Like father, like son.

Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., and Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., were both U.S. military pioneers. The elder Davis was the first African American general both in the Army and in the U.S. armed forces. His son, Davis, Jr., became the first African American general in the Air Force.

Davis, Sr., was born in 1877, in Washington, D.C. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a soldier. He enrolled at Howard University, but left one year later during the Spanish-American War. At 21, he volunteered as a first lieutenant in the 8th U.S. Volunteer Infantry.

Davis's career advanced rapidly in the military. He received a commission as a second lieutenant in 1901. Later, Davis was promoted …