LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Eugene Jacques Bullard posthumously for
his many accomplishments and brave military service during World War I

WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York, who
have served so faithfully and courageously in wars in which our Nation's
freedom was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace during
peacetime, deserve a special salute from this Legislative Body; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Eugene Jacques
Bullard posthumously for his many accomplishments and brave military
service during World War I as we commence to observe February as Black
History Month; and
WHEREAS, Eugene Jacques Bullard, the grandson of a slave, was born in
Columbus, Georgia, on October 9, 1895; he spent years looking for a
place where he could live free of discrimination; and
WHEREAS, In 1912, he stowed away on a ship bound for Scotland where he
worked odd jobs before finally arriving in France; two years later,
Eugene Jacques Bullard joined the French Foreign Legion, eventually
transferring to the fierce 170th Infantry Regiment which was nicknamed
"The Swallows of Death"; and
WHEREAS, Due to injuries he sustained in his battles that prevented
him from continuing his service in the infantry, he was afforded the
opportunity to begin pilot training at an aviation school in Tours,
France, in May of 1917; and
WHEREAS, At the French School of Military Aviation, Eugene Jacques
Bullard flew all types of planes; he is widely recognized as the first
Black military pilot; and
WHEREAS, Eugene Jacques Bullard wanted to fly combat missions, but his
dream was put on hold when an influential American major living in
France discouraged the French from accepting Bullard as a pilot due to
his skin color; and
WHEREAS, After the United States declared war on Germany, white pilots
were given the chance to transfer from the French flying service to the
American side and promoted to lieutenant; Eugene Jacques Bullard was
turned down; and
WHEREAS, During his lifetime, Eugene Jacques Bullard earned 15 medals,
including the Legion of Honor, the Victory Medal, the World War Commemo-
rative Medal, an Insignia for the Military Wounded, the Commemorative
Medal for Volunteer Service and the Combatant's Cross; and
WHEREAS, After being discharged from the Armed Forces, Eugene Jacques
Bullard became part owner of a nightclub, L'Escadrille, in France, and
during World War II, he agreed to serve France as a spy; and
WHEREAS, In July 1940, Eugene Jacques Bullard returned to the United
States where he worked as a perfume salesman, a security guard, and as
an interpreter for Louis Armstrong; and
WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Air Force honored Eugene Jacques
Bullard posthumously by commissioning him a Second Lieutenant; there is
now an exhibit in the National Museum of the United States Air Force in
Dayton, Ohio, in recognition of this valiant man; and
WHEREAS, Eugene Jacques Bullard died in New York City on October 12,
1961, at the age of 66; he was buried with military honors in the French
War Veterans' section of Flushing Cemetery in Queens, New York; and
WHEREAS, The dedication and sacrifices of our military personnel
ensure our continued role as a Nation which embodies the ideals of
democracy, and is a defender of liberty for peoples throughout the
world; and
WHEREAS, The banner of freedom will always wave over this great
Nation, the land of the free and the home of the brave; and

WHEREAS, The freedoms and security we cherish as Americans come at a
very high price for those serving in the military in times of conflict;
it is fitting and proper that we who are the beneficiaries of those who
risk their lives, leaving their families behind, express our appreci-
ation and eternal gratitude for their sacrifices and courageous acts;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Eugene Jacques Bullard posthumously for his many accomplishments
and brave military service during World War I as we commence to observe
February as Black History Month; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Second Lieutenant Eugene Jacques Bullard.