Wars/Conflicts: World War Ii. On September 5, 1942, United States Navy Messman Charles Jackson French 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. Charles Jackson French was 10 years old when The New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of '29 or "Black Tuesday", ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression. The night was black as ink and a haze was obscuring any landmarks, so the crews of Gregory and her sister ship USS Little (APD 4) were patrolling the area between Savo Island and Guadalcanal. As the attacks continued and the ship began to sink, many Sailors suffered injuries. 0000002403 00000 n With the attack on Pearl Harbor . Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. To use this feature, use a newer browser. These flares became a backdrop for the silhouettes of Gregory and Little who now became the targets of the Japanese destroyers and a Japanese cruiser that had joined them. Instead, he received a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr. in May 1943. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. French, an orphan described as a human tugboat, received a royal welcome from citizens of all races in his sister Violas hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Find the nearest body of water to you. [3] GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 0000733291 00000 n French tied a line to himself and swam for more than two hours without rest, thus attempting to tow the raft. It was Ensign Robert N. Adrian, the only officer from the bridge of the Gregory to survive, who told an Associated Press reporter about the rescue. In June 2021, he was honored by USA Swimming at the Olympics Swim Trials in Omaha. The story of a Black Navy vet who saved 15 of his crewmates during World War II was only known among a few families for many years. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. French was assigned to the mess (kitchen) as an attendant. Just before 1 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 5, the two ships saw flashes of gunfire. 1140 3rd St., 2nd Flr, NE During World War II,[1] messmate French swam 68 hours in shark-infested waters near Guadalcanal while towing a life raft with 15 USSGregory(DD-82) survivors of an attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy. French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. May 18, 2018, 11:38 AM. Arkansas born, African American, Petty Officer First Class, Charles Jackson French didn't imagine he would be completing such a feat at just the age of 23 years-old. 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. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. 0000186651 00000 n 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 . Charles Jackson French has a story thats been forgotten in the pages of history. SOURCE INTERNET SEARCH. Charles Jackson French (September 25, 1919 - November 7, 1956) was a United States Navy sailor. In addition, Rep. Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, has petitioned the navy, asking for French to be considered for a posthumous medal of honor. STEWARDS MATE 1/C US NAVY Charles French was buried at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery Section N Site 490 P.o. episode was complicated by the issuance of a posthumous Silver Star to Lt. Cdr.H. In addition to the War Gum trading card, his story was told in syndicated comic strips, on calendars and he made public appearances across the country to promote the sale of War Bonds. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. 0 1307. And white soldiers and local white residents routinely slurred and harassed them.. *(*B)$wHHB3Mg 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.. French, a United States Navy Messman, swam through shark-infested . He had first enlisted in the Navy in 1937[1] and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. Sadly, it wasn't much of a fight. [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. Joinhere! 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. TIL about Navy Seaman Charles Jackson French who, after his ship the USS Gregory was sunk in WWII, swam for 6-8 hours towing a raft of 15 survivors through shark-infested waters. 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. . Media maven. Adrian, though superficially wounded, was able to hang on. Writer: The Lost Weekend. When 2 or more people share their unique perspectives, Many were wounded and killed. John Henry Murphy Sr.; Slave. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Charles Jackson French. For his actions, French received a letter of commendation from the commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet, Adm. William F. Bull Halsey. The nations hierarchy denied French the Medal of Honor and did not consider him for a Silver Star, two of the highest honors bestowed for such self-sacrificing bravery. Lest We Forget. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Oops, something didn't work. French successfully brought these men to safety on the shores of The Solomon Islands. He died on November 7, 1956, in San Diego, California; he was only 37 years old. Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. 0000184704 00000 n However, at 1:23 a.m. on Sept. 5, 1942, French was one of a few uninjured Sailors that found themselves floating on makeshift rafts when the Japanese ships turned their guns from the crippled ships to the crew floating in the water. Try again later. The AFRO knows what its like to endure challenging times. HTM0+|] r7CJ1qh,ofo!l22}4go5 %Y,VkWdV0Rl'GDD+"A[*qMQV.:7yj~UO8z"a)/AW_zwU(:eE>W0T x'?CsJEJ0B~|!Sed8y%>%lI8 ~f0&Y|q`e'Z3%>UJ+0Q,Oi6Z?pQYCGUw } X:jSlS8*%Qs&@SFCe1j;A*dr|JWx@!66mNs/&GAxy2 c3q:m ;">7 De Gaulle biographer and one of Britain's leading historians of modern France, Julian Jackson, talks us through some key books to get a sense of France's wartime leader and president, Charles de Gaulle. 0 cemeteries found in San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA. Select the next to any field to update. 0000002550 00000 n Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 17741985, Record Group 92. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. A United States Navy messman, French courageously acted after the Japanese navy struck a U.S. ship in the South Pacific during the conflict. The ship was severely damaged after only minutes and began to sink into the shark-infested waters. He had first enlisted in the Navy in 1937 and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. Following his re-enlistment, Charles Jackson French was assigned to the USS Gregory as a Steward's Mate 1st class. With gunfire continuing all around them, French, a nearly 23-year-old Black man who wasnt even permitted to swim with his fellow white Sailors during training, tied a rope around his waist, tied the rope to the raft, and began to swim. He was born in Arkansas on 25 September 1919. #wzCa3H'HnmBfOhS9A^dexl(wu%pp; /[GL] E$ * @Ll&F"|s^`l"1~#L-;x?z>G6?QUTNA/"yVb]-ef6&u&:3'rjW7D]UH)PpA-+vKN|Vz1Jb#c BF6P)cjTu #A Weve updated the security on the site. Uline Arena Building Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! 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. and you'll be alerted when others do the same. Despite African American soldiers eagerness to fight in World War II, the same Jim Crow discrimination in society was practiced in every branch of the armed forces, historians at the website wrote. 0000010122 00000 n nv]Ps;d4=;.%6HF>|m}hQIk5C).vH x3F:D0efNyh>x?EKJR1Vr #i DD2o0P_zsYje!o,V During his youth, he would often swim in the Red River and became quite adept at it. 0000125572 00000 n You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. /EaX*3Do?OD"tp{o}7Mw'I^kos$ .4$H?uwn{Nw:g:Id,EN!g=/Nq t {}("4u|]]o:c}|\H;HE92, The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Tension was heightened by the use by many companies of blacks as strikebreakers. The New York Stock Exchange, is an American stock exchange located at 11 Wall . 4168 to rename an Omaha post office for French. What is Charles' ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Thanks and have a good day ahead!#CharlesJacksonFrench#CharlesJacksonFrenchDeath#CharlesJacksonFrenchCauseOfDeath#Death#CauseOfDeath#CelebrityDeath#PopularCelebrityDeath#CheckCelebrityDeath#CheckCelebritiesDeath#CheckPopularCelebrityDeath#CheckPopularCelebritiesDeath Postal Service held a ceremony Friday in Omaha to formally rename the Benson branch post pffice for World War II Navy veteran Charles Jackson French. Gregory, a destroyer training ship, when it was sunk by the Japanese navy near the Solomon Islands. 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. His service to this country is something that should never be forgotten, and his story is one that can inspire all of us to do good for our fellow man. By: Aaron Sanderford - September 9, 2022 3:25 pm. What schools or universities did Charles attend? Charles Jackson French - saving 15 crewmen. He had first enlisted in the navy in 1937 and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. Ensign Adrian was the only one on the bridge to survive and floated over into the water as the ship sank below him. He moved from France to Thailand when he was 14. "Once Charles Jackson French was identified, he became a national hero. Abandon ship! Baltimore, MD 21202, Washington, DC Office Charles French was buried at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery 0000163762 00000 n This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Three Japanese destroyers Ydachi, Hatsuyuki, and Murakumo came into the Slot undetected to bombard American positions ashore. 0000125638 00000 n Charles Jackson French was born on September 25, 1919, and died at age 37 years old on November 7, 1956. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. A depiction of French's heroic actions was included in the WWII Commemorative Card Set produced by Gum Inc., based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Despite his heroism, the ignorantly prejudiced United States all but ignored French. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. 0000184407 00000 n The AFRO provides readers with good news about the Black community not otherwise found. Its a shame that so many who served our country were left to face the mental and physical ailments war may bring in solitude. [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. On the night of September 4, 1942, during the Battle of Guadalcanal, the USS Gregory was struck by an attack from multiple Japanese destroyers. Similar read: Meet Frank Emi, a WWII Hero You Need To Know. The story of Charles Jackson French's valor was told in newspapers, on radio dramas, in comics, in World War II calendars and on this bubble gum card. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Charles' lifetime. French performed valiantly on September . Attacked by the Japanese in the South Pacific. 0000732899 00000 n French would go on to earn the name The Human Tugboat and garner immense respect from his fellow military peers. Little did he know that three weeks before his 23rd birthday, French would become a Navy hero. Failed to remove flower. Her boilers had burst and her mess decks were aflame. 35 years shorter than Your donation is fully tax-deductible. charles jackson french swam 6-8 hours in 1942nd a saved 15 of his crewmates and died in 1956. Sorry! Aside from the Bible, it became the best selling book of the 20th century. After his . Mini Bio (1) Charles Jackson was born in 1903 into a wholly dysfunctional family in Summit, New Jersey. He gave his country two decades of prosperity under a stable, authoritarian government but . Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7th, 1956 at the age of 37. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. the average French family member 0000007046 00000 n French rescued 15 wounded sailors after the ship he was on was bombed. The story, incredible. French was one of six Sailors who swam through the night and up to eight hours, rescuing all but 11 members of Gregorys crew. 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