11 February 1920 – 25 February 1978

The First African American to reach the rank of (four-star) general.

Born February 11, 1920 at Pensacola, Florida, he learned to fly while attending the Tuskegee Institute and after graduation in 1942 continued civilian flight training until he received appointment as a Cadet in the Army Air Corps in January 1943.

He was commissioned in July 1943 and throughout the remainder of World War II he trained pilots for the all-black 99th Pursuit Squardon and worked in other assignments. He was subsequently stationed in Ohio and in the Philippines.

During the Korean War he flew 101 missions in fighters. From 1953 to 1956 he was at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, receiving promotion to Major in that period. On graduating from the Air Command-Staff School in 1957, he was assigned to staff duty in Washington.

From 1960 to 1964, he was stationed in England and from 1964 to 1966 in Arizona and in 1966-67 in Vietnam where he flew 78 combat missions. By then a Colonel, he was Vice Commander of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Elgin Air Force Base, Florida, in 1967-69, and then promoted to Brigadier General, was named base commander of Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya.

In March 1970 be became Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and advanced to Major General. In September 1974, with the rank of Lieutenant General, he became Vice Commander of the Military Airlift Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

In September 1975 he became the first black officer in the history of the United States military to attain 4-star full General rank. At that time he was named Commander of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), with responsibility for all aspects of the air defense of the United States and Canada. He was also much-sought after as a public speaker and devoted considerable time to addressing youth groups, particularly minority students.

General James died of a heart attack in February 1978 at the age of fifty-eight, 3 weeks after retiring from the Air Force.

source:www.arlingtoncemetery.net

photo credit:SAMAD/AFP/Getty

President Obama said: “I could not have more confidence in the Secret Service.
“They do an outstanding job. They have been with me since I was a candidate.
“I trust them 100 percent, not just with me but with my wife and my children.”

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Wendell O’Neal, Sr. expresses his thoughts in an article at www.chicagonow.com

“The high degree of importance of religion among African-Americans in the United States today is dramatic. Eighty-five percent of blacks say that religion is very important in their lives, the highest such percentage in any demographic group analyzed in this research.”…..This many Black people saying that they embrace a religion that is founded upon Love and yet we live in communities where it appears that Love is not so welcome begs the question: Are the churces in the Black community really teaching authentic Christianity or what?

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September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004

Ray Charles began working as a musician in many bands that played in various styles, including jazz and, in Tampa "with a hillbilly band called The Florida Playboys." Although most of his career is best known for the hits on the R&B charts, some critics felt he was playing church "music" with popuar lyrics on some of the songs.
With Rays crossover success into pop and country music, the drive to expand and express never stop. His final album, Genius Loves Company, released two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers and contemporaries: B.B. King, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, and Johnny Mathis.
The album won eight Grammy Awards, including five for Ray Charles for Best Pop Vocal Album, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “Here We Go Again” with Norah Jones, and Best Gospel Performance for “Heaven Help Us All” with Gladys Knight; he also received nods for his duets with Elton John and B.B. King.

Some Bio references wikipedia.org