Daniel James Accomplishments

Daniel James, Jr Daniel James Jr was born on February 11, 1920 to humble beginnings in Pensacola Florida. At the age of 17, he became a student at Tuskegee Institute which at the time was a prestigious college designated for African American students. After finishing college in 1942 with a degree in science, he went on to work for a civilian pilot training program. It was during this time, that James discovered what he loved. Due to the fact that racial prejudice was high during these times, Mr. James had to fight tooth and nail to try and reach his goals. He did this in 1943 by successfully completing military flight school; this is the beginning of his lifelong military career. Not long after becoming an instructor, James was sent to Korea to see actual combat for the first time. During his time in Korea, James, flew over 100+ missions. Miraculously, he was able to complete all his missions without getting injured. For his service in the war along with all the countless missions he flew, Daniel James Jr was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. During the decade of peacetime between the …show more content…
While in Vietnam, he flew 78 combat missions and participated in the mission “Operation Bolo,” in which 7 enemy aircraft where destroyed (The highest amount of destroyed aircraft in one mission for the entire war). For his outstanding military service and dedication to his country, Daniel James Jr was awarded the “Outstanding American of the Year Award,” by the Florida State Jaycees. Through his hard work, James became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for three years where he was then promoted to principal deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. For his final promotion and greatest achievement, Daniel James Jr was promoted to Four Star general of the Air Force. He was the first African American to achieve this