He also developed into a masterful fighter pilot who was able to transfer his skills to others efficiently and in detail. His contributions in Korea and Vietnam were immediate and final. He killed over 100 North Korean troops in one single mission, and the Bolo sweep was the most successful MiG attack in Vietnam. He saved countless other pilots and soldiers lives by his actions, and he helped develop maintenance and flight techniques that worked in dogfight situations. His long-term impact is still being felt. His son entered the Air Force in 1968 and became the first black Director of the Air National Guard, and he served 38 years, retiring in 2006. He is still remembered as a strong, tactical fighter who could maneuver his planes with skill and alertness, and who was fiercely loyal to his men and their mission. He developed tactics in Korea that helped provide close air support for ground troops, techniques that are still used today.

There are clear links between James and today's Air Force, because of his leadership qualities and skills. He showed that blacks could...

His tactical skills are still alive in pilot training and in the continuing importance of dogfighting in the Air Force, something that many predicted would disappear in the modern age of warfare, but certainly has not. In addition, in 1987, the General Daniel "Chappie" James Center for Aerospace Science and Health Education was dedicated in Tuskegee, a lasting testament to James' influence and importance to the next generation of military pilots. He received the Arnold Air Society Eugene M. Zuckert Award, in 1970, for outstanding contributions to Air Force professionalism, indicating how important his leadership skills really were, and how they helped blacks in the military then, and even now.