice Commander of the Military Airlift Command. On September 1, 1975, Daniel James, Jr. became the highest-ranking black officer in the history of the United Sates military when he was named Commander of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) and promoted to the rank of Four-Star General. He would retain this command until his retirement on February 1, 1978.For his service, James received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two Air Force Distinguished Service Medals, two Legion of Merits, three Distinguished Flying Crosses, Meritorious Service Medal and fourteen Air Medals.

Less than a month after retirement, James died of a heart attack on February 25, 1978, just two weeks after his 58th birthday. An earlier heart attack had forced his retirement. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.