About General James – Chappie James Memorial

25 Things You Need to Know

About General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr.

1. Lillie Anna Brown was born in Pensacola, Florida in June 1876, and lived there her entire life. She married Daniel James, of Alabama, on December 23^rd, 1894. Together they had 17 children, many of whom died in childhood. On February 11^th, 1920, Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. was born the youngest of their children.

2. Chappie grew up in a small Pensacola house on Alcaniz Street (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.). The house was built by his father in 1909 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This home (1608 MLK Blvd) now houses the General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Museum and is next door to the Chappie James Flight Academy.

3. Because Chappie’s mother did not believe that black children were receiving a quality education in the Pensacola schools, she started her own in-home school that served children in the neighborhood. The Lillie Anna James Private School stressed academic achievement as well as of patriotism, religion, and “just good common sense.”

4. As a teenager, Chappie attended Pensacola’s Booker T. Washington High School where became quite the football player. This was where he received the nickname “Chappie.” Wanting to be called the same thing as his older brother, Charles “Chappie” James, he even accepted the name “Little Chappie.” The “Little” was soon dropped, perhaps because of his imposing stature.

5. Throughout his childhood, Chappie was fascinated by the airplanes he saw in the skies over Pensacola. The Cradle of Naval Aviation, Pensacola Naval Air Station, was located just miles from Chappie’s home. He worked odd jobs at a local airfield in exchange for the pilots taking him up for short flights. Although at that time black pilots were unheard of, Chappie never doubted that one day he would be one.

6. As a teenager, Chappie attended Pensacola’s Booker T. Washington High School where became quite the football player. This was where he received the nickname “Chappie.” Wanting to be called the same thing as his older brother, Charles “Chappie” James, he even accepted the name “Little Chappie.” The “Little” was soon dropped, perhaps because of his imposing stature.

7. In 1937 Chappie was accepted at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Because his father had passed away as he was preparing to leave for Tuskegee, he was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to pay for school, but his family assured him that they would help. The entire James family understood the vital importance of education.

8. In Tuskegee, Chappie quickly made a name for himself as an athlete and campus leader. He finally had the opportunity to learn to fly after World War II began and a flight training program was established at Tuskegee. In July 1943, Chappie not only earned his commission as an Army Second Lieutenant, but he also became one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

9. On November 3^rd, 1942, Chappie married Dorothy “Dottie” Watkinson of Tuskegee, Alabama. They would become the parents of one daughter and two sons: Danice, Daniel III, and Claude. Daniel III would follow in his father’s footsteps and rise to the rank of Lieutenant General in the US Air Force.

10. After his assignment in Tuskegee, Chappie completed fighter pilot training at Selfridge Field, Michigan, and was assigned to various units in the United States for the next six years. In July of 1948, President Truman ordered the end of segregation in the military.

11. In 1949, Chappie was transferred to Clark Air Base in the Philippines as a flight leader for the 12^th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in the 18^th Fighter Wing. From the Philippines, the squadron was deployed to South Korea where he flew more than 100 combat sorties in the Lockheed F-80 and the P-51 Mustang in a close air support mission.

12. Chappie was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1950 for leading a flight of P-51 Mustangs in a close air support mission in support of U.N. troops. After his combat experience in Korea, General James returned to the US, and was stationed at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts with the 58^th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.

13. In 1966, during the Vietnam War, Chappie was initially appointed as the Deputy Commander for Operations of the 8^th Tactical Fighter Wing at Ubon Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand. He was then promoted to Vice Wing Commander in 1967. Colonel Robin Olds was the Wing Commander. During their assignment together, James flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam. Chappie and Robin became fast friends and were known as “Blackman and Robin.”

14. Together “Blackman and Robin” planned the famous Operation Bolo MiG Sweep. This would be the most successful air operation of the war with the highest total kills of any air campaign during that war. Both Chappie and Robin personally led flights on this mission that gave the Wolf Pack its name. It would be these combat missions that made Chappie not only a Wolf Pack legend but a hero throughout the Air Force.

15. In December 1967, Chappie was named Vice Commander of the 33^rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Florida.

16. In 1969, after the coup led by Libyan military leader, Muammar Khadafy, General James became the commander of Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya. This is how General James described the famous stand-off with Khadafy: “One day Khadafy ran a column of half-tracks through my base – right through the housing area at full speed. I shut the barrier down at the gate and met Khadafy a few yards outside it. He had a fancy gun and a holster and kept his hand on it. I had my .45 in my belt. I told him to move his hand away. If he had pulled that gun, he never would have cleared his holster. They never sent any more half-tracks.”

17. Because of his superior performance in combat and his handling of high-profile diplomatic situations, Chappie was promoted to Brigadier General in 1970. He rose through the flag officer ranks rapidly, serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs. Chappie had proven his skills in the air, but he now was becoming known as a positive role model for young African-Americans.

18. On September 1^st, 1974, Chappie became the Vice Commander of the Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Just one year later, on September 1^st, 1975, then Lieutenant General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. would be promoted to four-star general, the first African-American of any military Service to hold the rank.

19. Concurrent with his promotion to four-star general, Chappie was assigned as the Commander in Chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. In that role, he had operational command of all US and Canadian strategic aerospace defense forces. In 1977 he returned to the Pentagon as the Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He retired following thirty-five years of military service in 1978.

20. On February 25^th, 1978, General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. suffered a massive heart attack and died. He was buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery on March 2^nd, 1978. He had been retired from the Air Force less than a month. Only 58 years old, Chappie had made an indelible mark on the Air Force, and on the entire country. His legacy is still unfolding.

21. Throughout his life, Chappie epitomized the ethics that he had learned from his parents: hard work, perseverance, positive attitude, self-reliance, and love of country and community. He was a two-time winner of the George Washington Freedom Foundation Medal. He received the Arnold Air Society 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.”

22. The National Aviation Hall of Fame is located in Dayton, Ohio. Its mission is to “honor aerospace legends to inspire future leaders” by realizing the tenacity, vision, persistence, skill and courage of the men and women of the air & space industry. In 1993, Chappie James was inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining other aviation legends including “Billy” Mitchell, Jim Lovell, Neil Armstrong, Curtis LeMay, and “Pappy” Boyington.

23. The Civil Air Patrol and the National Aerospace Education Association published a series of workbooks featuring aviation heroes. One of the workbooks centered on Chappie’s life. In it, there was a quote from Chappie that summed up his attitude: “My mother used to say, ‘Don’t stand there banging on the door of opportunity then when someone opens it, you say, wait a minute, I got to get my bags. You be prepared with your bags of knowledge, your patriotism, your honor, and when somebody opens the door, you charge in.’”

24. On Saturday, May 9th, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke at the dedication of the General Daniel “Chappie” James Center for Aerospace Science and Health Education at the Tuskegee University in Alabama. In his presentation he noted that General James was “an unabashed patriot; his expressions of affection and dedication to the cause of freedom stirred the hearts of his countrymen. He loved America, and America loved Chappie James.” The President added, “He had four stars on his shoulder and fifty stars in his heart.”

25. In 2019, the City of Pensacola recognized General James by designating February 11^th as General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Day. A year later, in June 2020, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the naming of the new Pensacola Bay Bridge the General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Bridge.