Benjamin O. Davis Jr. played a key role in World War II.
Not only were his combat accomplishments extraordinary, but his leadership helped shape the United States Air Force for decades to come.
Davis was the leader of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.
As commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron and 332nd Fighter Group in Europe, Davis demonstrated that African-American pilots were just as skilled as their white counterparts.
Benjamin O. Davis flew sixty missions in the war.
He later became the first African-American general in the U.S. Air Force.
I met General Davis upon publication of his memoir. Here now, my 1992 interview with General Benjamin O. Davis.
General Benjamin O. Davis died at age 89 on the Fourth of July, 2002. He’s buried at Arlington National Cemetery.