Eugene Bullard
First Black French and American military pilot (1895–1961) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Eugene Jacques Bullard (born Eugene James Bullard; October 9, 1895 – October 12, 1961) was one of the first African-American military pilots,[1][2] although Bullard flew for France, not the United States. Bullard was one of the few black combat pilots during World War I, along with William Robinson Clarke, a Jamaican who flew for the Royal Flying Corps, Domenico Mondelli [it] from Italy, and Ahmet Ali Çelikten of the Ottoman Empire. Also a boxer and a jazz musician, he was called "L'Hirondelle noire" in French (literally "Black Swallow").
Quick Facts Nickname(s), Born ...
Eugene Jacques Bullard | |
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Nickname(s) | French: l'Hirondelle noire de la mort, lit. 'Black Swallow of Death' |
Born | (1895-10-09)October 9, 1895 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
Died | October 12, 1961(1961-10-12) (aged 66) New York City, U.S. |
Buried | 40°45′6″N 73°47′58″W |
Allegiance | France |
Service/ | Foreign Legion French Air Service French Resistance |
Years of service | 1914–1919, 1940 |
Unit | 170th French Infantry Regiment 51e Régiment d'Infanterie |
Battles/wars | First World War Second World War |
Awards |
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"All Blood Runs Red", a biography of Bullard by Phil Keith and Tom Clavin, was published in 2019 by Hanover Square Press.