From the red clay fields of Jim Crow Georgia to the skies above Verdun, Eugene Bullard carved out a path that defied the odds. Denied opportunity at home, he became America’s first Black combat aviator—though under the flag of France, not the United States. This extended version of our written article places Bullard’s journey in the full context of World War I, where trench mud and aerial duels collided with questions of race, identity, and belonging. His story mattered because it exposed the contradictions of freedom, sacrifice, and recognition during one of history’s most pivotal conflicts.

In this episode, listeners will hear more than dates and medals. They’ll be immersed in the mud of Legion trenches, the roar of Nieuport engines, and the Parisian jazz clubs where Bullard reinvented himself between wars. The narration expands on the written feature with vivid battlefield storytelling, detailed accounts of leadership under fire, and lessons about resilience that remain timeless. It is a story of courage lived at every altitude—proof that in combat, all blood truly runs red. Produced by Trackpads.com.