His Own Country Wouldn’t Let Him Fly

Fact check

The facts and where they come from

1. This American flew fighter planes for France, but his own country wouldn’t let him fly. Wikipedia: “Bullard flew for France, not the United States”; “he was not accepted, as only white pilots were chosen.” National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (photo caption): Bullard “beside a Nieuport 24 fighter of the 93rd Squadron (Escadrille).” 12
2. His name was Eugene Bullard. Wikipedia: “Eugene Jacques Bullard,” “born Eugene James Bullard.” 1
3. In Georgia, he saw a mob try to lynch his father. Wikipedia: “he suffered the trauma of watching a white mob attempt to lynch his father.” New Georgia Encyclopedia: “Shaken by the near lynching of his father in 1903.” 14
4. At 16, he stowed away to Europe. PBS: “in 1912, at the age of 16, he stowed away on a ship leaving Norfolk, Virginia for Germany.” Wikipedia: “In 1912, he made his way to Norfolk, Virginia, where he stowed away on the German freighter Marta Russ.” 31
5. He boxed his way to Paris. Wikipedia: he “trained under the then-famous boxer Dixie Kid, who arranged for him to fight in Paris, France,” and “As a result of that visit to Paris, Bullard decided to settle in France.” New Georgia Encyclopedia: “He appeared in Paris for the first time at a boxing match in November 1913.” 14
6. When war came, he joined the French Foreign Legion. Wikipedia: “On October 19, 1914, Bullard enlisted and was assigned to the 3rd Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion.” PBS: “Bullard joined the fabled French Foreign Legion to fight for his adopted country.” 13
7. At Verdun, he was badly wounded. Wikipedia: “Verdun, where he was severely wounded on March 5, 1916.” National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: “During the Battle of Verdun in 1916, Bullard was seriously wounded.” 12
8. So he learned to fly. Wikipedia: “While recuperating, he learned to fly on a bet”; he “received pilot’s license number 6950 from the Aéro-Club de France on May 5, 1917.” 1
9. In 1917, he became the first African American fighter pilot. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: “In August of 1917 Eugene Jacques Bullard, an American volunteer in the French army, became the first African American military pilot.” New Georgia Encyclopedia: “Eugene Bullard was the world’s first Black combat aviator, flying in French squadrons.” Museum of Flight: “There were around five black military pilots in World War I, and Bullard was the only American.” 245
10. He flew with a pet monkey in his coat. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (photo caption): “He flew with Jimmy tucked inside his coat on every combat mission.” Museum of Flight: “Accompanying him on every combat flight was a lucky charm tucked inside his coat—his pet Capuchin monkey named Jimmy.” 25
11. But America’s air service took only white pilots. Wikipedia: “Bullard went through the medical examination, but he was not accepted, as only white pilots were chosen.” PBS: Bullard “applied to fly for the American Expeditionary Forces. He was rejected.” 13
12. In 1940, wounded again, he escaped to New York. Wikipedia: “Bullard was wounded, but he escaped to neutral Spain, and in July 1940 he returned to the United States,” and “Bullard spent some time in a New York hospital.” National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: “Again seriously wounded by an exploding shell, he escaped the Germans and made his way to the United States.” 12
13. There, he ran an elevator at Rockefeller Center, almost unknown. Wikipedia: “His final job was as an elevator operator at the Rockefeller Center, where his fame as the ‘Black Swallow of Death’ was unknown,” and “In the 1950s, Bullard was a relative stranger in his own homeland.” PBS: he worked as “a Rockefeller Center elevator operator.” Museum of Flight: “He lived the rest of his life virtually unknown in his native land.” 135
14. In 1959, France made him a knight of the Legion of Honor. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: “in 1959, the French honored him with the Knight of the Legion of Honor.” New Georgia Encyclopedia: “In 1959 French president Charles de Gaulle made Bullard a knight of the French Legion of Honor.” 24
15. He went on the Today show in his elevator uniform. Wikipedia: “On December 22, 1959, he was interviewed on NBC’s Today Show by Dave Garroway and received hundreds of letters from viewers. Bullard wore his elevator operator uniform during the interview.” PBS (photo caption): “In 1959, Bullard appeared in his elevator operator’s uniform on the Today Show.” Museum of Flight: “This distinctive medal led to a live interview on TV’s popular Today Show with Dave Garroway.” 135
16. Then in 1994, the US Air Force finally made him a second lieutenant. National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: “On Sept. 14, 1994, the Secretary of the Air Force posthumously appointed him a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.” Wikipedia: “Bullard was posthumously commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.” PBS: “thirty-three years after his death, the United States Air Force appointed him a second lieutenant.” 213

Sources

1. Eugene Bullard Wikipedia
2. Eugene Jacques Bullard (fact sheet) National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
3. The Two Lives of Eugene Bullard PBS American Experience
4. Eugene Bullard (Craig Lloyd) New Georgia Encyclopedia
5. Eugene Bullard, the First African American Fighter Pilot and Veteran of Two World Wars (Brenda Mandt) The Museum of Flight blog

Photo credits

The archive photos in this story

The photographs and illustrations in this story are in the public domain or shared under open licenses; each one is credited below with its license. Tap one to enlarge it, or follow the link to its Wikimedia Commons page for the full record. The narration, captions and graphics in the Short are our own; its music and sound effects are credited below.