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[[newspaper clipping]] 30-THE WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1954 FATHER AND SON ARE THE FIRST ^[[arrow pointing downward at "Davis"]] [[images - black and white photos of Gen. Davis Sr. and Gen. Davis Jr.]] [[caption]] Gen. Davis Sr. is retired but the young general carries on. [[/caption]] The AF Once Turned Davis Down Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., 41, a District native, once was turned down as an air cadet because of his color. Now he is the top ranking active Negro officer in the U. S. armed services. President Eisenhower appointed him brigadier general yesterday, subject to Senate approval. His Father, retired Army Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, the first and only other Negro ever to attain that rank, lives here at 1721 S-st nw. He told The News yesterday his son had wanted to be in the Air Force since the start of his service career. CHOICE "He graduated from West Point in 1936 when he was 23," the father said. "He graduated 27th in his class. When they asked him his preference he put down Air Force. "He had been highly recommended for it. But he was refused on the grounds that there were no colored airmen. They told him that quite frankly." Instead, he was assigned to the Infantry and later became his father's aide at Ft. Riley, Kans., just prior to Pearl Harbor. It was then that the Air Force decided to form an all-Negro fighter unit. They requested the younger Davis, then a captain, to transfer. He did and later was given command of the unit, the 99th Fighter Squadron. TOO OLD Gen. Davis Sr., now 77, rose up from the ranks. He spent 50 years in active service, mostly as commander of the Fourth Cavalry. In 1918 he was told he was too old to become an airman. "I think the Air Force is the greatest thing in the world," he said. "I always thought so. As for me, I saw the cavalry die." Gen. Davis said he never tried to lead his son into a military life. "His mother and I agreed that we should not try to inflict any career on him," he said. "We were excited when he decided to accept the West Point appointment. He was the fourth Negro to graduate in its history." 60 MISSIONS During World War II he flew 60 combat missions. Gen. Davis Sr. pinned the Distinguished Flying Cross on him in Italy. He also holds the Legion of Merit, Silver Star and Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. "He was a pilot commander--that more or less speaks for itself," Gen. Davis said. "For the most part his group flew cover for our bombers. He participated in the North African and Italian campaigns as commander of the 332d Fighter Squadron." Last year he went to Korea as commander of the 51st Fighter Wing and is now director of operations for the Far East Air Force in Tokio. Some of Gen. Davis' ancestors were slaves in nearby Virginia, he said. Gen. Davis Sr. said he personally never had any "unhappy moments in all my life" as far as race prejudice is concerned. "Undoubtedly race relations in the armed services have improved," he said. "I saw integration coming as far back as 1945. I think it's the best thing for all concerned." EXPECTATIONS Gen. Davis said he had expected his son would be made a general. The late Air Force Chief of Staff Hoyt Vandenberg told Gen. Davis his son had made an outstanding record at the Air War College in 1950. He was on the list of eligible officers. "Some years ago someone told me my son would probably do better than I did. But that's only right. I'd be disappointed if he didn't. "If he doesn't do better than I did, then it must mean I probably haven't done well enough with him. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[insert right margin]] PHOTOCOPIED October 2, 2002; NASM PRESERVATION COPY [[/insert]]
