UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, spoke at the event, pointing to how his actions can inspire us all to be heroes in our own way. He appeared before enthusiastic crowds at He was serving as a mess man on the USS Gregory when it was sunk by Japanese forces near the Solomon Islands in September of 1942. On the night of September 4, 1942, during the Battle of Guadalcanal, the USS Gregory was struck by an attack from multiple Japanese destroyers. A United States Navy messman, French courageously acted after the Japanese navy struck a U.S. ship in the South Pacific during the conflict. He swam between six and eight hours in shark-infested water before being rescued by marines in a navy landing craft. French had enlisted . Resend Activation Email. The award was presented on May 21, 2022, at Naval Base San Diego, at a ceremony in which the base's rescue swimmer training pool was dedicated in French's honor. 18 February 2022. Abandon ship! He served his four years in the Navy working the mess decks of Hawaii-based heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and returned home to Nebraska in 1941. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Adrian told him it was impossible that he would only be giving himself up to the sharks that surrounded them "French responded that he was not afraid. We have no information about Charles's family. Along with Doris Dorie Miller, who received the Navy Cross for valor during the attack on the fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, French was one of the most celebrated Black sailors during the war. I think Charles Jackson French's story of rescue is one of the most amazing I have ever read, and I never heard of him prior to today, March 5, 2021. 0000189418 00000 n Charles Jackson French was a Navy Mess Specialist 1st Class Petty Officer the night the USS Gregory (APD 3) was sunk by Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Guadalcanal. "I knew that if we floated ashore we'd be taken as prisoners of war," he said. 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See What AncientFaces Does to discover more about the community. Box 6237, in San Diego, California. To serve side-by-side with his fellow troops knowing the unfair treatment he faced is one thing, but to be willing to put his body under such duress to save them is beyond heroic. 0000104051 00000 n The name of Charles Jackson French resurfaced in 2009, when his story was part of an exhibit on Black Swimming History at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. For his actions, French received a letter of commendation from the commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet, Adm. William F. Bull Halsey. With Adrian amongst the rescued Sailors on board the raft, French started to tie a rope around his waist. The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. This was during a period of American history when segregation was active, which means black men and white men were not permitted to swim together, even during Navy swim calls in the ocean. Four days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, French reenlisted into the Navy and was assigned to Gregory in March 1942. 0000110793 00000 n 330 0 obj <>stream Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Charles Jackson French. 0000125572 00000 n After the death of his parents, he lived with his older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. Find the nearest body of water to you. <<4EEFF01CF8009C438CF4B522CFC4463C>]/Prev 1234002/XRefStm 2222>> In 1932, Charles was merely 13 years old when five years to the day after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic, Amelia Earhart flew solo from Newfoundland to Ireland, the first woman to cross the Atlantic solo and the first to replicate Lindbergh's feat. Branch of service: Us Navy F. Baurer, the ships CO. 0000012696 00000 n Outgunned, Gregory only lasted three minutes from the time the flares were dropped to the time she began to sink. 0000009327 00000 n Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. African American History: Research Guides & Websites, Global African History: Research Guides & Websites, African American Scientists and Technicians of the Manhattan Project, Envoys, Diplomatic Ministers, & Ambassadors, https://omaha.com/news/local/history/back-in-the-day-oct-30-1942-omahas-hero-of-the-solomon-islands-returns-home/article_ef06042c-2788-11ec-a5e1-4b1dd928d8f4.html, https://omaha.com/news/local/nebraska-reps-seek-to-name-benson-post-office-for-black-omaha-wwii-hero/article_66699ca0-d8ff-11eb-aee6-474cdd1763ba.htm, https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/memorial-day-rewind-the-forgotten-hero-of-wwii/, Foundation, Organization, and Corporate Supporters. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. He is also recognized by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He asked for help to tie a rope around his waist and towed them to safety." When 2 or more people share their unique perspectives, The average age of Where we share as we remember & make discoveries and connect with others to help answer questions. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. French saved the lives of more than a dozen Sailors by swimming through the night, dragging a raft full of injured shipmates through shark-infested waters. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Charles Jackson French (September 25, 1919 - November 7, 1956) was a United States Navy sailor. French, a United States Navy Messman, swam through shark-infested waters for six to eight hours on the night of September 5, 1942 pulling a raft of 15 surviving sailors with a rope around his . The Biography piece is collaborative, where we work together to present the facts. May we all proceed and help others with the courage and strength of Messman Charles Jackson French, a name that will never be forgotten. After the engagement, a group of about fifteen men were adrift on a raft, which was being deliberately shelled by Japanese naval forces. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. While the crews of Gregory and Little debated whether to engage the Japanese destroyers or depart quietly, a Navy pilot also spotted the flashes of fire. Some speculate that alcoholism played a role, as there are some reports of French having to deal with the stresses of returning from war alone. 0000008519 00000 n Wounded and dying, the skipper ordered two companions to leave him and go to the aid of another crewman who was yelling for help, historians wrote. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Jump in and swim for two hours straight, then come back and tell us how you feel. 0000004154 00000 n 0000732899 00000 n Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 17741985, Record Group 92. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. [Charles Jackson French's name might not be a household one, but he was once named the Hero of the Year by the Chicago Defender. This he was denied, though for a brief moment in the mid-1940s . Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. I have a new hero and his name is Charles Jackson French. Section N Site 490 P.o. HUmo0/Fj'C&ThnR34M&-83(>g9t&i&M$]u8#J"I+K*$eS,tY9Jw*/dZZdW+uES3 n %}*ht0.x'AK){O"Nui -4Rdm9X{H$gU~7V;"~[L;ubr=@xd 0000101669 00000 n [8] The commendation stated: For meritorious conduct in action while serving on board of a destroyer transport which was badly damaged during the engagement with Japanese forces in the British Solomon Islands on September 5, 1942. This is the family of Charles Jackson French. With the attack on Pearl Harbor . an outstanding biography' Max Hastings, Sunday Times The definitive biography of the greatest French statesman of mode Fellow troops tried to talk him out of the desperate move, to take cover and escape the shark-infested waters, but French wouldnt listen. French was one of six Sailors who swam through the night and up to eight hours, rescuing all but 11 members of Gregorys crew. I knew that if we floated ashore we'd be taken as prisoners of war," he said. With Adrian amongst the rescued Sailors on board the raft, French started to tie a rope around his waist. Posted by 1 year ago. AncientFaces is a place where our memories live. His father skipped out on the family when he was 10 and the boy completed his elementary education in Newark, then began college at Syracuse University but abruptly quit. May 18, 2018, 11:38 AM. 0000012613 00000 n endstream endobj 265 0 obj <> endobj 266 0 obj [285 0 R] endobj 267 0 obj <>stream ancestry.com, "Chicago Defender Interviews Navy Hero on Rescues," (Chicago), Black Swimming History: Forgotten Hero of WWII, https://ishof.org/assets/charles-jackson-french_article.pdf, "How Charles French swam eight hours in shark waters to save 15 U.S sailors in WWII", "Navy Dedicates Rescue Swimmer Training Pool and Presents Posthumous Award to WWII Hero's Family", "Remembering a Forgotten World War II Hero", "Omaha post office to be renamed in honor of local World War II hero", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_Jackson_French&oldid=1116036338, United States Navy personnel of World War II, African-American United States Navy personnel, Burials at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, People from Little River County, Arkansas, All articles with bare URLs for citations, Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022, Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 October 2022, at 13:20. 0000002403 00000 n A few months after his 18th birthday, French joined the Navy as a Mess Attendant one of the only positions open to black men at the time. The National Archives at College Park, College Park, Maryland. charles jackson french swam 6-8 hours in 1942nd a saved 15 of his crewmates and died in 1956. Charles Jackson French was born on 25 Sep 1919. i6 oSs$tXE`q8X4A`q8X4][D28c}SKYjn1gwQ]7/ O endstream endobj 269 0 obj <>stream Biographies are our place to remember and discover more about the people important to us. 0000003092 00000 n He received an honorable discharge on November 11, 1941, but re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor. Oops, something didn't work. Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7th, 1956 at the age of 37. Charles Jackson French has a story thats been forgotten in the pages of history. [6][7] For this action, French received a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. in May 1943. STEWARDS MATE 1/C US NAVY WORLD WAR II On September 5, 1942, United States Navy Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French, of Omaha Nebraska, swam through the night for 6 - 8 hours pulling a raft of 15 wounded sailors with a rope around his stomach through shark infested waters after the USS Gregory was hit. 0000175553 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % We mourn with the loved ones who are in deep pain post hearing this death news.We request to kindly like and subscribe to our channel, so that in the future as well, we can provide the latest and accurate news at the earliest.In case you share some memories with Charles Jackson, and want the world to know about the same, you are requested to share them here.Please use the share icon to make this news accessible to more people. The U.S. Navy Ship the U.S.S. Charles de Gaulle had 'a certain idea of France' which even he didn't manage to articulate clearly. Navy landing craft have this option this window, and upload the viewer. 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