When I received news of the passing of Colin Powell, like many Americans, I mourned.
Then, It reminded me of my brief association with Air Force General Daniel “Chappie” James, the first African American four-star general in the United States Air Force.
I knew “Chappie” James, although when we served together, I was a Captain and James was a full Colonel serving as the Vice Commander (second in command) of the 33rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida panhandle. When we talked, I addressed him as “Sir,” not “Chappie.” He called me whatever he wanted to – but mainly addressed me as “Captain.” I was not assigned to the Fighter Wing, but served as the commander of a small detachment providing technical training to the Fighter Wing aircraft maintenance technicians.
Colonel James had achieved fame in Air Force circles because prior to his assignment at Eglin, he had served as the Deputy Commander for Operations and later as Vice Commander at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. He served there under Colonel Robin Olds. Both in their mid-40s, they formed a legendary flying team nicknamed “Blackman and Robin” while flying combat mission.
Disturbed by the losses incurred by F-105 Thunderchief fighter bombers flying bombing mission over North Vietnam, Colonels Olds and James hatched a plan, known as “Operation Bolo,” which came to fruition on January 2, 1967. Vietnamese MIG-21s flew faster and were more maneuverable than the F-105s and U.S, losses of F-105 airplanes and pilots were heavy. On the day of the mission, Blackman and Robin led flights of F-4 Phantom II fighters along routes normally flew by the slower fighter bombers, flew at the same speeds as the Thunderchief aircraft, used the F-105 radio call signals. When the North Vietnamese MIG – 21s came up to attack the plodding Thunderchief aircraft, they found many flights of Phantoms waiting. The F-4 Phantoms flew in a coordinated staggered pattern to ensure the MIGs would face flights of Phantoms while trying to attack what they believed were slower F-105 aircraft. Other Phantoms from other bases flew in areas near the North Vietnamese air bases to refuse the MIGs the opportunity to escape.
In the resulting air battle, Olds and James and the rest of the American fighters destroyed seven Communist MIGs, the highest total kill of any mission during the Vietnam War.
In my duties as a member of the training detachment supporting the fighter wing, I had occasion to brief Colonel James several times. Later I learned I would receive a visit from Major General McNabb, who commanded Sheppard Air Force Base, my headquarters. As required, I invited both Colonel Jones, the Commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing and his deputy Commander, Col James, to attend a briefing I would present to General McNabb. Normally, at these briefings, only one would attend. After my briefing, it was customary for my visiting dignitary to ask the customer how we were doing in our support mission.
Major General McNabb arrived at night and in the morning, before picking him up, I learned the Inspector General had launched an Operational Readiness Inspection or ORI. The ORI tested the wing as to how it would perform during wartime conditions. The wing informed me, because of the ORI, my technical training classes would be canceled and that nobody would be attending the briefing. I was disappointed on one hand, but canceling classes gave me the opportunity to invite my Noncommissioned Officer technical instructors, the Sergeants who did the work, to attend the briefing with the “big boss.”
Having endured many ORIs in his rise to general officer status, General McNabb understood why nobody from the Fighter Wing would attend and welcomed the opportunity to interact more fully with the Sergeant instructors.
I conducted the briefing in a classroom which had large double doors to roll the training engine inside the classroom when needed. As I was in the middle of my briefing to General McNabb, the double doors burst open, the legendary “Chappie” James burst into the room at a fast pace. He was a man with a large frame, and I, and others, often wondered how he even fit into the cockpit of the F-4.
Colonel James began regaling General McNabb with praise about the services my training detachment provided the wing. In his brief remarks, Colonel James mentioned several of the instructors by name and heaped praise on all the members of the training detachment. He had done his homework. Then he left, telling the General he needed to get back “to the war.”
From that moment on, every member of the detachment, including myself, would have followed Colonel James to the gates of hell.
Later, I learned when as the Wing Commander of the fighter wing in Libya, Colonel James went “mano-a-mano’ with Colonel Mohammar Qaddafi at the front gate of the American Air Base. Qaddafi started to reach for the pistol he kept in a shoulder holster and Colonel James pointed his finger and told Colonel Qaddifi not to move his hand. James later remarked, “If he had pulled that gun, his hand would have never cleared the holster.”
When I heard the story, I knew without a shadow of a doubt, had Colonel Qaddafi not backed down, every member of the air wing would have followed Colonel James to the depths of hell and stopped Qaddiffi from unlawfully entering the air base.
Daniel James was an Air Force legend because he exemplified leadership, plain and simple, and it was my privilege to have served with him briefly during my Air Force career.