The Black Swallow of Death

I can't believe I didn't publish my last entry for two days after I finished it. The world is wearing me out, it seems, but it's no big deal, except that I went so long before even noticing my error. If I was diligent in my creative work, then I'd have caught it the next day, not 3 days later. So I'll just have to do my blog more often, as simple and frustrating as that sounds. Right now, I am writing as Yuja Wang is playing Schumann's Piano Concerto. It is letting me watch her in a tiny screen on the corner of my phone while I work, which I quite enjoy. Lately, not having a book or magazine to read, I have been watching a lot of short documentaries, especially The History Guy. Tonight I learned about Ernest Bullard, the first black fighter pilot in World War One, in an episode called The Black Swallow of Death. He had moved from the USA to France and when the war broke out he joined a unit in the French army called the swallows of death, and earned two of France's highest military honors. After being seriously wounded at Verdun, he decided to become a pilot, and earned his wings, flying with other Americans in the Squadron Escadrille. But when the USA joined the war, the white pilots were accepted into American forces but Bullard was not, so he rejoined the French infantry. It is rather sad how stupid white Americans were back then, but Bullard still loved his country. On the Today Show in 1959, he said he loved America 'because it was my mother, but France was my mistress.' I am glad I came across his story. I found it to be fascinating, and just one more example of how white Americans are such scumbags.