On April 16, 1965, Major General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the United States Air Force, becoming the highest-ranking Black officer in the armed services at that time. A trailblazer throughout his career, Davis was also the first Black general in the U.S. Air Force and had previously commanded the legendary Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. His promotion represented a monumental step forward in the ongoing struggle for racial equality within the U.S. military. Davis’s leadership, discipline, and pioneering service paved the way for future generations of African Americans in uniform.
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