Daniel James III

{{Infobox military person

|name= Daniel James III

|image= Lt Gen Daniel James III.jpg

|image_size=

|alt=

|caption= Lieutenant General Daniel James III

|nickname=

|birth_date= {{birth date|1945|9|7}}

|birth_place= Tuskegee, Alabama

|death_date= {{death date and age|2017|8|1|1945|9|7}}

|death_place= Washington, D.C.

|placeofburial=

|allegiance= United States

|branch= United States Air Force

|serviceyears= 1968–2006

|rank= Lieutenant General

|servicenumber=

|unit=

|commands= Air National Guard
Texas National Guard
149th Operations Group

Director, Air National Guard

|battles= Vietnam War

|awards= Air Force Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit
Distinguished Flying Cross (2)

|relations= General Daniel James Jr. (father)

|laterwork=

}}

Daniel James III (September 7, 1945 – August 1, 2017) was a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who served as the director of the Air National Guard from June 3, 2002, to May 20, 2006.

Biography

James was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1945.,{{cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/111657/daniel-james-iii-makes-own-mark-in-air-force-history/|title=Daniel James III makes own mark in Air Force history|website=U.S. Air Force|date=February 20, 2012 }} his father was Air Force General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr.{{Citation|title = Active Major Command and ANG Leaders|publisher = Air Force Association|date = May 2011|magazine = Air Force Magazine|page = 106|url = http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine%20Documents/2011/May%202011/0511leaders.pdf|accessdate = December 20, 2011|archive-date = January 8, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130108032222/http://www.airforce-magazine.com/MagazineArchive/Magazine|url-status = usurped}} He held a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, Tucson, and graduated from the Air Command and Staff College in 1981 and the National Security Management Course in 1992.

James flew 500 combat hours in Southeast Asia and earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses. He was the first African American to become the director of the Air National Guard.{{cite web|url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/storyID/123020191/ |title=Lt. Gen. James says farewell to Air Guard members |author=Sgt. Jim Greenhill |date=May 10, 2005 |publisher=US Air Force |access-date=September 24, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023083538/http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123020191 |archive-date=October 23, 2012}}

He retired from the United States Air Force in June 2006.

He died on August 1, 2017, of congestive heart failure.{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/washingtonpost/186298520|title=DANIEL JAMES Obituary (2017) – The Washington Post|website=www.legacy.com}} He received both Baptist and Catholic funeral services and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.{{Cite web |title=DANIEL JAMES III Obituary (2018) The Washington Post |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/daniel-james-obituary?id=1638112 |access-date=2022-06-02 |website=Legacy.com}}

Major awards and decorations

style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

|colspan="3"|240px

colspan="6"|106px

106px

{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Flying Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|106px

{{ribbon devices|number=6|type=oak|ribbon=Air Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|106px

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=AF Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon.png|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=1|type=oak|other_device=v|ribbon=Outstanding Unit ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{ribbon devices|number=6|type=oak|ribbon=Combat Readiness Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=2|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=4|type=service-star|ribbon=Vietnam Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}}

|106px

{{Ribbon devices|number=8|type=award-oak|ribbon=Longevity Service Award USAF.svg|width=106}}

|106px

106px

|{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Vietnamese Gallantry Cross ribbon.svg|width=106}}27px

|{{Ribbon devices|ribbon=Vietnam Campaign Medal ribbon with 60- clasp.svg|width=106}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

colspan="12"|Command Pilot Badge

colspan="12"| Air Force Distinguished Service Medal
with oak leaf cluster

colspan="4"| Legion of Merit

|colspan="4"| Distinguished Flying Cross
with oak leaf cluster

|colspan="4"| Meritorious Service Medal

colspan="4"| Air Medal
with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters

|colspan="4"| Air Force Commendation Medal

|colspan="4"| Air Force Achievement Medal

colspan="4"| Air Force Presidential Unit Citation

|colspan="4"| Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
with "V" device and oak leaf cluster

|colspan="4"| Combat Readiness Medal
with silver and bronze oak leaf clusters

colspan="4"| National Defense Service Medal
with two campaign stars

|colspan="4"| Vietnam Service Medal
with four bronze stars

|colspan="4"| Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

colspan="4"| Air Force Longevity Service Award
with silver and three bronze oak leaf clusters

|colspan="4"| Armed Forces Reserve Medal
with gold hourglass device

|colspan="4"| Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon

colspan="4"| Air Force Training Ribbon

|colspan="4"| Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
with Silver Star

|colspan="4"| Vietnam Campaign Medal

Other awards

Order of the Sword (United States) # 221{{cite web|title = Members of the Order of the Sword|date = November 16, 2005|publisher = Maxwell AFB Air University|url = http://afehri.maxwell.af.mil/pages/sword.htm|accessdate = September 23, 2011|archive-date = September 30, 2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110930152654/http://afehri.maxwell.af.mil/Pages/Sword.htm|url-status = dead}}
Texas Military Hall of Honor{{Cite web|url=http://texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/hallofhonor/chronological.htm|title=HOH|last=|first=|date=|website=TMFM|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509162409/http://www.texasmilitaryforcesmuseum.org/hallofhonor/chronological.htm |archive-date=May 9, 2008 |access-date=}}

Assignments

June 1968 – June 1969, student, undergraduate pilot training, Williams Air Force Base, Arizona
June 1969 – August 1970, forward air controller, Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam
August 1970 – July 1972, squadron instructor pilot, Williams AFB, Arizona
July 1972 – February 1973, squadron flight training class commander, Williams AFB, Arizona
February 1973 – December 1973, air operations staff officer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
December 1973 – June 1974, U.S. Air Force conversion training course, George AFB, California
June 1974 – May 1975, 421st TFS squadron instructor pilot and assistant flight commander, Udorn Royal Thai AFB, Thailand
May 1975 – August 1976, 64th FWS Aggressor instructor pilot, Nellis AFB, Nevada
August 1976 – September 1978, 65th FWS Aggressor instructor pilot and squadron flight commander, Nellis AFB, Nevada
September 1978 – September 1979, weapons tactics officer, 149th Tactical Fighter Group, Texas Air National Guard, Kelly AFB, Texas
September 1979 – March 1982, group pilot, later, unit pilot, 182nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
March 1982 – December 1983, unit commander, 182nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
December 1983 – October 1988, Commander, A flight, 182nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
October 1988 – October 1989, pilot, C flight, 182nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Kelly AFB, Texas
October 1989 – December 1992, command post assistant officer-in-charge, later, command post officer-in-charge, 149th Tactical Fighter Group, Kelly AFB, Texas
December 1992 – December 1994, Vice Commander, 149th Tactical Fighter Wing, Kelly AFB, Texas
December 1994 – November 1995, Commander, 149th Operations Group, Kelly AFB, Texas
November 1995 – June 2002, Adjutant General, Headquarters Texas National Guard, Austin
June 2002 – 2006, Director, Air National Guard, Arlington, Virginia{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article/1283038/former-air-guard-director-lt-gen-daniel-james-iiis-legacy-remembered/|title=Former Air Guard director Lt. Gen. Daniel James III's legacy remembere|last=Smith|first=Erich B.|date=2017-08-18|website=National Guard Bureau|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-03}}

References

External links

[http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5929 Maj. Lt. Gen. Daniel James III United States Air Force Bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809032000/http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=5929 |date=August 9, 2009 }}

{{s-ttl|title=Director of the United States Air National Guard|years=2002–2006}}

Category:1945 births

Category:2017 deaths

Category:United States Air Force generals

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit

Category:Recipients of the Air Medal

Category:Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal

Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States)

Category:University of Arizona alumni

Category:African-American United States Air Force personnel

Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery