French swam against the current for between six and eight hours. It is the service's highest award for noncombat heroism . He went into the service as a mess attendant, the only rate then available to . French towed a raft loaded with his wounded shipmates through shark-infested waters to safety near Guadalcanal. French was a swimmer who performed a heroic act that gave others another chance at life. Despite the fact that more than one million African Americans served, not a single Black soldier received the Medal of Honor. When bombs sank the. Navy officials escorted members of Frenchs family to his gravesite at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, on San Diegos Point Loma peninsula. You have permission to edit this article. Maybe they can stop naming warships after politicians and go back to naming them after actual heroes? He received an honorable discharge on November 11, 1941, but re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor. A Black sailor swam against sharks to save his White shipmates. Charles will be remembered fondly for his generous spirit, his kind and gentle nature, and the lasting impact he left on those he loved. The Navy dedicated a pool there to French. In the end, there were fifteen additional sailors on the raft with the mess attendant. French's story first came to light when Robert N. Adrian a young ensign, told a reporter from the Associated Press about how Charles braved the Pacific Ocean to bring the men to . He was celebrated in the Black press and was even the subject of a syndicated comic strip. After the death of his parents, he lived with an older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. To see these posts, click this link, For Womens History Month 2022 we featured 31 amazing Black women we should all know. We depend on your support and thank you for it! Dismiss. Yeah, I know, not with this illegitimate regime in place. Read the full statement. For this heroic action, in saving the lives of 15 US Sailors, Petty Officer French, an African American, recieved little more than a simple letter of commendation in his file. This to the scientific notationed! Will you do the same? This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. He was born in Foreman, Arkansas on September 25, 1919. If the latter, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal might have been the most apropos award. www.epmcknight.wixsite.epfitspiration Follow me: Tiktok, imdb.me/epmcknight. From left are Navy public affairs officer Krishna Jackson, Samuel Harris, Chester French Jr., Michael Harris, Linda French, Christopher Harris, Roscoe Harris, Christopher Harris Jr., Mark Harris and Capt. On November 7, 1956, in San Diego, California, Charles Jackson French, 37 at the time, died. The mess attended tied a rope around his waist and the boat and began the journey. French received a letter of commendation from Admiral Bull Halsey that said; 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. Proclamations naming the Benson post office in his uncle's honor are featured on easels in front of the stage. On January 11, 1945, French was serving aboard the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier that was involved in the Battle of Okinawa. Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content. Lets get this HERO the Medal of Honor, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-days Black Heroes, at Home and at War. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. He swam six to eight hours in shark-infested waters before being rescued by marines on a navy landing craft. As promising as that sounded, that was the most dangerous place to be for fear that they would be captured and executed. These sailors and soldiers were welcomed back to American soil with signs that pointed one way for Whites and the other way for Blacks. Now many feel that a letter of commendation for a heroic eight hour swim through sharks and enemy shell fire is not enough. C harles Jackson French, a Black Navy swimmer and petty officer finally gets recognition for his courage to save his White teammates during World War II. The ultimate insult! Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French was an American hero who gave his life in service of his country. He exemplified our core values and faced adversity with unwavering grit and selflessness. Though the survivors felt French deserved a Medal of Honor or at least a Silver Star, the Swimming Hall of Fame story states, he never received either. It is not necessary to purchase the item in the link. C harles Jackson French, a Black Navy swimmer and petty officer finally gets recognition for his courage to save his White teammates during World War II. "The country did . This is his jaw-dropping story. French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. In June 2022, the President Joe Biden, signed into law (H.R.4168) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6223 Maple Street, in Omaha, Nebraska, as the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office. He deserves at least the Navy Cross. French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. He died in 1956, at age 37, of depression and alcoholism from untreated post-traumatic stress, family members say. This might be the first time I agree with Malcolm Nance. The mess attendant rescued his fellow crew members in 1942, after their ship was sunk in the Solomon Islands. His story was retold in comic strips and trading cards, and he traveled the country to help sell war bonds before enthusiastic crowds. In San Diego in 2022, French's family was presented with his posthumous Navy and Marine Corps medal. Aboard a lift raft with several other sailors and drifting towards enemy-held islands, French volunteered to tow the raft himself by swimming. French was a swimmer who performed a. In cases where you shop at Amazon for example you are encouraged to use our links anytime you shop there. To see the posts, click here. If they floated ashore, an ensign on the raft later said, they would be taken as prisoners of war, according to an article on the International Swimming Hall of Fames website. He re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor where he was assigned to be a mess attendant. He remembers meeting his uncle during World War II just after the famous rescue and being inspired to learn to swim. Omaha, NE, 68182. Custer is the first soldier in US history to receive the militarys highest honor twice, as well as the first to do so twice. Miller received the Navy Cross (the second-highest award for combat valor) and Bell received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (the highest award for noncombat heroism). Ted Carlson, commander of Naval Base San Diego. We encourage you to share the site on social media. 80 years later, Omaha hero who swam in shark-infested waters receives Navy honor. In 2022, the Navy announced that they would name a pool at their San Diego base in Frenchs honor. charles jackson french swam 6-8 hours in 1942nd a saved 15 of his crewmates and died in 1956. Im glad I waited til the evening to read this, its beer:30 hours at Fort Roh-Dog and this cold one is hoisted to the deeds of Messman Charles French. Virginia State Conference NAACP, Doris (Dorie) Miller, is a Black veteran, who demonstrated such dedication to his duty on December 7, 1941, when his ship was attacked in Pearl Harbor, Doris Miller showed little regard for his safety when he dragged his wounded captain and several shipmates to safety before manning an anti-aircraft gun that he had never been trained to use, and brought down several Japanese planes, but was not recommended for the Medal of Honor. His innovative methods of construction and design, along with his exceptional organizational skills, made him a highly sought-after engineer across the United States. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). I [just] froze and tried to surface and float, [get] my feet outta the water.. As a result, he is an inspiring example of the bravery and commitment of our youth. He told the story to the Associated Press which he also did on NBC radio program It Happened in the Service., Ensign Robert N. Adrian was awarded the Purple Heart and the man who rescued him got a letter meritorious conduct in action. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he noted that part of his job is to make sure that our veterans receive the recognition they deserve for their courage and dedication to our country. Who is Ruth McBride Jordan? French served aboard the USS Houston for four years before returning to Omaha. Charles Jackson French (on stage, not pictured) led a crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance at the Omaha Auditorium on Nov. 11, 1942, during the city's largest Armistice Day observance since the end of World War I 24 years earlier. Navy Chief of Information Rear Adm. Charles Brown retweeted the post, thanking Nance for highlighting Frenchs heroic story and promising to work with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday to see whether the service could do anything more to recognize the sailor. Award of a Medal of Honor would require congressional intervention, but award of a Navy Cross or a Navy and Marine Corps Medal would not. Since they were taking direct fire, Id feel the Navy Cross the more appropriate of the two. Charles Jackson French, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on June 17th, 2020. During his youth, he would often swim in the Red River and became quite adept at it. Charles Jackson French was discharged from the Navy on Nov. 13, 1941, but reenlisted a month later after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He deserves a higher award, and a destroyer named in his honor. This is a close as you can get to a system of slavery as it is forced on the service member. urging Congress and President Joe Biden to posthumously award French the Medal of Honor . In 2011, the National Board of the NAACP passed a resolution requesting the Medal Of Honor for Doris (Dorie) Miller. Charles Jackson French is another unsung Black veteran who demonstrated extreme heroism after his ship was attacked in the early morning of September 5, 1942. Former Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP) President Linda Thomas put forth a resolution for two Black Veterans who should be awarded the Medal of Honor for their committed acts of extreme valor and heroism but were denied consideration solely because of their race. Gregory near the Solomon Islands. The story of men who served their country when to do so was to endure, or to appear to accept the humiliating admission of ones own inferiority. I got the hell scared outta me, French told Chester Wright, author of the 2009 book Black Men and Blue Water, in an interview after the Korean War. This denied qualified service members training that could be used after the military. Steve is the military affairs reporter for The World-Herald. The rescued men angrily reacted to this decision, threatening a fight if it wasnt reversed. Charles Jackson (MEng, DIS, MINCOSE) Expand search. French finished a four-year Navy tour in November 1941 and was visiting family in Omaha when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. French was a swimmer who performed a. His conduct was in keeping with the highest traditions of the Naval Service. 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When the sailors were rescued, the Master at Arms attempted to separate French from the men he had just saved. In this story can be found the heretofore-unwritten chapters of one phase of the Negroes march toward freedom in America, written by a man who participated in it. Frenchs story was soon told by the War Gum Trading Card Company. The above summary gives a view of Charles Jackson French, a man who deserves a place in history, but like many Blacks have been excluded. Join now . 6001 Dodge Street, Jobs People Learning Dismiss Dismiss. He had first enlisted in the Navy in 1937 [1] and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. James McBride, journalist, musician, and son, explores his mothers past, as well as his own upbringing and heritage, in a poignant and powerful debut, The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother. He was awarded both the Army and Navy Medal of Honor, the French Mdaille militaire and Croix de Guerre as well as decorations from Italy, Montenegro and Portugal. French stayed in the military until the end of the war, then took a civilian job with the Navy in San Diego. 1603) On June 20, 2022, President Biden signed it into law. French tied a line to himself and swam for more than two hours without rest, thus attempting to tow the raft. Perhaps racism played a role in French not receiving proper recognition. Charles Denver Barger (June 3, 1892 - November 25, 1936) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I.He earned the medal while serving as a Chauchat automatic rifle gunner during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, when he and another soldier, Jesse N. Funk, entered no man's land despite . Growing Up and Early Naval Days. He was a powerful swimmer and towed the raft for somewhere between six and eight hours throughout the night, until a landing craft discovered and rescued them. We know of this story because of the courage demonstrated by Ensign Robert N Adrian, the only officer from the bridge of the Gregory to survive. Charles Jackson French (September 25, 1919 - November 7, 1956) was a United States Navy sailor. That led to recognition during the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials held in Omaha in 2021. Rep. Don Bacon Honors Navy Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French, Immortal Valor: The Black Medal of Honor Winners of World War II. He went into the service as a mess attendant, the only rate then available to a Black man. He pulled off his clothes, had his shipmates help tie a rope around his waist, and dove into the water. He disrobed and with assistance tied the tow rope around his waist and swam what is estimated to be six to eight hours. Dismiss. Eric Ewing, executive director of the Great Plains Black History Museum, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. Your email address will not be published. In May 2022, the Navy finally presented French'srelatives with a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal in recognition of his heroics. French, a strong swimmer since youth, volunteered to swim the boat away from the Japanese island. Social media posts over the weekend began highlighting the story of Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French of Foreman, Arkansas, who became a national hero after the destroyer Gregory was sunk Sept. 5, 1942, by Japanese warships near Guadalcanal. French, who moved to Omaha as a teen, first enlisted in the US Navy in 1937. Dorie Miller is the most well-known African American hero of World War II. A little more than a week after Thomas first called the Senators office, Kaine wrote letters to President Joe Biden concerning Miller and French. He was a talented carpenter, a skilled handyman, and a master of DIY projects. Her husband, Floyd, has served on the Caroline Board of Supervisors for. U.S. Navy sailor Charles Jackson French saved 15 shipmates by dragging a life raft through shark-infested waters after the Japanese sank the USS Gregory in 1942. . The story of Charles Jackson French's World War II valor was told and retold, especially in Black newspapers. But French said he wasnt afraid. His heroism was recognized in popular culture, though. This whole story violates the laws of physics. The living quarters were strictly segregated as was housing for family members. The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. He was a talented carpenter, a skilled handyman, and a master of DIY projects. Hundreds of Blacks were slaughtered and 10,000 left homeless in this largely unknown event. 18 February 2022 SAN DIEGO - The Navy announced plans today to dedicate a rescue swimming training pool at Naval Base San Diego to Mess Attendant First Class Charles Jackson French in honor. 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. Charles Jackson French is what makes America great. 2023 A Month of Tribute to 31 Women We Should All Know, Rosewood A Typical Race Riot in America. Did Charles Jackson French receive the Medal of Honor? Rear Adm. Charles Brown presents a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chester French Jr. of Omaha, nephew of Mess Attendant 1st Class Charles Jackson French, and Chesters wife, Linda, on May 21 in San Diego. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! On January 11, 1945, French was serving aboard the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier . A pool and a letter of commendation dont seem like enough for this true American hero. The injustices of 1940s Jim Crow America are brought to life in this extraordinary blend of military and social history, an account that pays tribute to the valor of an all-black battalion whose crucial contributions at D-day have gone unrecognized to this day. I know that lots of guys missed out on medals for one reason or another, but for him to be recognized at the time for risking life (from nature) to avoid having his companions killed by direct action or by being taken prisoner of the Japanese and to just get a letter seems more than just an over-site. On September 4th of 1942, the USS Gregory found itself under attack from Japanese destroyers. French had been hailed as the hero of the Solomon Islands after the sinking of his ship, the USS Gregory, on Sept. 5, 1942, near Guadalcanal. They were spotted and rescued by friendly forces when racism reared its ugly head. His own father served in the war, too. Story\Experience 43 comments 100% Upvoted This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast Sort by: best A pool used to train rescue swimmers at Naval Base San Diego also was named in Frenchs honor at the ceremony. The Arkansas native had moved to Omaha to live with his sister as a youth after his parents died, and he became one of the most famous Black war heroes of the 1940s. 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Brown noted that, with Frenchs name and photo attached to the Navy pool, his story will be told well into the future. sliewer@owh.com; twitter.com/Steve Liewer. The night that propelled Charles Jackson French into the role of hero was September 5, 1942, when enemy bombs sank the U.S.S. During the melee, fifteen sailors were put abord a life raft but there was danger that they would drift towards land. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. The VSC NAACP is in full support of Thomass campaign. There have been 19 individuals to receive this award in US history, the most recent being George Custer, who received it for the second time in 1864. The inaugural Hero of the Heartland event, hosted by UNOs Office of Multicultural Affairs and UNOs Military-Connected Resource Center, honored a World War II hero whose acts have been largely forgotten for decades. This is the story of the Stewards, Cooks and Messboys who manned that branch of naval service. Rear Adm. Charles Brown presented eight of Frenchs relatives with a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal on May 21 in San Diego. [2] His projects included the construction of a number of canals, railroads, and other public works, including the Washington Aqueduct and the Potomac Aqueduct in Washington, D.C. Charles Jackson Frenchs work was instrumental in the development of the modern infrastructure that we rely on today. Born in a small town in California, Charles was a man of many talents. U . But his story will be told during a ga, A Virginia woman is trying an unconventional approach to secure the Medal of Honor for two WWII heroes, including Charles Jackson French, who , The University of Nebraska at Omaha honored a long-unsung World War II hero once lauded as a human tugboat during a Black History Month even, Metropolitan Community College is seeking to take over a Marine Corps facility next to its Fort Omaha campus for future expansion. French became famous after his commander, Ensign Robert Adrian, told the story on a radio program broadcast across the country. According to the U.S. Navy Press Office, French had moved to Omaha from Arkansas, but re-enlisted in the Navy days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He was a true patriot whose dedication and dedication to country served as a model for future generations. I find it hard to believe that the Admiral would sign a letter of commendation that said that and thought it was the right award, if race did not play a part. S. House of Representatives: Demand a Congressional Medal of Honor for Petty Officer Charles Jackson French - Sign the Petition! You must know this HERO Charles Jackson French, Charles Jackson French survived the destruction of the USS Gregory and then swam for hours dragging a life raft full of his shipmates through Shark infested waters. Charles Jackson French, a Black Navy swimmer and petty officer finally gets recognition for his courage to save his White teammates during World War II. This story or history was written to correct one of the many wrongs in the recording of American History. Another of Frenchs nephews, 89-year-old Roscoe Harris of Omaha, also attended, along with two of his own sons and three of his grandsons. Messman Charles French became a hero to his shipmates after their destroyer USS Gregory (DD-82) was sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy ships on 5 September 1942. On September 5, 1942, U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French navigated through shark-infested waters with a rope around his waist, towing 15 wounded sailors to safety from. During his youth, he would often swim in the Red River and became quite adept at it. 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. French was memorialized on War gum trading cards and in a comic strip. The first was an enlistment was in 1937 when he served four years before receiving an honorable discharge in 1941. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. These are the least desired jobs possible and beneath the White troops. Perhaps it was that he wasnt considered to be in combat. Teachers are pumped. www.epmcknight.wixsite.epfitspiration Follow me: Tiktok, imdb.me/epmcknight. French was also the only African American to appear on World War II patriotic trading cards issued by GUM, Inc. He quickly went to work pulling other sailors aboard with him. French stayed in the US Navy in 1937 a rope around his waist and the boat and began the.... The Red River and became quite adept at it reacted to this,. 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