Daniel James , Jr . Daniel " Chappie " James Jr . ( February 11 , 1920 – February 25 , 1978 ) was a fighter pilot in the U . S . Air Force , who in 1975 became the first black American to reach the rank of four - star general . Military career . World War II . James graduated from the Tuskegee Institute in 1942 where he received a bachelor of science degree in physical education . He continued civilian pilot training under the government - sponsored Civilian Pilot Training Program . He remained at Tuskegee as a civilian instructor pilot in the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program until January 1943 , when he entered the program as a cadet and received his commission as a second lieutenant later that July . Throughout the remainder of the war James trained pilots for the all - black 99th Pursuit Squadron . He did not see combat until the Korean War . Korean War . In September 1949 , James went to the Philippines as flight leader for the 12th Fighter - Bomber Squadron , 18th Fighter Wing at Clark Field . In July 1950 he left for Korea , where he flew 101 combat missions in P - 51 Mustang and F - 80 aircraft . James returned to the United States , and in July 1951 went to Otis Air Force Base , Massachusetts as an all - weather jet fighter pilot with the 58th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , later becoming operations officer . In April 1953 he became commander of the 437th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron , and assumed command of the 60th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron in August 1955 . While stationed at Otis , he received the Massachusetts Junior Chamber of Commerce 1954 award of " Young Man of the Year " for his outstanding community relations efforts . On August 15 , 1954 he appeared as a contestant on the game show What ' s My Line ? He graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1957 . James next was assigned to Headquarters U . S . Air Force as a staff officer in the Air Defense Division of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations . In July 1960 he was transferred to RAF Bentwaters in England , where he served successively as assistant director of operations and then director of operations , 81st Tactical Fighter Wing ; commander , 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron ; and deputy commander for operations for the 81st Wing . In September 1964 James was transferred to Davis - Monthan Air Force Base , Arizona , where he was director of operations training and later deputy commander for operations for the 4453rd Combat Crew Training Wing . Vietnam War . James went to Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base , Thailand in December 1966 , as deputy commander for operations , 8th TFW . In June 1967 , under Colonel Robin Olds , he was named wing vice commander when Col . Vermont Garrison completed his tour . Both in their mid - 40s , they formed a legendary team nicknamed " Blackman and Robin . " James flew 78 combat missions into North Vietnam , many in the Hanoi / Haiphong area , and led a flight in the " Operation Bolo " MiG sweep in which seven Communist MiG - 21 s were destroyed , the highest total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War . He was named vice commander of the 33rd TFW at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida , in December 1967 . While stationed at Eglin , the Florida State Jaycees named James as Florida ' s " Outstanding American of the Year " for 1969 , and he received the Jaycee Distinguished Service Award . He was transferred to Wheelus Air Base in the Libyan Arab Republic in August 1969 as Commander of the 7272nd Fighter Training Wing . James became Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Public Affairs ) in March 1970 and was designated principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense ( Public Affairs ) in April 1973 . On September 1 , 1974 , he assumed duty as vice commander of the Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) , headquartered at Scott Air Force Base , Illinois . James was promoted to four - star grade and assigned as commander in chief of NORAD / ADCOM at Peterson Air Force Base , Colorado , on September 1 , 1975 . In these dual capacities he had operational command of all United States and Canadian strategic aerospace defense forces . On December 6 , 1977 , he assumed duty as special assistant to the Chief of Staff , U . S . Air Force . 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 both 1967 and 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 . " Later achievements . Other civilian awards that General James received included the following : Builders of a Greater Arizona Award ( 1969 ) ; Phoenix Urban League Man of the Year Award , Distinguished Service Achievement Award from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity ( 1970 ) ; American Legion National Commander ' s Public Relations Award , Veteran of Foreign Wars Commander in Chief ' s Gold Medal Award and Citation ( 1971 ) ; Capital Press Club , Washington , D . C . , Salute to Black Pioneers Award ( 1975 ) ; and , all in 1976 , the Air Force Association Jimmy Doolittle Chapter Man of the Year Award , Florida Association of Broadcasters ' Gold Medal Award , American Veterans of World War II Silver Helmet Award , United Service Organization Liberty Bell Award , Blackbook Minority Business and Reference Guidance Par Excellence Award , American Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award , United Negro College Fund ' s Distinguished Service Award , Horatio Alger Award , VFW Americanism Medal , Bishop Wright Air Industry Award , and the Kitty Hawk Award ( Military ) . He was awarded honorary doctor of laws degrees from the University of West Florida in 1971 ; the University of Akron in 1973 ; Virginia State College in 1974 ; Delaware State College in 1975 ; and St . Louis University in 1976 . He was named honorary national commander of the Arnold Air Society in 1971 . General James died of a heart attack on February 25 , 1978 , just two weeks after his 58th birthday and three weeks following his retirement from the Air Force . General James ' s son , Lieutenant General Daniel James III , also served in the United States Air Force and in the Texas Air National Guard . He served from 1995 to 2002 as the Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard ( the first African American to hold the post ) , and as Director of the Air National Guard from 2002 to 2006 . In the summer of 2006 , he retired from the Air Force at the rank of Lieutenant General after 38 years of total commissioned service , on active duty and as an Air Guardsman .