Eugene Bullard

Eugene Bullard. An American who flew for France

A largely unsung and unknown hero of the Lafayette Flying Corps was the fascinating Eugene Jacques Bullard. He was an African-American from Columbus, Georgia who would become the first African-American pilot. The son of a freed slave, he left Columbus by himself to move to Atlanta while still a teen. He had been told that the way to escape racial prejudice was to head to Europe, particularly France. A long time back, his father had pointed out to him that Bullard was a French name and that at least one ancestor had hailed from there. So from Atlanta, he moved to London and then soon after to Paris. There he became a boxer and did relatively well. France had been good to Bullard, and he had quickly fallen in love with the country. So when World War I broke out, Bullard signed up for the French Foreign Legion. He was assigned to the French army's 170th Infantry Regiment whose nicknames were the "Swallows of Death". He was wounded twice at Verdun and then sent to a Parisian hospital where he spent the next six months recuperating. His valor was recognized with a chest full of French military decorations including a Croix de Guerre.

While convalescing in Paris, his friend and fellow Southerner Jeff Davis Dickson bet Bullard $2,000 that he could not get into the French Air Force. Bullard took the bet and on October 5, 1916 arrived at the French aerial gunnery school at Cazaux on the Atlantic. It was at Cazaux that he met Edmond Genet. He told Bullard about the Lafayette Escadrille which inspired him to realize that he wanted to be a pilot and not a back-seat gunner. In mid-November with Genet's help he transferred to the flight school at Tours for pilot training. The training took a few more months, but it was inevitable given Bullard's persistence that it would pay off. Bullard earned his pilot's license and the Dickson faithfully paid the $2,000. It was a considerable sum at that time, especially for a gentleman's bet. Dickson admitted that hated to lose the money, but was delighted that at least Bullard was from Dixie. But the result of the bet was to launch Eugene Bullard into history as the first ever African-American aviator.

He wanted to join the Lafayette Escadrille as one of its pilots, but was kept out of it because of the prejudice of Doctor Edmund L. Gros, the unit's most important organizer in France. The day he was officially rejected was August 23, 1917.

Spad VII airplane

Georges Guynemer's "Vieux Charles" Spad VII (Le Bourget Air Museum). Bullard flew this type.

He reached the front lines on August 27th flying 20 patrols in a Spad VII for French Escadrille Spa.93. He then flew numerous patrols in a Spad with Escadrille Spa.85 from September 13th to November 11, 1917. His Spad had an insignia lettered "All Blood Runs Red" and his nickname became the Black Swallow of Death. By some accounts, Bullard shot down a Pfalz and a Dr.I. Other sources, like Craig Lloyd in his biography "Eugene Bullard: Black Expatriate in Jazz-Age Paris" state that none were ever confirmed. Later, possibly because of Dr. Gros' influence, he was bumped out of the French Air Force and then transferred back to the 170th Infantry Regiment of the French Army.

After the war, Bullard settled down, and in 1923 married a French woman from a wealthy family named Marcelle Straumann. They settled down and had two daughters Jacqueline and Lolita.

Post-war Bullard bought a bar named "Le Grand Duc" on the north side of Paris. In the late 30s before World War II, he was recruited by French intelligence to spy on the Germans who came to his bar.

When World War II broke out in 1939, Bullard was still living in Paris running his bar. He remained very devoted to France and tried to join the French army but was considered too old. In 1940, he escaped from German occupied France, biked all the way down to Portugal and returned to the United States via a Red Cross ship. He settled in New York. He soon extricated his daughters, but Marcelle remained in France and eventually they divorced.

In 1954 he, along with two other French veterans, was invited by French President Charles de Gaulle to light the flame of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc of Triumph in Paris. Elevator man at 30 Rockefeller Center. On December 22, 1959, he was on the Today Show, finally getting his vastly deserved 15 minutes of fame. It was only by chance that his story came out since Today Show host Dave Garroway used to ride his elevator!

He died, age 66, on October 12, 1961, his achievements all but forgotten. He was buried by French veterans in the "French" section of a cemetery in Flushing, NY.

While Eugene Bullard is not as famous as the Tuskegee Airmen or Benjamin O. Davis Jr., as an African-American aviator, he was before all of them. The Chicago Tribune heralded him "as probably the most unsung hero in the history of U.S. wartime aviation" and others noted that his single-handed accomplishment was the equivalent of what the Tuskegee Airmen had accomplished in World War II.

2018 Update: Bullard is being recognized belatedly. The Columbus, GA. airport has a bust of him. He is in the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. And I understand a documentary of him has been made.

Many of these are excerpts from my book "American Eagles." Please support this website and our efforts to recognize our first combat aviators by buying it. 2013 Update: Also please see my book review of a terrific new book: Eugene Bullard - "World's First Black Fighter Pilot".

American Eagles and Lafayette Escadrille

Books (.pdf Downloads) by Narayan Sengupta and Fred Scheer/Narayan Sengupta:
$ 9.95 American Eagles - The Illustrated History of American Aviation in World War I
$ 9.95 Lafayette Escadrille: America's Most Famous Squadron
$ 9.95 POW Stories of World War II
$ 9.95 Disaster at Dieppe: World War II's Little D-Day
$19.95 The Used Tank Guide of World War I and World War II

Computer Game Downloads by Narayan Sengupta:

$13.95 Hearts of Iron II scenarios (does not include game)
$13.95 Railroad Tycoon 3 scenarios/maps (does not include game)

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Preview (29 pages, 4.1 mb PDF).

"American Eagles - The Illustrated History of American Aviation in World War I" (370 pages, 8.5"x11", black and white, $9.95, .pdf download):

American Eagles features 220 photos, new maps and beautiful artwork by Michael O'Neal. Here's the story of American World War I combat aviation, the aviators, their planes, aerodromes, stories and their post-war lives. Read about America's first fighters, bombers and observation planes, the Lafayette Escadrille, USN Aviation, USMC Aviation, the United States Air Service, etc.

"I wanted to tell you what a great job you have done with your book! I have been totally enthralled reading through it!"
Gary Duhaine

"A great book... a book that really needs to be on your bookshelf."
Matt Jolley, WarbirdRadio.com
"The photos in your books have a clarity I have not seen among the hundreds of WWI aviation books that I've collected/amassed. Those photos make you feel like you are standing there with the subjects. Outstanding! Your passion for the subject is evident!"
Mark, Lt Col, USAF (Retired)

Preview (Table of Contents, Table of Illustrations, Chapter 1, 1.0 mb PDF)

"Lafayette Escadrille: America's Most Famous Squadron" (204 pages, digest size, black and white, $9.95, .pdf download):

The Lafayette Escadrille honors the insanely brave Americans who volunteered to fly for France and later the United States 103rd Aero Squadron during World War I. Read about Raoul Lufbery, Bill Thaw, Kiffin Rockwell, Norman Prince, Charles Biddle and the early days of American World War I military aviation before it was known as the United States Air Force. These men flew Nieuports and Spads against Fokkers and Albatroses. This book has extensive new research and is thoroughly well-documented. 204 pages, 62 photos and maps.

"Narayan Sengupta's "The Lafayette Escadrille: America's Most Famous Squadron" is a wonderfully written history of one of the most unique air combat units that ever existed. Not only is his book factual and chock full of historical photos (80+), the text is nicely augmented with maps, appendices, and a very complete bibliography. Great job, all around!"
Steve Ruffin, Managing Editor emeritus, "Over the Front."

"You write so well! I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot."
Cynthia Pullin

"A concise, well written history of one of the most significant fighter squadrons in American history. Long before the US entered World War One, these volunteers showed that not all Americans were "too proud to fight." They helped defend the skies of France and laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the United States Air Force. Mr. Sengupta has done an excellent job of telling the story of some of the most colorful individuals in American history. Very readable and superbly illustrated, the book is thoroughly researched and well documented."
Steve Tom, PhD, Lt Col USAF (Ret)

POW Stories - real stories by real former American POWs in Germany

"POW Stories" (189 pages, 6"x9", black and white, $9.95, .pdf download):

POW Stories: remarkable stories told by men once POWs in Germany. Some were in the US Army, others in the United States Army Air Force. Read exhilarating, astonishing and poignant real-life stories by Fred Scheer, James Golden, Les Schrenk and many others. All were POWs in Germany during WWII. Jim was a Mustang pilot who was the last Allied pilot shot down on D-Day. Fred escaped twice and was recaptured. He made it out for good on his third escape. And Les survived the brutal German Death March. 189 pages, 35 photos and maps.

"POW Stories is a masterfully assembled collection of first-hand tales of survival, comradery and reunion, an emotional journey of brave men recounting their highs and lows and finding humor in the darkest places. The stories should never be forgotten. Well worth the read."
Patricia W. Huff

"I thoroughly enjoyed it and shed a fair amount of tears because it was so REAL. Their tales are shared so simply but the impact on the reader is huge. Excellent work."
Judy Bentley

Disaster at Dieppe - World War II's Little D-Day
"Disaster at Dieppe" (167 pages, 6" x 9", 66 photos and maps, $9.95, .pdf download):

The raid on Dieppe, code named Operation Jubilee, was World War II's first invasion/large scale raid. Jubilee featured the first use of US Rangers, Churchill tanks, tanks in an amphibious assault, P-51s and Typhoons and more. Approximately 6,000 troops crossed the English Channel: they included 5,000 Canadians, 1,000 British, 50 American Rangers and 24 French light infantry. Poor planning and Murphy's Law led to an 85% casualty rate for the Canadians who landed! It was a rate brutally worse than the horrific 10% suffered by the US Marines at Tarawa in late 1943 or the 15% sustained by Americans on D-Day, June 6, 1944, at Omaha Beach. But their sacrifice was not in vain and may have saved 10 times as many lives on D-Day. This is an easy read that's also thoroughly documented. Its tables and six-page index makes it a great reference book. 167 pages, 6" x 9", 66 photos and maps.

"The Used Tank Guide of World War I and World War II" (230 pages, 8.5"x11", full color, 700+ photos, .pdf download, $19.95):

The Used Tank Guide has a 36-page overview of World War I and World War II tanks (and self-propelled artillery and tank-destroyers, etc.). Then is the eye-candy photo album section with 700+ fantastic full-color photos and 115+ profiles of tanks, self-propelled guns and tank destroyers in the most color-packed book on World War I and World War II armored vehicles ever...

Profiles include: British Mark IV, Whippet, Anglo-American Mark VIII, Schneider, St. Chamond, Renault FT, GPF 155, Somua S-35, Char B-1bis, AMR-33, R-35, AMC-35, Hochkiss H-35, Sexton, LT-35, Matilda II, Churchill, Valentine, Crusader, Cromwell, Comet, Panzer I, Panzer II, Panzer III, Panzer IV, Wespe, Marder, Hetzer, Nashorn, Brummbar, Panther, Panther II, Tiger, King Tiger, Jagdpanzer, Elefant, Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger, Skelton, Ford 3 Ton, M1931 Christie, M3 Stuart, M3 Lee/Grant, M4 Sherman (75, 76, Easy 8 and Firefly variants), M-6 heavy, M-18 Hellcat, M7 Priest, M8 Greyhound, M10 Wolverine, M24 Chaffee, M26 Pershing, T28, M40, LVT(A), T-34, T-34/85, KV-1, SU-76, SU-85, SU-100, IS-2, IS-3, Semovente da 75/18 M42, Type 95 Ha-Go, Type 97 Chi-Ha, and so many more stunning tanks and rare tanks from across the world.

This exquisite collection showcases tanks in full-color as never seen before. Countries represented: Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, USSR, United Kingdom and USA.

Hearts of Iron II - Bad Boys Scenario
Bad Boys is a terrific scenario where the US President makes the United States very aggressive, attacking Nazi Germany and other dictatorships, but the US sells its soul in the process... Download for $13.95. Original game not included, but can be bought elsewhere online. Hearts of Iron II scenario - Bad Boys! - more information on my 5 Star General website...

Here are several terrific extra maps (scenarios) for Railroad Tycoon 3. Download for $13.95. Original Railroad Tycoon game NOT included, but can be bought elsewhere online. More details: Railroad Tycoon 3 Maps!

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