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Amazing Story
#12628070
02/14/18 09:18 PM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 44,554
a777pilot
OP
TFF Guru
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OP
TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 44,554 |
This is too cool not to share: Do you know who this is a photo of? Chances are you dont, but dont feel bad because probably not one American in one million does, and that is a National tragedy. His name is Eugene Jacques Bullard, and he is the first African-American fighter pilot in history. But he is also much more then that: Hes also a national hero, and his story is so incredible that I bet if you wrote a movie script based on it Hollywood would reject it as being too far-fetched. Bullard was an expat living in France, and when World War 1 broke out he joined the French Infantry. He was seriously wounded, and France awarded him the Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire. In 1916 he joined the French air service and he first trained as a gunner but later he trained as a pilot. When American pilots volunteered to help France and formed the famous Lafayette Escadrille, he asked to join but by the time he became a qualified pilot they were no longer accepting new recruits, so he joined the Lafayette Flying Corps instead. He served with French flying units and he completed 20 combat missions. When the United States finally joined the war, Bullard was the only member of the Escadrille or the French Flying Corps who was NOT invited to join the US Air Service. The reason? At that time the Air Service only accepted white men. Now here is the part that almost sounds like a sequel to Casablanca: After WWI Bullard became a jazz musician in Paris and he eventually owned a nightclub called LEscadrille. When the Germans invaded France and conquered it in WW2, his Club, and Bullard, became hugely popular with German officers, but what they DIDNT know was that Bullard, who spoke fluent German, was actually working for the Free French as a spy. He eventually joined a French infantry unit, but he was badly wounded and had to leave the service. By the end of the war, Bullard had become a national hero in France, but he later moved back to the U.S. where he was of course completely unknown. Practically no one in the United States was aware of it when, in 1959, the French government named him a national Chevalier, or Knight. In 1960, the President of France, Charles DeGaulle, paid a state visit to the United States and when he arrived he said that one of the first things he wanted to do was to meet Bullard. That sent the White House staff scrambling because most of them, of course, had never even heard of him. They finally located him in New York City, and DeGaulle traveled there to meet him personally. At the time, Eugene Bullard was working as An elevator operator. Not long after Eugene Bullard met with the President of France, he passed away, and today very, very few Americans, and especially African-Americans, even know who he is. But, now YOU do, dont you? And I hope youll be able to find opportunities to tell other people about this great American hero that probably only 1 American in 1 Million has ever heard of.
Look! Up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's an EMP!
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628076
02/14/18 09:22 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,673
texasbass1
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 6,673 |
Good post. I had read his story before interesting piece of history
Pat Leach USAF MSgt Retired 92 Procraft 180 Pro 24 Mercury 150 Pro XS 4 Stroke Minn Kota Ulterra 80
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628081
02/14/18 09:30 PM
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,818
donothin
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,818 |
Must admit I did not know of him. Pretty amazing
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628218
02/14/18 10:53 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 30,733
deerfeeder
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 30,733 |
I really enjoy learning stuff like this, thanks.
Non Sibi Sed Patriae -- "Not for self, but for country."
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628321
02/15/18 12:11 AM
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,756
2014NITROZ-7
TFF Team Angler
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TFF Team Angler
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 4,756 |
I enjoy reading about history,not seeing it destroyed.
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628323
02/15/18 12:13 AM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,819
CCTX
mapquest
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mapquest
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,819 |
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628337
02/15/18 12:22 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,857
retdbasser
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,857 |
Enjoyed!! I admire individuals like this that never give up despite the conditions they face. Sad thing is no one will ever have him as a person to look up to as it won't make the history books.
Prepare for the future-it will be here tomorrow. Personal Best Large Mouth Bass 9 lbs. 12 oz 5/13/19. Herb Stein, who famously reminded us that “if something can’t go on forever, it will stop.”
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628359
02/15/18 12:33 AM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,819
CCTX
mapquest
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mapquest
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 40,819 |
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: deerfeeder]
#12628372
02/15/18 12:40 AM
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 19,768
Bee'z
honey boo boo
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honey boo boo
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 19,768 |
I really enjoy learning stuff like this, thanks.
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Re: Amazing Story
[Re: a777pilot]
#12628581
02/15/18 02:31 AM
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 12,951
DanDaBald
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 12,951 |
Thank you for posting this - I learned something today.
NEVER FORGET 9/11/2001
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