Eugene Bullard

Eugene Jacques Bullard
Bullard in his uniform as a French Army caporal
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.
DiedOctober 12, 1961(1961-10-12) (aged 66)
New York City, U.S.
Buried 40°45′6″N 73°47′58″W / 40.75167°N 73.79944°W / 40.75167; -73.79944
Allegiance France
Service/branch Foreign Legion
French Air Service
French Resistance
Years of service1914–1919, 1940
Unit170th French Infantry Regiment
51e Régiment d'Infanterie
Battles/warsFirst World War
Second World War
Awards

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").

"All Blood Runs Red", a biography of Bullard by Phil Keith and Tom Clavin, was published in 2019 by Hanover Square Press.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Harris, Henry Scott (2012). All Blood Runs Red: Life and Legends of Eugene Jacques Bullard: First Black American Military Aviator. NOOK Book (eBook): eBookIt.com. ISBN 9781456612993.