Eugene Bullard became the first African-American combat pilot, credited with two unofficial kills during World War I as part of the French Flying Corps.
2/2/2012 - FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- After watching his father narrowly escape a lynching in early 20th century Georgia, Eugene Bullard would escape the confines of racial tensions and a segregated country to become the first African-American combat pilot and one of the first African-American heroes of World War I.
Bullard, who grew up in Columbus, Ga., as one of 10 children of a former slave, left his hometown as a teenager, stowing away on a ship bound for Scotland and moved to London to fulfill his dreams.
Before the war began, Bullard moved to Paris where he made a reputation for himself as a professional boxer. At the start of the war in 1914, Bullard enlisted in the French Foreign Legion where he was assigned to the 170th Infantry Regiment. Nicknamed the "Swallows of Death," he and his unit would see heavy action, and during the battle of Verdun, Bullard was wounded twice. He was then sent to a Parisian hospital to recuperate for the next six months.
Bullard was promoted to the rank of corporal and was awarded the Croix de Guerre, and other war-time medals, for his bravery during combat. While still in the hospital, Bullard accepted a bet that he couldn't get into the flying corps and in October of 1916 arrived at French gunnery school. A month later he talked his way into pilot training and earned his pilot's license to become the first African-American aviator.
He reached the front lines as a pilot in August of 1917 flying more than 20 sorties in a Spad VII fighter biplane, with two unconfirmed kills to his credit. After a disagreement with a French officer he was eventually removed from the French air force and spent the remainder of the war back with his infantry regiment.
After the war, Bullard remained in France, got married, had two daughters, and purchased a bar on the north side of Paris. He was still living in Paris at the outbreak of World War II, and worked with French Resistance forces to spy on German troops who would patronize his bar. Considered too old to join the French army, Bullard found a way to escape from occupied France, and returned to the U.S. aboard a Red Cross ship in 1940.
In 1954, Bullard, along with two other French veterans, were invited by then French President Charles De Gaulle to light the flame of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. In 1959, he was honored with the Knight of the Legion of Honor.
When he returned to the U.S., he was never recognized as a war hero, and died in relative obscurity and poverty in Flushing, Queens, New York in 1961. While he never realized his dream of becoming a pilot in the U.S. military, he was finally recognized posthumously as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1994.
Comments
2/6/2012 6:31:23 PM ET When he returned to the U.S. he was never recognized as a war hero and died in relative obscurity and poverty in Flushing Queens, New York, in 1961.Why would he be recognized as a war hero? He was a French citizen and recognized by the French President as a French war hero. He was awarded the Legion of Honor after World War two like 125,000 other French war heroes.While he never realized his dream of becoming a pilot in the U.S. military. Seeing that this was a person who left the U.S. as a preteen/young teen depending on your source and didn't return for 30 years an then only to escape a warzone. At what time did he want to fly planes for the U.S. military.Whoever wrote this article should have done some real research and not just hit Wikipedia.
j, Las Vegas
2/6/2012 10:32:40 AM ET Gentlemen you all forget that the annuls of aviation history are flush with 2nd Lieutenants commiting great acts of bravery in combat. I'm thinking of the great number in WWII alone. So don't let your bad experiences with the immature 2nd Lieutenants of today taint your image of the rank itself. Should we demote all the great heroes of the past to enlistment posthumously because being an enlistedman is more respectable There is honor in being enlisted to be sure and as Enraged pointed out there is a great enlisted aviator heritage. But there is honor in being a young officer as well historically if not presently I'll grant you there's a great many breathtaking horrible examples in the 2nd Lieutenant ranks today but don't let that cause you to say that being a 2nd Lieutenant is a disgrace.
Casey, Ohio
2/3/2012 5:12:12 PM ET I agree with both of the previous posters. This whole story smacks of revisionist propoganda. I have supervised junior enlisted members with more education in practical fields than our superior officers who had a degree in Art history or Literature. Promoting this pioneer to their ranks is an insult to every enlisted person who put their life on the line. Also the caption in photo 4 says he was called the Swallow of Death yet the article says that was the moniker of his Foreign Legion unit. Oversight or another effort to glorify
Fish, New Mexico
2/3/2012 2:05:36 PM ET After a disagreement with a French officer, he was eventually removed from the French air force and spent the remainder of the war back with his infantry regiment. There was no disagreement when the French started training white Americans to be pilots. The White Americans not happy about the son of a slave being a pilot put pressure on the French Military and had him removed from his position. He was disgraced and humiliated but his nation of birth and the one he put his life on the line to defend.I hate to see the Air Force try and capitalize on this warrior's rise and fall in its ever expanding PA and propaganda network. Lets not forget that as Enraged Mentioned he was ENLISTED. Handing him the pathetic Rank of 2nd LT means nothing. 2nd LT is effectively a commissined Amn. Doesn't know his job and not a profficient leader. Lets also not forget that the AIR Force is the only military branch without Enlisted Pilots because anyone who's been around the Army or Navy knows th
gabe, moody
2/2/2012 11:05:33 AM ET Everything about the way the US has treated this fellow is absurd. The US Air Force should not attempt to capitalize on his story. If we want to tout hyphenated descriptions he was the first African-American-French pilot and the first Native-American-French pilot he was never an officer in life and the posthumous designation as a 2d Lt smacks of the Air Force attempting to scrape away enlisted aviator history.
