endstream endobj 268 0 obj <>stream 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 by Japanese naval fire near Guadalcanal. Buddy Blouin is a content writer that loves creating through the written word. The story was soon picked up by the national news, and Charles Jackson French was identified by NBC. This browser does not support getting your location. 0000006232 00000 n Interment Control Forms, A1 2110-B. Mess Attendant 1st Class Charles Jackson French, known only at the time by his last name, was on Gregory that night. 0000005708 00000 n John Henry Murphy Sr.; Slave. 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. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Charles Jackson French (25 September 1919 - 7 November 1956) [1] was an American war hero from Foreman, Arkansas. However he learned to swim, Frenchs days in Foreman were numbered. 0000193082 00000 n The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Charles French (72213738)? TwitterCharles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. He who had been looked down upon as a caste man, frozen in status, suddenly was looked up to as a SAVIOUR.. After the death of his parents, he lived with an older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. The story of Charles Jackson French takes an interesting turn once he and his fellow survivors reached safety. 0000003649 00000 n Many at home believed French should have received more. After reading about Charles Jackson French, discover the story of Doris Miller, a Black ships cook who became a naval hero during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was never seen again. Drag images here or select from your computer for Charles Jackson French memorial. He was buried in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery Section N Site 490, San Diego, California. The U.S. Navy Ship the U.S.S. French was born in Foreman, Arkansas in about 1920. A group of black soldiers had the misfortune to be captured by an SS unit and were tortured to death. It was Charles Jackson French, a negro mess attendant known only by his last name. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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 was lucky enough to escape without much harm and began gathering injured Sailors to put into a raft. Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7th, 1956 at the age of 37. Outside of searching through keyword data and creating blogs, he enjoys creating cocktails, cooking, and enjoying the Beautiful Game. French performed valiantly on September 5, 1942 disregarding his own personal safety to help save the lives of 15 wounded shipmates.". Though rumors spread that Charles Jackson French might be awarded the Navy Cross, he was given only a letter of commendation from Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., the then-commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. Growing Up and Early Naval Days. As he later recounted, as recorded by Chester Wright in Black Men and Blue Water, French and other uninjured soldiers were taken to a rest camp by their rescuers, who wanted to separate French from the white sailors. He had enlisted in the United States Navy in 1937. 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. Charles Jackson French - Unknown Hero. 0000003773 00000 n The author attempted to probe for the cause of such intense emotion concerning an incident that happened years before. I want to do my part, because Im already trained and I can start right away, French said at the time. "I knew that if we floated ashore we'd be taken as prisoners of war," he said. 0000005681 00000 n Charles's grandfather died before his birth on October 10, 1332. zP|CY`oRHw`)UV\[|d/X3"{JrX1}qI_ji7`;LZ2[!x7)X+f$'^"#au"jJm&?i+ Family members linked to this person will appear here. Charles Jackson French, an African-American orphan, and championship-caliber swimmer navigated shark infested waters for about eight hours during World War II on a frigid September 1942 night to pull to safety a raft of 15 sailors. Media maven. He is also recognized by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. 0000101669 00000 n 0000002550 00000 n I thought you might like to see a memorial for Charles Jackson French I found on Findagrave.com. 0000125638 00000 n On the French side was Philip VI, first cousin of Charles IV. But finally, after six decades, his heroic acts during World War II are finally being recognized and rewarded. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. May we all proceed and help others with the courage and strength of Messman Charles Jackson French, a name that will never be forgotten. Charles Jackson French, on the other hand, was slowly forgotten. It didnt stop the Foreman, Ark., native and avid swimmer since the age of 8, from tying a rope around his waist, jumping into the waters and defying the multitude of sharks that hungrily searched for prey. Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, Revolutionized American Warfare, Taylor Sheridan Is Taking on the Military World With New Spy Thriller, Mission Daybreak Rewards Those Fighting Against Veteran Suicide With Millions, Volunteers Needed for the Million Veteran Program. Little did he know that three weeks before his 23rd birthday, French would become a Navy hero. @Ll&F"|s^`l"1~#L-;x?z>G6?QUTNA/"yVb]-ef6&u&:3'rjW7D]UH)PpA-+vKN|Vz1Jb#c BF6P)cjTu #A [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. CNN's legal analyst Midwin Charles died aged 47 Credit: Getty. Perhaps out of fear of global embarrassment, Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. sent French a letter of commendation. Baltimore, MD 21202, Washington, DC Office Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Swimming until sunrise, French and the 15 Sailors on the raft he was towing were spotted by a scout aircraft. Please enter your email and password to sign in. 0000164084 00000 n Following his re-enlistment, Charles Jackson French was assigned to the USS Gregory as a Stewards Mate 1st class. At sunrise, an American scout finally spotted him and the others and sent rescue. "Omaha Negro Hero of Ship Disaster," (Columbus, Neb. endstream endobj 269 0 obj <>stream flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. The Famous Canals Of Venice Are Drying Up Due To Drought Conditions And Unusually Low Tides, 2,000-Year-Old Phallic Wooden Object Found In England Likely Oldest Roman Sex Toy Ever Found, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. 0000733291 00000 n 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. In the aftermath, French helped fifteen wounded survivors from the ship into a life raft. His former co-stars shared the story of young French's death on social media. Einhard, a Frankish scholar and contemporary of Charlemagne, wrote a biography of the emperor after his death. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. French may have been denied the medal because a Silver Star was awarded to one of his superiors and it was unprecedented to award a higher medal to a subordinate. And white soldiers and local white residents routinely slurred and harassed them.. Try again later. There was a problem getting your location. Charles J. French, Naval Hero born. U.S. NavyCharles Jackson French salutes while next to his sister Viola at a Creighton University football game on Oct. 31, 1942. Twitter Charles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery. Michael Jackson died in a desperate search for sleep. After his release, Macmillan Publishers gave him an advance for a new book. Her boilers had burst and her mess decks were aflame. 0000164266 00000 n Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The first was an enlistment was in 1937 when he served four years before receiving an honorable discharge in 1941. Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French swam through the night in shark infested waters towing a raft of wounded sailors with a rope around his waist. More like this: New Study Surfaces Detailing Racial Discrimination in the Military, Filed Under: Military History Tagged With: Black military history, Charles Jackson French, Navy. Midwin Charles, who also appeared on CNN and contributed to Essence magazine, died at the age of 47, her family said Tuesday. Sheritha Jones, Back in the Day, October 30, 1942: Omahas Hero of the Solomon Islands Returns Home to Honors. Omaha World-Herald, October 31, 2021, 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. GREAT NEWS! /EaX*3Do?OD"tp{o}7Mw'I^kos$ .4$H?uwn{Nw:g:Id,EN!g=/Nq t {}("4u|]]o:c}|\H;HE92, (j/p> dO~"$3$i'FwKk9Evhr-R|(}@4rY$^'\h? 0000106326 00000 n Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French was hailed as the hero of the Solomons and the Human Tugboat after a heroic rescue in the Pacific during World War II. Fearing that the raft would drift toward the shore where Japanese troops were located, French towed the raft of wounded survivors toward a different island. The 22-year-old saved the lives of 15 sailors . 4th of July 2022: Celebrating the Birth of Our Nation & Its Heroes, Military Appreciation Month 2022: Saluting Those Who Serve, Veterans Day 2022: Celebrating Those Whove Served, Meet Frank Emi, a WWII Hero You Need To Know, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the all-Black female 6888th Central Postal Battalion, demand a Congressional Medal of Honor for Petty Officer Charles Jackson French, New Study Surfaces Detailing Racial Discrimination in the Military, Here are 200 Remote Jobs for Veterans in 2023. Charles French was born on September 25, 1919, in Foreman, Arkansas. 21 comments 96% Upvoted This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast Sort by The memoirs are in three volumes that came out successively in 1954, 1956, and 1959. Thanks and have a good day ahead!#CharlesJacksonFrench#CharlesJacksonFrenchDeath#CharlesJacksonFrenchCauseOfDeath#Death#CauseOfDeath#CelebrityDeath#PopularCelebrityDeath#CheckCelebrityDeath#CheckCelebritiesDeath#CheckPopularCelebrityDeath#CheckPopularCelebritiesDeath Born Sept. 25, 1919, French died on Nov. 7, 1956, at 37. With Joan leading from the front, the French crushed the English in battle, drove them back for the first time in years, and got Charles officially crowned the King of France in 1429. . 0000110559 00000 n French tied a line to himself and swam for more than two hours without rest, thus attempting to tow the raft. 0000110793 00000 n French saved. 0000007741 00000 n Please reset your password. Charles French was an orphan from Foreman, Arkansas who learned to swim in the Red River at the age of eight. 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. 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