Richard Hyatt: Military history at West Point

A chapter of military history was written at West Point this week as the academy announced a new dormitory was being named for Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.

Like his father, he was a general officer, the first black four-star general in the history of the U.S. Air Force. His father was an Army general, and both of them were familiar with the heat and mud of Fort Benning.

We sometimes forget the installation's role in our military history. We notice women fighting to break barriers in Ranger School, and we brave the heat to hear a couple of aging rock bands performing on post. But we shouldn't overlook Fort Benning's past.

The dorm is being named for Davis to remind us of what he endured as a West Point cadet. President Bill Clinton related his experiences in a 1998 ceremony in which Davis received his fourth star.

"At West Point, Benjamin Davis was quite alone. For four years, fellow cadets refused to speak to him, hoping to drive him out," Clinton said.

They failed. Davis graduated 35th in a class of 276. He was the fourth black person to graduate from West Point.

His application for the Air Corps was denied, and he was advised to pursue a career outside of the Army. "He refused," Clinton said.

"Arriving at Fort Benning to command an infantry company, he was again shunned from the Officer's Club, subject to segregation on and off the base."

Davis reported in 1936 to join the officer staff of the 24th Infantry Regiment. With the all-black unit, he served as a recruit instructor, a position usually held by a white officer.

Not far away at the Tuskegee Institute, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was a professor of military science and tactics. As a young person, his application for West Point was rejected. The father and son duo were the only black line officers in the Army at that time.

Tuskegee President Robert Moton cited then in a report presented to President Herbert Hoover. He said the 24th was training without arms or equipment and that officers like the elder Davis were being held back because of their race, and he suggested the White House offer him a promotion.

Benjamin Davis Jr. commanded the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II and was cited for his actions in the skies over North Africa. As he rose through the ranks, Clinton said he "overcame bigotry through professionalism and performance."

Davis Barracks opens in 2017, and Col. Ty Seidule, the head of West Point's history department, said the naming is appropriate because of his inspirational story.

"This is not West Point at its finest hour," he said, "this is a chance for West Point to recognize one of its finest."

And his march to greatness passed through Fort Benning.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Richard Hyatt: Military history at West Point."