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Benjamin Davis was born on July 1, 1877 in Washington, D.C. His father, Louis Davis, worked as a servant for General John A. Logan. General Logan respected Louis Davis and rewarded his service with an appointment as messenger in the Department of the Interior.
Benjamin graduated from M Street High School, where he was a cadet. He entered Howard University in 1897 and while there was a member of the black unit of the National Guard. On July 13, 1898, Davis enlisted as a volunteer soldier in the 8th U.S. Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American War. On June 18, 1899, he reenlisted in the regular army as a private in Troop 1, 9th Cavalry at Fort Duchesne, Utah. At this time he served as corporal and squadron sergeant major. On February 2, 1901, he received a regular commission and was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant. He served in Troop M, 9th Cavalry in the Philippines. On March 30, 1905, he was promoted to first lieutenant and on December 24, 1915, he was promoted to Captain.
In 1905, he became a professor of military science and tactics at Wilberforce University and remained there for four years. From 1909 to 1912, Davis was military attache in Monrovia, Liberia. In 1915, he returned to Wilberforce University as professor of military science. In 1902, Davis married Elnora Dickerson, a dressmaker. They had two children, Olive, born in 1905 and Benjamin Jr., born in 1912. In 1916, shortly after the birth of a daughter, Nora, Davis' wife, Elnora died. A year after his wife's death, Davis was assigned to the Philippines as supply officer of the 9th Calvalry at Camp Stotsenburg. During his three-year stay in the Philippines, he corresponded with Sadie Overton, a English teacher at Wilberforce University. In 1919, Overton and Davis were married. After his marriage, he became a professor of military science and tactics at Tuskegee Institute and remained there until 1924.
In 1924, Davis became instructor of the 372nd Infantry of the Ohio National Guard in Cleveland. In the summers of 1930 to 1933, he traveled to Europe as the official army representative for the Pilgrimage of War Mothers and Widows, an organization comprised of the relatives of slain World War I soldiers buried in European cemeteries. For his excellent service on this assignment, he received letters of commendation from the Quartermaster General and the Secretary of War. He was given his first independent command in 1938, which was the 369th National Guard Infantry Regiment. On October 25, 1940, after 42 years of loyal service in the army, Davis became the first black American general in the U.S. Army with a promotion to brigadier general. After the promotion, he served as brigade commander at Fort Riley, Kansas with the 2nd Cavalry Division. In 1942, he was also appointed to the Committee on Negro Troop Policies, where he investigated racial incidents and helped solve racial problems. Davis was instrumental in instituting a proposal to retrain African-American service troops as combat soldiers and changing the military's policies of segregation. For his work in combating segregation in the armed forces, Davis was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
In 1944 Davis became Special Assistant to the Commanding General, Communication, Zone, European Theater of Operations in Paris, France. On February 22, 1945, General Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. received the Distinguished Service Medal. The War Department release citation to Davis stated in part,
"For exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility from June, 1941, to November 1944, as an Inspector of troop units in the field, and as special War Department consultant on matters pertaining to Negro troops. The initiative, intelligence and sympathetic understanding displayed by him in conducting countless investigations concerning individual soldiers, troop units and other components of the War Department brought about a fair and equitable solution to many important problems which have since become the basis of far-reading War Department policy. His wise advice and counsel have made a direct contribution to the maintenance of soldier morale and troop discipline and has been of material assistance to the War Department and to responsible commanders in the field of understanding personnel matters as they pertain to the individual soldier."
In 1946, he became Assistant to the Inspector General in Washington, D.C. After fifty years of service, he retired on July 14, 1948. At his retirement ceremony, Davis received tributes from President Harry S. Truman and other high ranking military officials. In the same year, President Truman ordered a ban on discrimination in the armed services. Davis said, "I think I have done my share but if the War Department desires me to continue to serve in the national emergency, I will have an open mind." After his retirement, he served as a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission that inspected American cemeteries overseas. Davis received the French Crois de Guerre with Palm, the Grade of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa and the Bronze Star Medal.
Davis' son, Benjamin, Jr., also achieved high status in the military. In 1936, Benjamin Jr. became the first African-American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in 50 years. In 1944, Benjamin Sr. pinned the Distinguished Flying Cross on his son at the Ramitelli Air Force Base in Italy. Benjamin Jr. became the first brigadier general in the U.S. Air Force, paralleling the achievement of his father, who was the first general in the U.S. Army. Benjamin Jr. also became the first black American lieutenant general. He served in World War II and Korea and after his retirement served as an assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation from 1971 to 1975. Benjamin Jr.'s military honors and decorations include the Legion of Meria, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star. He received many honors for his service as commander of the Famous Tuskegee Airmen. In 1998, Benjamin Jr. was promoted to the rank of four-star general by President Bill Clinton.
Benjamin Davis, Sr. died on November 26, 1970 in Chicago and was buried in Section 2 of Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. On January 28, 1997 the Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. commemorative stamp was issued and dedicated at the National Guard Armory in Washington, D.C.
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