Editing Romain Gary (section)

==Career==
Despite completing all parts of his course successfully, Gary was the only one of almost 300 cadets in his class not to be commissioned as an officer. He believed the military establishment was distrustful of him because he was a foreigner and a [[Jew]].<ref name="Marzorati" />  Training on [[Potez 25]] and Goëland Léo-20 aircraft, and with 250 hours flying time, only after three months' delay was he made a [[sergeant]] on 1 February 1940.  Lightly wounded on 13 June 1940 in a [[Bloch MB.210]], he was disappointed with the [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|armistice]]; after hearing General [[Charles de Gaulle|de Gaulle]]'s radio [[Appeal of 18 June|appeal]], he decided to go to England.<ref name="Marzorati" />  After failed attempts, he flew to [[Algiers]] from [[Saint-Laurent-de-la-Salanque]] in a [[Potez]].  Made [[adjutant]] upon joining the [[Free France|Free French]] and serving on [[Bristol Blenheim]]s, he saw action across Africa and was promoted to [[second lieutenant]].  He returned to England to train on [[Douglas A-20 Havoc|Boston III]]s.  On 25 January 1944, his pilot was blinded, albeit temporarily, and Gary talked him to the bombing target and back home, the third landing being successful.  This and the subsequent [[BBC]] interview and ''[[Evening Standard]]'' newspaper article were an important part of his career.<ref name="Marzorati" />  He finished the war as a captain in the London offices of the [[Free French Air Forces]].  As a bombardier-observer in the [[No. 342 Squadron RAF|''Groupe de bombardement Lorraine'' (No. 342 Squadron RAF)]], he took part in over 25 successful sorties, logging over 65 hours of air time.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/382.html |title=Ordre de la Libération |access-date=11 February 2013 |archive-date=26 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126122309/http://ordredelaliberation.fr/fr_compagnon/382.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> During this time, he changed his name to Romain Gary. He was decorated for his bravery in the war, receiving many medals and honours, including [[Compagnon de la Libération]] and commander of the [[Légion d'honneur]]. In 1945 he published his first novel, ''Éducation européenne''. Immediately following his service in the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service in [[Bulgaria]] and Switzerland.<ref name="BelosTS"/> In 1952 he became the secretary of the French Delegation to the United Nations.<ref name="BelosTS"/> In 1956, he became [[Consul General]] in [[List of diplomatic missions of France#North America of France|Los Angeles]] and became acquainted with Hollywood.<ref name="BelosTS">{{cite book|last=Bellos |first=David |title=Romain Gary: A Tall Story |date=2010 | pages=??}}</ref>

=== As Émile Ajar ===
In a memoir published in 1981, Paul Pavlowitch claimed that Gary also produced several works under the pseudonym Émile Ajar. Gary recruited Pavlowitch – his cousin's son – to portray Ajar in public appearances, allowing Gary to remain unknown as the true producer of the Ajar works, and thus enabling him to win the 1975 Goncourt Prize (a second win in violation of the prize's rules).<ref name=NYT1981>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/02/books/gary-won-75-goncourt-under-pseudonym-ajar.html|title=Gary won '75 Goncourt under Pseudonym 'Ajar'|date=2 July 1981|work=The New York Times|first=Frank J.|last=Prial}}</ref>

Gary also published under the pseudonyms Shatan Bogat and Fosco Sinibaldi.<ref name=NYT1981/>

===Literary work===
[[File:Place Romain-Gary, Paris 15.jpg|thumb|Place Romain-Gary, located in Paris' [[15th arrondissement of Paris|15th arrondissement]]]]

Gary became one of France's most popular and prolific writers, writing more than 30 novels, essays and memoirs, some of which he wrote under a pseudonym.

He is the only person to win the [[Prix Goncourt]] twice. This prize for French language literature is awarded only once to an author. Gary, who had already received the prize in 1956 for ''[[Les racines du ciel]]'', published ''[[La vie devant soi]]'' under the pseudonym Émile Ajar in 1975. The [[Edmond Louis Antoine Huot de Goncourt|Académie Goncourt]] awarded the prize to the author of that book without knowing his identity. Gary's cousin's son [[Paul Pavlowitch]] posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book ''Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar''.<ref>Gary, Romain, ''Vie et mort d'Émile Ajar'', Gallimard – NRF (17 juillet 1981), 42p, {{ISBN|978-2-07-026351-6}}.</ref> Gary also published as Shatan Bogat, René Deville and Fosco Sinibaldi, as well under his birth name Roman Kacew.<ref>{{cite book | first=Anna | last=Lushenkova | chapter=La réinvention de l'homme par l'art et le rire: 'Les Enchanteurs' de Romain Gary | title=Écrivains franco-russes | volume=318 | series=Faux titre | editor1-first=Murielle Lucie | editor1-last=Clément | publisher=Rodopi | year=2008 | isbn=978-90-420-2426-7 | pages=141–163 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=Les grandes impostures littéraires: canulars, escroqueries, supercheries, et autres mystifications | first=Philippe | last=Di Folco | publisher=Écriture | year=2006 | isbn=2-909240-70-3 | pages=111–113 }}</ref>

In addition to his success as a novelist, he wrote the screenplay for the motion picture ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'' and co-wrote and directed the film [[Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!]] (1971),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Romain Gary |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0308900/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> which starred his wife at the time, [[Jean Seberg]]. In 1979, he was a member of the jury at the [[29th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="berlinale">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1979/04_jury_1979/04_Jury_1979.html |title=Berlinale 1979: Juries |access-date=8 August 2010 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>

=== Diplomatic career ===
After the end of the hostilities, Gary began a career as a [[diplomat]] in the service of France, in consideration of his contribution to the liberation of the country. In this capacity, he held positions in Bulgaria (1946–1947), Paris (1948–1949), Switzerland (1950–1951), New York (1951–1954) at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations. Here, he regularly rubbed shoulders with the Jesuit [[Pierre Teilhard de Chardin|Teilhard de Chardin]], whose personality deeply marked him and inspired him, particularly for the character of Father Tassin in ''[[Les Racines du ciel]]''. He was positioned in London 1955, and as Consul General of France in Los Angeles 1956–1960. Back in Paris, he remained unassigned until he was laid off from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1961).