Benjamin O. Davis Senior’s career started during a time when society and, more so the military, did not think highly of African American soldiers. Becoming an officer would have been nearly unthinkable, yet Davis persevered despite the intolerance. Born on July 1, 1877, in Washington, DC, Davis’s life would sharply change upon enlisting. His abilities and determination led Davis to become the first African American Brigadier General in the U.S. Army.
When Did Davis First Join the Military?
Davis’s career began in 1898 upon graduating from Howard University. At university, Davis joined the school of cadets, which introduced him to military life. Several months after graduating, the Spanish-American War started in April 1898, with America looking to invade Cuba. While serving in Washington’s National Guard, Davis left to join the 8th Volunteer Infantry.
The 8th never deployed to Cuba but added to Davis’s military experience. In 1899, he left to join the U.S. Army as a private.
How Did Davis Become a Commissioned Officer?
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Sign up to our Free Weekly NewsletterDavis joined the 9th Cavalry “Buffalo Soldiers” in 1900, then was stationed in Utah and commanded by Lieutenant Charles Young. This meeting perhaps fueled Davis’s ambitions. Young was one of a few commissioned African American U.S. Army officers then. Davis realized that he could become an officer despite the segregated attitudes. With Young’s help, Davis passed the exam, gaining a commission as a second lieutenant on February 2, 1901. Soon, the Army sent the new officer to the recently taken Philippines to command a supply unit.
While serving overseas, Davis’s skills became apparent. He quickly learned Spanish and Visayan, the local Filipino dialect. Considered stern but fair, Davis got assigned multiple duties like adjutant, engineering, signals or ordnance. He did so well at specific requirements, such as small arms marksmanship, that he was exempted from testing. Davis’s reputation became such that white officers asked for him to be transferred to their units.
Where Did Davis Serve After the Philippines?
Davis’s career varied considerably after his deployment to the Philippines. Starting in 1902, he landed at Fort Washakie in Wyoming. By 1905, Davis was transferred to Wilberforce College in Ohio as a Military Science and Tactics Professor. Next, the Army sent him to Liberia as the military attaché in 1911. During World War I, the Army sent him back to the Philippines, first as a supply officer but later as a commander in the 9th Cavalry.
Davis returned to academia at the Tuskegee Institute from 1920-1924. He also served in the Ohio National Guard before returning to Wilberforce University.
Why Wasn’t Benjamin O. Davis Promoted?
To the U.S. Army, Davis represented a complex problem. The man was intelligent, competent, professional, and well-respected by his fellow white officers. Due to the American Army’s segregation policy, he couldn’t outrank or command white soldiers. Hence came the command shuffle between deployments.
Davis was promoted to colonel in 1930, becoming the only African American colonel in the U.S. Army. By 1938, he commanded the all-black 369th Infantry Regiment. This regiment, known as the Haarlem Hellcats, was famous for its ferocity during the Great War.
When Was Benjamin Davis Senior Promoted to General?
Despite Colonel Davis’s service record, the Army Staff still denied him a full promotion. His service record and reputation were both stellar. Obstacles like delays in recommendations or less prestigious assignments help delay his rise. However, that changed with his promotion to brigadier general on October 25, 1940.
1940 for the U.S. became a year of change as World War II raged into its second year. And an election year loomed for President Roosevelt. Davis’s promotion was seen as controversial. Roosevelt needed the African American vote, and the promotion helped garner that vote. Also, a Black general challenged the ingrained U.S. Army culture.
But to Davis’s credit, he was the strongest candidate. His distinguished career, long service, and leadership skills made him a natural fit. As a general, long-held stereotypes of African American soldiers being unfit, lazy, or dumb would be challenged.
What Was Brigadier General Davis’s Legacy?
General Davis retired on July 31, 1948, after fifty years of service. The legacy he began through perseverance and competence had only started. First, his promotion to general opened a door for future African American officers. Indeed, his son, the future general Benjamin O. Davis Jr., graduated from West Point in 1936 and commanded a squadron of Tuskegee Airmen.
Davis also mentored future African American officers and advocated for equality. He championed President Truman’s integration of black and white units in the American military. The U.S.’s first black general passed away in 1970, aged 90.
