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Eugene Jacques Bullard: The Black Sparrow of Death

Jim Schlup

Without a doubt Eugene Jacques Bullard was the first African American fighter pilot the world had ever seen. Eugene was born in Columbus, Georgia on October 9, 1895 and was the seventh of ten children of Josephine Thomas, and William O. Bullard. William Bullard was born into slavery, property of Wiley Bullard who was a Southern planter in Stewart County at the time. Eugene attended school from 1901-1906, which although the education he received was minimal he learned how to read, a key to his later successes in life. William raised his family with the mindset that African Americans must maintain dignity and self-respect in the face of the prejudice of a white majority. Although slavery had been abolished for around forty years, segregation and hatred of African Americans in America was still very common in the southern states. In 1903 William narrowly escaped his death by being lynched. This dramatic episode in Eugene’s life shook him greatly, and in 1906 Eugene ran away from Columbus to Atlanta, Georgia. In Atlanta he fell in with the gypsies (an English clan known by the surname Stanley), and they traveled all over Georgia tending and racing their horses. The Stanley’s told Eugene that the racist views of America did not exist in other parts of the world such as England and France. In 1909 he left the Stanley’s and found work as a Stable boy with the Turner’s. The Turner’s were so impressed with Eugene’s friendliness and work ethic they let him jockey in horse races in the Terrell County Fair in 1911.

After four years of wandering with gypsies and being hired into random jobs at stables, Eugene stowed away on a German vessel bound for Aberdeen, Scotland, he was only twelve years old at the time. Once in Aberdeen Eugene wasted no time in heading south he immediately moved to Glasgow, England. While in Glasgow he worked as a lookout man for gamblers. He spent five months in Glasgow before he moved further south to the large seaport of Liverpool, England. He found work as a longshoreman, but since he was still so young and light that work wore him down quickly. He then took a job at an amusement park, dodging balls people threw at him, allowing him a little extra money for free time that was spent in the local gym. Eugene made it a habit to always workout at Chris Baldwin’s Gymnasium whenever he had time. He did everything that was asked by the owner, his work ethic and positive attitude made him very popular in the gym and very quickly he made friends with many of the boxers that lifted in Baldwin’s as well.

Starting as a Bantamweight, Eugene was being coached by every boxer the owner asked. Within a year of lifting weights and training he moved from Bantamweight to Lightweight at the age of sixteen. In a successful bout against Billy Welsh the renowned boxer, the Dixie Kid, finally noticed him and asked Eugene if he would like to be his protégé. After winning many Welterweight bouts in England Eugene turned his eyes towards France. His first Welterweight fight was held in the Elysee Montmartre on November 28th, 1913 after that fight Eugene knew that France was where he belonged. Eugene soon left the Dixie Kid and moved to Paris and once again resumed training as a boxer. He quickly was making more money boxing in France than he was in England because not only was he fighting in matches, but was also arranging matches between other boxers. At the dawn of World War I Eugene immediately retired from his boxing career and enlisted in the French Foreign Legion. This enlistment put Eugene into several different hotspots during World War I. In the battle of Verdun Eugene was severely wounded. Because of these wounds Eugene was given the Croix de Guerre. After his recovery he requested a transfer into the French Flying Corps.

World War I was a proving ground for both Eugene and the infant child of aviation. Planes had been used in World War I only for espionage purposes, the pilot would have a camera, fly over enemy lines take pictures and return to base. Later during the war, however, opposing pilots would throw bricks and grenades at opposing pilots, some even used ropes hoping that the rope would get caught in the propeller. Once the guns were mounted onto the planes the new age of air combat began. The aircraft that were flown were also made of only canvas and wood, a very fragile material for an object that has gravitational forces act radically on it. Planes were known to tear and shred into pieces pulling out of dives and attempting to steep of a turn. Not only could the planes rip apart in mid-flight, also the machine guns mounted on the front of the aircraft would chew up the propeller when fired, causing the aircraft to lose lift and fall helplessly to Earth. Eventually the Germans found a way to fix the problems existing with the machine gun and the propeller. In 1915 the “synchronizer gear” was invented essentially allowing the aircraft engine to fire the weapon. This gear timed the shooting of the bullets so they would not strike the propeller. This is the era of flight that Eugene entered into; only the courageous and adventurous would dare risk their lives with this new technology.

Eugene Bullard was selected for pilot training on October 16th, 1916, and then on May 7th, 1917 he became the worlds first African American pilot. He was then assigned to the famous Escadrille de Lafayette. The Escadrille was one of the most renowned because it allowed American volunteers to fly for France, even though America had yet to enter the Great War at that time. The first two Americans to attempt to join the Escadrille were William Thaw and Raoul Lufbery, they were both turned down and forced to join the French Foreign Legion with Eugene Bullard. William and Raoul were not alone; twenty-one other Americans attempted to join the Escadrille de Lafayette, but were forced to join the Legion. On December 1914 William Thaw was allowed to transfer into the flying corps. Once William made the transition into the Escadrille, many more young Americans had come to the aid of France and joined the ranks of the Escadrille de Lafayette. The Escadrille took up the mascot of a lion and actually had a lion cub on their airfield they called the lion cub Whisky. Eventually they acquired one more lion cub and named him Soda. Raoul Lufbery was the Escadrille’s highest scoring ace during the war, driven by revenge for his fallen comrades he was killed in a suicidal gesture jumping from his burning plane. The average life expectancy varied greatly from 17 and a half hours to a little more over six weeks. Since both sides were producing and designing new aircraft each month not only were fighter pilots fighters, but they were also test pilots.

Eugene flew with the Escadrille de Lafayette until the United States entered the war in 1917, when Eugene attempted to join up and fly for the Americans he was refused because of the color of his skin. Later in 1918 Eugene Bullard was discharged from the French Air Force when he got into a fight with a French officer. He was forced to rejoin the infantry on January of 1918.

Once the war was over Eugene remained in Paris, France. In Paris Eugene worked at a number of nightclubs and eventually owned and managed one. He married the daughter of a rich count, but he was a better warrior than a husband and that marriage soon ended in divorce leaving Eugene with custody of his two daughters. His ownership of nightclubs brought him many powerful friends in the entertainment industry. He befriended Louis Armstrong, Josephine Baker, and Langston Hughes.

The outbreak of World War II gave Eugene yet another chance to serve his adopted country that had treated him so well. Since Eugene spoke fluent German he was able to spy on the German officers that frequented his nightclubs. After the French lost control of Paris Eugene took his two daughters and fled south to the town of Orleans. While Eugene was in Orleans he joined a French resistance group and started to defend Orleans. While on the defense Eugene suffered a severe back wound and was forced to leave France for Spain. In July of 1940 Eugene had found himself back in America.

Eugene was thrilled to be back in America, after the way American pilots had treated him during the Great War he knew that there were good white men and bad white men. He found work as an elevator operator in Rockefeller Center, and held that job until he retired. In 1954 the French government asked Eugene to light the Eternal Flame of the Tomb of the Unknown French Soldier at the Arch de Triumph in Paris, France. In 1959 Eugene was acknowledged with the Knight of the Legion of Honor during an elaborate and grand celebration in New York City. Despite being interviewed on the Today Show by Dave Garraway the United States still did not recognize Eugene’s place in history or his achievements.

In 1961 after fighting with an illness due to wounds that he suffered in his years of military service he died on October 17th. He was eventually laid to rest with the French colors covering his coffin in Flushing Cemetery, New York. Several years before his death Eugene was awarded the Legion of Honor, France’s equivalent of the Medal of Honor, he compared his relationship with America and France. "The United States is my mother and I love my mother, but as far as France is concerned, she is my mistress and you love your mistress more than you love your mother—but in a different way". Eventually on August 24th, 1994 Eugene was posthumously commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Eugene had achieved his dreams; he was living proof that a man can overcome any obstacle in life by setting his mind towards achieving those goals.

References

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