Whether the money or his own drive pushed him, Bullard was able to make good on that bet within a year. By October 1916, Bullard was back on his feet, and in service as an air gunner for the French Air Service. He began his flight training shortly after. On May 5, 1917, Bullard earned his wings. He was the first black fighter pilot in French—and American—history.

Bullard was sent to the Lafayette Flying Corps, joining 269 other Americans as they flew reconnaissance and pursuit missions along the Western Front. He would take part in over 20 combat missions over the next two and a half years, supposedly never failing to achieve the aim of his mission.

Related: This Former Slave Became The First African American West Point Grad

Less than two months after joining the Flying Corps, Bullard was promoted to a corporal. He continued to serve the French even after the United States joined World War I—he was not accepted to the American Expeditionary Forces after a medical examination due to his race. Bullard was discharged by France on October 24, 1919, nearly a year after the Armistice that marked the official end of World War I.

After his discharge, Bullard was awarded some 15 medals for his distinguished service. No doubt additionally disillusioned about America after his thwarted recruitment, Bullard returned to Paris, where he began working as a drummer in a nightclub.

He worked a hodgepodge of club jobs throughout the 1920s. Along the way, he met and married a wealthy French woman, with whom Bullard had two children. By the late 20s, Bullard was a giant amongst the French nightclub scene, palling around with Josephine Baker and Louis Armstrong.

Eventually, Bullard became the owner of a nightclub—where he would one day get sucked back into a global conflict. After the Second World War began, Bullard allowed the French government to spy on any German citizens who spent time in his club.

The Extraordinary Life of Eugene Bullard, the First African American Military Pilot

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