The Summation Weekly June 20, 2018

Page 1

USPS Publication Number 16300

T h is C om mu n i t y N ewsp a p er is a pu bl ica t ion of E sca m bia / S a n ta Rosa B a r Assoc ia t ion

Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icial Ci rcu it

Section A, Page 1

Vol. 18, No. 24

Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com

June 20, 2018

1 Section, 8 Pages

LEGACY OF A LEGEND Chappie James’ legacy lives on in old family home By Will Isern General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., a Pensacola native, was America’s first AfricanAmerican four-star general.Yet despite his accomplishments, James’ legacy remains largley unknown by many Pensacolians. A newly completed project seeks t o change that. The City of Pensacola and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hosted a grand opening ceremony for the General Daniel “Chappie” James Museum and Flight Academy at 10 a.m., June 7. The city-owned site is the historic home of the James family, and was donated to the city by the family. The residence, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was constructed in 1909 by Chappie James’ father Daniel James Sr., and is located

at 1608 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Preservation and adaptive reuse of the property was identified as a priority redevelopment project by the Eastside Neighborhood Association and the Eastside CRA Plan. The CRA has restored the original 9 0 0 square foot James family home to house a museum dedicated to the life and career of Chappie James, which will be operated by the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Museum Board. A new 1,500 sq. foot addition is now the home of the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Flight Academy, which has been offering young people of Pensacola opportunities to train to be aviators for over two decades through their free one-week summer camps. The renovations completed at a cost of $1.1 million.

The Flight Academy’s classrooms, which are to be equipped with computers and flight simulator programs, saw it’s first summer camp at the new location take place June 11 through 16. The academy is for young boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 18. Students will explore and learn about the aviation industry during a week long summer academy. Classes will include lessons about how and why airplanes fly, aerodynamics, aviation weather, navigation and other principles of flight. The current summer classes are no longer registering, but more camps will be planned for later in the year. For more information about the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Flight Academy visit www.gdcjflightacademy.org. For more information on the museum and future offerings, visit the “Chappie James Museum of Pensacola” Facebook page.

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward cuts the ribbon officially opening the General Daniel “Chappie” James Museum and Flight Academy June 7 to a cheering crowd. The event was attended by Pensacola natives and officials to celebrate the historic moment. Photo by Guy Stevens

General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Do you know about one of Pensacola’s most famous aviators? Here are some facts about America’s first African American four-star General. • Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. was born the last of seventeen brothers and sisters • He attended the Tuskegee Institute and recieved a bachelor’s of science in physical education • Tuskegee Institute had a government-funded program that taught some of the first African American pilots to fly, an elite group known as the Tuskegee Airmen; for this reason, James wanted to attend the Institute • During the Korean War, he flew in 101 combat missions and during the Vietnam War, he flew in 78 missions in North Vietnam • In 1967, he was named vice commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, near his home of Pensacola • In 1969 as the Commander of Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya, he handled the evacuation of the base after the successful coup of Muammar Khadafy, which exiled the former leader proU.S. King Idris; his handling of the tense situation and evaucation led to his promotion to brigadier general (one-star general) • Within the span of four years, he was promoted from brigadier general to major general and then to lieutenant general just seven months after his previous promotion • In 1975, he was assigned to be commander-in-chief of North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), the primary defense system for the United States and Canada • He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Presidental Unit Citation and several other awards for his service


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The Summation Weekly June 20, 2018 by Ballinger Publishing - Issuu