R 281550Z JAN 16
MARADMIN 047/16
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC MRA MP//
SUBJ/2016 NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH OBSERVANCE//
POC/M. J. SHEPPARD/CIV/UNIT: MPE/-/TEL: (703)784-9371/TEL: DSN 278-9371/TEL: COMM (703)784-9371//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  Black History month was originally established as “Negro History week” in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson, a noted African American historian, scholar, educator, and publisher.  In 1976, “Negro History week” became a month-long celebration.  February was designated as the month to celebrate Black History to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.  The 2016 Black History month theme is “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American memory.”
2.  Eugene Jacques Bullard was a national hero and the first African American fighter pilot.  When World War I commenced, Bullard joined the French infantry.  He was seriously wounded, and France awarded him the Croix de Guerre and Medaille Militaire.  In 1916, he joined the French Air Service and he first trained as a gunner but later he trained as a pilot.  When American pilots volunteered to help France and formed the famous Lafayette Escadrille, he asked to join.  By the time he became a qualified pilot, they were no longer accepting new recruits, so he joined the Lafayette flying corps instead.  He served with French flying units and he completed 20 combat missions.
3.  Bullard was the only member of the Escadrille or the French Flying Corps who was not invited to join the U.S. Air Service once the United States joined the war, because he was African American.  After the War, Bullard became a jazz musician in Paris and he eventually owned a nightclub named ‘L’Escadrille.’ When the Germans invaded France and conquered it in World War II, Bullard and his club became very popular with the German officers.  The Germans were unaware that Bullard was actually spying for the French.  He eventually joined a French infantry unit, but he was badly wounded and had to be discharged from the service.  At the conclusion of the war, Bullard had become a national hero in France.  He later moved back to the United States where few American citizens knew of his accomplishments.  He became known in 1959 when the French government named him a national Chevalier (Knight).
4.  To enrich our understanding of the history of African Americans is to broaden our knowledge of our nation’s history, as the two are inextricably linked.  During National African American History Month, commanders are encouraged to take the time to recognize and celebrate the dedicated service and contributions of African Americans, both past and present.  Commanders are further encouraged to conduct programs and promote participation in observance of events at their commands and in the local community.
5.  Release authorized by BGen G. W. Smith, Jr., Director, Manpower Plans and Policy Division.//