Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org
Eugene J. Bullard, one of the greatest heroes of World War I, was born in Columbus, Georgia. As a teenage he escaped the terror and racism that was rampant in the U.S. and made his way to Scotland. There he became a boxer and entertainer. He eventually made his way to Paris. At the outbreak of World War I he enlisted in the Foreign Legion. He is wearing his Legionnaire uniform in the above picture. In 1916 he volunteered for the French Air Service.
After the war he became the owner of several nightclubs in Paris and was a very successful businessman. When World War II broke out he enlisted in the 51st Infantry Regiment. He was wounded and returned to the U.S. settling in New York City. Life in the segregated United States was hard and he endured much. The most notable incident was a beating at the hands of a racist mob which included police officers. This was the infamous riot at the Paul Robeson concert in Peekskill, New York. His last job was as an elevator operator at Rockefeller Center. He died in 1961 in New York and is buried at the Federation of French War Veterans Cemetery in Flushing, Queens, New York.
