Pensacola: The Birthplace of the First Black Four-Star Air Force General
In Pensacola, we love our deep and abiding connection to the military. Generations of young women and men from Northwest Florida have gone on to make their families and communities proud with their service in all branches of the armed forces. So, you really must do something special to stand out in the locals’ eyes.
When a Pensacola native took the helm at the North American Aerospace Defense Command – NORAD – in the middle of the Cold War, that was noteworthy. Add to the mix that Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., was the first four-star U.S. Air Force general who also happened to be African American, and that’s the stuff that national history and local legends are made of.
Born February 11, 1920, in Pensacola, James’ biography reads like a warrior aviator’s 20th-century dream: He was a member of the storied Tuskegee Air Men, the all-black squadron of pilots trained in Alabama for service in World War II. James went on to fly combat missions in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, and ultimately command the base charged with keeping North America safe.
After flying combat missions in Southeast Asia, James assumed command of Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya in 1969, in the wake of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi’s coup. He is said to have faced off with the rising dictator with his hand on his sidearm.
His distinguished and historic service spurred local preservationists to restore James’ childhood home in Pensacola. The Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Historic Homesite is located at 1606 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., near downtown Pensacola.
Flight instructors, consisting of active/retired military and civilian pilots, teach the weeklong, no-cost summer program to about 35 students. Throughout the week, the students get to take field trips to Pensacola International Airport, an Airbus and Coast Guard tour in Mobile, and Pensacola Naval Air Station. The week culminates with each student co-piloting an aircraft at Ferguson Airport, with the help of a certified pilot, of course.
James’ place in Pensacola history is cemented not only by the activities at his historic site, but also by the new bridge between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. The span was recently named the General Daniel “Chappie” James Memorial Bridge.
