Chappie James
From USAFA Folklore
Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. (11 February 1920 - 25 February 1978) was a member of the United States Air Force, who in 1975 became the first African American to reach the rank of four star General.
General James was widely known for his speeches on Americanism and patriotism for which he was editorialized in numerous national and international publications. Excerpts from some of the speeches have been read into the Congressional Record. He was awarded the George Washington Freedom Foundation Medal in 1967 and again in 1968. He received the Arnold Air Society Eugene M. Zuckert Award in 1970 for outstanding contributions to Air Force professionalism. His citation read "... fighter pilot with a magnificent record, public speaker, and eloquent spokesman for the American Dream we so rarely achieve."
Some of us were lucky enough to hear him speak between 1975 when he got his fourth star and his death in 1978. It was one of the most stirring speeches I'd ever heard. Every cadet in the auditorium of Arnold Hall was mesmerized.
