Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., American: An Autobiography

I read a great book about the Tuskegee Airmen and General Davis was featured prominently. I wanted to read a book about this great man. I wanted to hear about all his accomplishments how he was able to achieve greatness despite grinding racism. He seemed to dwell exclusively on the latter but never detailing the hard work it must have taken for him to achieve the ranks of a three star general. Granted, the discrimination he encountered was prolific. I just wanted to learn more about him and who he was as well.

¡§Benjamin O. Davis Jr., American: An Autobiography¡¨ is the memoir of a distinguished Air Force officer who happened to be African-American. While the title implies race-blindness, that is just wishful thinking on behalf of General Davis. Race defined his life and career. General Davis comes from a family well established in Washington, D.C. black society. His father Benjamin Davis Sr. enlisted in the U.S. Army, later earning a commission. This was in an America where strict segregation prevailed and black people were regarded in some circles as talking apes. The U.S. Army was no different. Black soldiers were in segregated units lead by white officers and a very few black officers. Nonetheless, Benjamin Sr. persevered ultimately reaching the rank of Brigadier General after 42 years of service. In doing this he became the first African American to become a General officer in the history of the United States. Benjamin Jr. followed in his father¡¦s footsteps. However he pursued his commission through the United States Military Academy located at West Point, New York. His appointment was from Congressman Oscar DePriest of Chicago. West Point did not welcome Mr. Davis. While he was eventually a member of the Class of 1936, it is no credit to West Point. He was the first black graduate in forty years. Shortly after his arrival, he was ¡¥silenced¡¦. The silent treatment is used by the Corps of Cadets to reject someone who they feel should not be at the Academy. Historically it is used for cadets with honor violations. In Mr. Davis¡¦s case, it was because of his race. When a cadet is silenced, no one speaks to you except in the line of duty. But the cadet is not ignored; he is still the object of cruel, petty practical jokes. The process was so traumatizing, Mr. Davis could still remember exactly which of his classmates had spoken to him socially before they were ordered not to. He never returned to West Point for fifty years. He had nothing socially to do with his classmates until he had reached the rank of Colonel and the military services desegregated. Interestingly enough, he began to receive apologies from his classmates shortly after his graduation. Ultimately, he trained as an Army pilot. During WWII, he led the fabled Tuskegee airman. He and his men successfully navigated the obstacles placed in the path by elements of the US military that did not want black pilots. He credits this to a strict adherence to military regulations, tight discipline and focusing on the mission. He knew the military system was determined to find fault with them and the first tool they would use would be the ¡¥book¡¦ and their performance as a unit. If you want to know about the remainder of his career, read the book. º One thing I found annoying about his narrative especially later in his career is he talks a lot about his friends. The mundane social life of he and Agatha drags the narrative down. But even this point gives insight

I had the honor to meet Gen Davis at the very beginning of my Air Force career. Gen Davis was being honored by the mayor as the recipient of the key to Cleveland, Ohio. When Gen Davis saw me, at the time a 2nd Lieutenant, he called for me to come forward and stand next to him as he signed autographs and took pictures with the crowd. I was honored! As I read his story, I was determined to emulate the true sucess stories of Gen Davis and the Tuskegee Airmen he led. He was a man filled with the Duty, Honor and Country, West Point espoused. I recommend Gen Davis' book to any young man or women entering into our nation's military. The mentoring and coaching provided in his book should be relevant and pertinent to our modern day situation fighting worldwide terrorism. I try to actively promote his life's story and the lives of the various Tuskegee Airmen at http://www.BenjaminODavisJr.com. Webmaster, Owner

Benjamin O. Davis Jr. had a distinguished military career. He graduated from West Point in 1936, joined the Army Air Corps, and led a squadron of fighters in World War II, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he continued in service to his country. His service took him to Korea, Taiwan, Germany and the Philippines. Davis rose to the rank of Lieutenant General before his retirement in 1970. What makes Davis? journey so fascinating is that through out his military career he was opposed by those who felt that because of a particular physical characteristic, he was not capable of the job. Benjamin Davis was black. His autobiography, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., American, is a detailed account of his achievements and provides evidence of the success of his philosophy that, ?blacks could best overcome racist attitudes through their achievements.? His story is an inspiring one, though the telling of it is sometimes hampered by the lack of personal detail. When reading an autobiography the reader evaluates the author as a person, what they did, what obstacles he or she overcame, and what their beliefs and opinions are. Next the reader evaluates how the author tells their story. The title of Davis? book gives us a clue as to the author and his character. It is simply, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. American. It is not ?General Davis,? or ?Black American,? or ?Fighter Pilot,? or any of the other titles he earned. In the title we can discern what he counts as most important, being an American. Perhaps that encompasses the creed of the West Point Military Academy; Duty, Honor, Country. This is ironic in that this same academy treated him so poorly. His persona is of a man with dignity, reserve and dedication to duty. He rarely speaks negatively of anyone with whom he worked. Benjamin Davis Jr. is a great man and his military record is proof of that. He did not need to write a book proving this, it is well documented. However, he was very important to the integration of the military and thus the civil rights movement and so his book helps the reader understand things that are not part of his official record. The purpose of General Davis?s autobiography appears to be three fold. First, it is a telling of his extraordinary life. As the leader of a fighter squadron and his rise to Lieutenant General his story is of interest to anyone who is interested in military aviation and military history of these important times. Second, the book shows racism in society and the military and how it was practiced. And thirdly to show how he used achievement to overcome racist attitudes and thus was a factor in the integration of the military. Benjamin Davis focuses on the conviction that, ?blacks could best overcome racist attitudes through their achievements, even if those achievements had to take place within the hateful environment of segregation.? His book is a detailed account of those achievements. With any good story there are obstacles that the protagonist must

I read this book about 4 years ago. It is a compelling read; one of those kind of books one will want to re-read again and again. The accomplishments of Benjamin Davis, Jr., one of the famous Tuskeegee Airmen, are well documented but not quite as well known. I wish every black person could read this book because what stands out is the excellence of a human being who would not quit. Moreover Gen. Davis, while he stands against racism, does not come across like so many of the racial hacks today (Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc.). He comes across as a man who, though black, follows principle more than some political vision of black triumph, which we have degenerated to today. So even though I say I wish every black person would read it to see how blacks can regain the sort of pride we once had without dependence on government, white people (or any other people) can get a lift from this book because what you see is a human being, who just happens to be black, triumphing with pride and dignity. I was so impressed after I read the book that I looked up Gen. Davis' address and wrote to him, asking for a response so that my sons could read it and I could use it as an example to them of a black man who had accomplished something great. To my surprise he responded very kindly. His book sticks in my mind as a great human triumph akin to the spirit of Richard Wright.