France or Nothing

How far one will go to find a home, and how hard one will fight to defend it.  The story of the first African American fighter pilot.

Transcript

Paula: 0:00

For the Best Aerospace Era this is mansplaining. Here is the host Anthony L. Sealey

0:11

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome in aviation. There are many trailblazers that have been lost in the fray of history over the last hundred or so years. This is why I created Mansplaneing to give those forgotten aviation and space legends the time they deserve. Our subject today had to overcome many barriers and travel across the earth to achieve his goal of living in Paris, France. However, the Great War threatened this dream from a small town in Georgia and across the Atlantic, to the trenches in Europe, then to the air over Enemy territory. This is the remarkable story of the first African American fighter pilot. Eugene Bullard, Paris, France, the city of light. A city that has captivated millions with its attractions like the Eiffel Tower, along with its culture. Its art, its cuisine. For a young Eugene Bullard, it was his goal. It was his promised land. It was his light at the end of the runway. Eugene Bullard was born in a small town of Columbus, Georgia, about 107 miles southwest of Atlanta on October 9th, 1895. He was a seventh of 10 siblings and his father called him the lucky one. His father, William Bullard, was the son of a slave and his mother Josephine. Yo Kaylee. Thomas Bullard was a full-blooded creek Indian. As you can imagine, just 30 years after the Civil War America, including the state of Georgia, was not exactly the land of opportunity for a young boy who was half black and half native American. Young Eugene learned this at a young age. Here's a story from his youth that Bullard shares in his biography, all blood runs red involving his father. That solidified his motivation to leave for a better life. Bullard's Father William was big in stature with a very strong work ethic. One place he worked was on the docks on the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia. His employer, Mr. Bradley, seemed to be fair boss However, some of his white coworkers were not so friendly. One in particular. One day William came home and told Eugene and his brothers and sisters to hide and not make a sound. They complied while his father sat in a chair holding a shotgun, staring intently at the front door. William was a hard worker, but took harassment from his white supervisor. You know the type that coworker who always has a terrible attitude and who always got away with everything. The harassment and talking behind his back got the best of William. One day his supervisor pushed William too far and he can no longer take it. William spoke to his boss, Bradley, about his supervisor's behavior on more than one occasion. However, nothing was ever done about it. Of course, one day in retaliation for reporting the harassment, a confrontation occurred resulting in a large gash in William's head. William picked up and threw his supervisor over the dock and into the cargo hold of a barge. His boss, Bradley, told William to go home and lay low before the word of the altercation. Spread. That night a drunken mob came to Bullard home, looking to hang William with the house dark and quiet. The mob moved on thinking they had skipped town. This intense moment solidified Eugene Bullard's decision that this was not the life he wanted to live. Eugene Bullard, who was around 10 years old at this time, bordered a train to Atlanta and never looked back Paris. France was attended. Destination. Bullard. Like his father had a strong work ethic and an attitude that no job was too small. This helped him make his way from Atlanta to other parts of Georgia and eventually north to Norfolk, Virginia. Over the next few years. In the Norfolk Harbor, Bullard saw many large ships and plan to become a stowaway on one, hopefully bound for France, or at least somewhere close. Keep this in mind. Bullard had no formal education to speak of past the second grade. He did, however, have street smarts and a likable personality. He found a ship whose crew was speaking a peculiar language that he had never heard before. Bullard did not know whether it was French, Russian, Italian, but he hoped that the crew was from Europe and Anywhere in Europe was closer to Paris, France than Norfolk, Virginia. The ship, the Harta Russ turned out to be a German vessel and at least headed east in the right direction to get on the good side of the crew. He ran errands, import from members. Of the crew who could speak some broken English, he fetched some small supplies or delivered messages to some of the women in port for the crew. Days later, the Harta Russ left port in Norfolk with an unknown passenger. After a week or so, Bullard eventually was discovered and taken to see the captain Ernest Westphal who was not happy about having a stowaway and threatened to toss him overboard. Bullard cleverly applied. The fish have plenty to eat without me. The captain laughed at this response. The crew took a liking to their throwaway. He put himself to work on the ship. And even learned some German along on the voyage, the Marto Russ pulled into port in Aberdeen Harbor, Scotland where Bullard was left off as this was the law of the sea. Regarding stowaway the captain even paid him for his efforts on the voyage. Being clever, a hard worker, willing to do any job. And having a likable personality has served him well so far in his journey. Bullard, who is around 18 now, made his way down from Aberdeen to Liverpool, England, where he began to make a life for himself. He made friends, found work, even had his first romance since crossing the Atlantic. One job was at a boxing gym, cleaning up the facilities. Bullard was in the prime of his life and decided to give, get in the ring himself. By the way, his name Eugene Bullard just sounds like a good boxer's name, doesn't it? Bullard was a welterweight and known in the Ring as the Sparrow, a nickname that he had gotten from his early days back in Georgia. Many of the top African American boxers of the time, like Jack Johnson, Bob Scallion, and Aaron Brown left the US for Europe. For more title opportunities, as well as less racism Bullard also performed in a traveling show, singing and playing music. His romance was short-lived. However, Bullard fell for a professional lady of the night. She seemed to not wanna give up this occupation, and he still had his sights on Paris. He arrived at his apartment one day and found his stuff outside the door. That was that. No more distractions. His career as a performer and more so as a boxer. Led him to his ultimate destination. The city of Light, Paris, France. Against all odds. Eugene Bullard had made it. The year is 1914 and Bullard was 19. He learned to speak some French. He made some friends, found work, and made enough for a place of his own in the city of his dreams. Far from Columbus, Georgia Bullard really enjoyed the nightlife hopping from bars to clubs. He seemed to not face near as much racism. It was everything he had hoped for. Unfortunately, the global outbreak of war was on the horizon. This unprecedented conflict threatened his new home, the Great War pinned France, along with the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, the United States, and Japan against Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire. An unprecedented global conflict. Bullard came too far just to let his new home fall. He wanted to fight and defend Paris. He would need to join the French Foreign Legion. He went into a recruiting office. But think about this. Bullard had no papers, no birth certificate, nothing except his word. He was an able body willing to fight for France and that was a good enough for the French who needed all the help they could get. You have to show more ID to buy a beer or a shot of whiskey today than Bullard had to show to join the French Foreign Legion. Think about that. The French foreign Legion consisted of men from many different nations and backgrounds. Including Ivy League Americans who left home because they felt the US should enter the war at the onset. Others just had problems with their spouses and thought France would be a good escape. Some more affluent men even shipped their own airplane across the Atlantic to help France fight in the air. There have been many great movies that have tried to show the conditions and the trenches of the Great War. Like 1917 are all is quiet on the Western front, for example. I think the phrase hell on earth is warranted here for Bullard's experience. An experience he shared as a member of the third marching regiment. He and the others hunkered down in a trench. A French soldier about 10 feet away from him, was hit directly by a 77 millimeter shell, and in an instant he was gone without a trace. Another account Bullard shares from February 23rd, 1916. Near the village of Vaux in France. Now a corporal and the hundred 70th infantry Bullard's company were on the way back to the trenches when they were attacked by our artillery fire. He and some others took shelter in a nearby barn. Bullard like the others, took cover. He found an old mattress and pulled it on top of himself just as a shell impacted the roof. Killing four men. He took a shot to the face way harder than he'd ever taken in the boxing ring. A piece of shell punched the right side of his jaw, knocking out many of his teeth. Somehow he was able to get up and get help for the other survivors. His injuries did not keep him out of the fight, though his face was patched up and some damaged teeth were removed. Pain never hurt nobody. Right. Back to the front. He went. The trench was full of mud, blood, and death. The blow that took him out of the fight in the trenches permanently happened On March 6th, 1916, a shell exploded in the trench close by Bullard throwing him and knocking him unconscious aous, a remnant of the shell gas, his thigh badly Bullard was boarded onto a train headed west away from the front. Up until now, Bullard did not seem to have any interest in aviation. During his three month rehabilitation in Lyon, France, Bullard met an air Commandant. Bullard seemed to be able to make friends wherever he goes. Ferrolino and Air Commandant, who was also rehabbing suggested that the sky may be a way for him to get back into the fight. He would never be cleared medically to return back to his unit. Ferrolino suggested that he look into aviation because the French Air Service was in need of pilots and gunners. Bullard's injuries would not be a hindrance in an airplane. It was something he kept in his mind. At the return back to Paris, he mentioned this idea to his friends back home during the night out dining and drinking. One of his friends named Dickson said, you know, there aren't any. I am gonna replace this term here and say, black men in aviation Bullard's reply. Sure I do. That's why I want to get into it. Dickson bet him that the French military would not let him become a pilot. Bullard took that bet. He successfully transferred to the French Air Service and completed six months training. And on May 5th, 1917, thanks. In part to his connection to Air Commandant Ferrolino. Who helped pull some strings for him. Bullard earned his wings. There was some unfinished business to attend to before his first mission in the air. Bullard needed to collect on the bet. Now I want you to picture this, and group of friends are at a bar with their backs turned. He walks tall and confidently up to this group wearing the sky blue french tunic with the gold wings on his collar. He taps Dickson on the shoulder and they all turn around. The group hollers and congratulate Bullard as Dickson hangs his head, because he knows he just lost the bet. I'm not saying that's how it happened word for word, but that's how I picture it. And I would've loved to have been there to see it. The entire group spent that night celebrating. Now in the book, all Blood runs Red by Phil Keith, and Tom Calvin has a bet amount at$2,000. I'm not sure about that figure because that's a lot of money adjusting for inflation that's worth$57,920 in today's money. According to the internet. Either way, Bullard now had more money than he ever had before in his life. He was also a fighter pilot. On the morning of September 8th, 1917, Bullard claimed into the single seat cockpit of his Spad 13 for his first combat mission over enemy territory. On both sides of his plane was a picture painted of a heart stabbed with a dagger, with a phrase. All blood that flows is red. Amazingly Bullard had a small copilot with him. After one wild night bar hopping and drinking, Bullard became the caretaker of a pet capuchin monkey named Jimmy, because who hasn't come back with a pet monkey? After a night out on the town, Jimmy Adorned with his own flight suit like Bullard's flight gear flew with him on missions. Jimmy rode along, tucked into the front of Bullard's jacket. Amazing Bullard's. First mission was historic, however uneventful because he and the other 13 French fighters did not encounter any Germans in the air. That afternoon's mission was very different. The French squadron of 33 SPADs in Newports encountered four German Gotha bombers and 16 Fokker fighters. The rookie pilot found himself in the fray with fighters maneuvering in every direction. One the German Gotha bombers exploded spectacularly in midair, the other three bombers were shot down, along with two German Fokkers. Two of Bullard's squadron mates were lost. Bullard had shot 78 rounds during the engagement. After landing back at base, a mechanic showed him that there were seven bullet holes in the tail of his spad. 13. He had no idea he had been hit. He survived and helped prevent the enemy's bombing raid. Rookie pilots were easy prey for seasoned enemy fighter pilots. Bullard was an exception. On another mission in November, Bullard, along with 14 others, took off into the early cold morning. Air. Pilots were usually only given some coffee before'em being sent up on missions. At 3000 feet up, they spotted 10 black objects In the clouds German Fokkers. The dog fight was on. The once calm cold sky was now full of chaos among the diving, climbing and maneuvering of the fighters trying to get into prime firing position. Bullard felt his Spad 13 tremble. As bullets pierced the fuselage, Bullard performed a barrell roll and climbed evading the attack. He realized his Spad 13 was not mortally hit, but he was now half a mile away. As Bullard turned back to the action, he spotted a Fokker tri plane. The pilot of the solid black faulker did not appear to see Bullard as he took a wide right turn outside the main dog fight creeping up behind the German enemy. Bullard set his sights if fired two dozen rounds. He hit his target. The dark smoke began to emit from the aircraft. However, the German or Boche, as the French call them, was now aware of his attacker's position and evaded after. Some acrobatic maneuvers Bullard lost sight of the tri plane. The skilled German pilot was now on his tail. A desperate dive down and to the right was Bullard's escape plan. The ground was approaching fast and more bullets were tearing into Bullards's. Spad. Bullard's initial attack, however took his toll on the enemy aircraft. The menacing tri plane engine produced more smoke as his pilot broke off and spiraled down. That was the last he saw of his attacker. Bullard was not out of the woods yet. Now only 300 feet up above enemy territory. A German machine gun fire came from a nearby hill damaging his engine oil splattered and blinded his sight. Bullard crash landed into a bog. He survived the crash landing but was still taking fire. Bullard assumed he was still over the enemy line and decided to stay sheltered behind his down spad that night. He heard voices approaching. Fortunately, the voices turned out to be French. He and his plane were recovered. The mechanic counted 96 bullet holes. Bullard now safely back at base. Was asked by his commanding officer if he had a death wish. He didn't understand the question until he was informed that his opponent. Was a member of Mumford Von Richthofen Flying Circus. No one could confirm what happened to the black folk or tri Plaine fighter after he broke off his pursuit and spiraled down. But in Bullard's mind, he had his first victory for a victory or a kill to be official. The down enemy plane had to either be witnessed on the allied side, are confirmed by those on the ground, on another cold and cloudy November day. Bullard lost his other French fighters he was flying with after coming out of a cloud. He saw seven aircraft positioned thousands of feet below. Bullard wondered why they were so far away until he said, wait a second, there were seven planes. I was the seventh. He had a prime position over seven German Pfalz aircraft. Bullard dove down to attack the rear plane at 50 yards. Bullard squeezed the trigger as bullets pierced his target up diff fuselage. The German pilot turned his head around just in time to get hit in the face. The Pfalz stalled and went down. Bullard took a shot at one of the other Germans. But he was greatly outnumbered, so he raised from cloud to cloud for cover and back to base. Records from this time are far from accurate. However, in the span of about three months, Bullard flew around 25 missions and possibly had two victories or kills. Those numbers might not seem like much. He would've been in the cockpit sooner and longer If it wasn't for a racist Californian doctor named Dr. Gross, who held back's aviation career. Interestingly, after the US entered the Great War, Americans fighting for the French were supposed to report and join US forces that caused an interesting problem. In Bullard's case, aviation was under the US Signal Corps. The Army at this time in history was segregated and did not have an all black fighter. Squadron so there was no place for Bullard. He remained in the French ranks. Now, I want you to consider that some estimates have the death toll from the Great War somewhere between eight to 10 million, and that's just the military personnel estimates those numbers and we're staggering was set against the global population at the time, which is 1.7 billion according to the US census. Bullard did not become one of those lost in the war, and we were able to marvel at his story over a hundred years later from Bullard's beginnings in Columbus, Georgia. With a second grade level education, he learned German and the French language. He served in the trenches and in the sky of the great war. He already accomplished more than most before their 25th birthday. I think a movie about his life would be amazing. There is a character from a movie loosely based on him. Have you seen the movie Flyboys released in 2006? It is about Americans who volunteer to fight for France as fighter pilots and as usual, it has the tagline based on a true story. There is a character named Eugene Skinner, played by Abdu Salis. He is introduced in the movie by getting outta a boxing ring after a match. His motivation was to join the war effort because France treated him better than his own country. The us the movie is okay. The action scenes are good. After the war, he attempted a comeback in the boxing ring. However, his body was just not up to that. He did become a businessman and owned nightclub and ran a boxing gym Bullard. Also did some spying for the allies during World War ii. He did speak German. After all. If you want to read more about Bullard's life. I recommend the book All Blood Runs Red by Phil Keith and Tom Clavin. I don't always get the sense that I would like or want to hang out with the person that I research. In Bullard's case, I feel like I would like to have a drink with him at a bar. I will profile a great number of people that were inspired to take to the sky at a young age and dedicate their life to aviation. Bullard was not one of those people. For him, becoming a pilot was just another way to stay in the fight and defend France. Also because a friend bet him that he couldn't do it. Stories like Bullard's from the best aerospace era are the kind of amazing stories that you will get here on mansplaneing. Have you heard of Eugene Bullard before? Did you learn about him at school or college? Let me know. Thank you so much for listening. Remember, there's always a light at the end of the runway.

Paula: 30:21

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