Yet, history has overlooked him. Within days, French, 22, reenlisted. A letter of commendation? Thats when French a 22-year-old sailor in the racially segregated messman branch volunteered to tow them to safety, the article states. Charles Jackson French is what makes America great. 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. The gunfire hit two of the ships boilers and the Gregory was set ablaze by the fire. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal, the highest award for heroism not in combat and the non-combat equivalent of the Navy Cross, had only been created by executive order a month before Frenchs actions. French saved. On January 11, 1945, French was serving aboard the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier that was involved in the Battle of Okinawa. He re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor where he was assigned to be a 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 . 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. He was a talented carpenter, a skilled handyman, and a master of DIY projects. French made public appearances after the rescue, including attending a Creighton University football game with his sister in 1942. The rescued men angrily reacted to this decision, threatening a fight if it wasnt reversed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Despite the fact that he did not receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, French was awarded the second highest honor, just below the Congressional Medal of Honor, which had been given to Doris Miller. 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. . French was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal in recognition of his bravery and combat action. For Black History Month 2021, we focused on Black Medical Achievements, Inventors and Scientists.To see those posts, click here. This request was also forwarded to the National NAACP office asking for a resolution to be adopted. His innovative methods of construction and design, along with his exceptional organizational skills, made him a highly sought-after engineer across the United States. French was a swimmer who performed a. The International Swimming Hall of Fame had this painting created of French, one of the most famous Black heroes of World War II. 2022 State Convention | NAACP: The Urgency of Now, 2023 Virginia NAACP Legislative Priorities, Copyright 2023 This blog was created to share a passion for all things Southern. French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. A pool used to train rescue swimmers at Naval Base San Diego also was named in Frenchs honor at the ceremony. Mrs. Thomas requests the Medal of Honor for the following Black Veterans: More than 3500 Medals of Honor have been given out to date, according to the National Medal of Honor Museum, however, less than 100 of those recipients are African-American. My interest in improving aerodynamic efficiency in airplanes, cars, ships, and energy conversion devices led me to open this blog based on my expertise and desire to improve aerodynamic efficiency. French, who moved to Omaha as a teen, first enlisted in the US Navy in 1937. 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. Charles Jackson French: Hero Without a Medal. The award was presented on May 21, 2022, at Naval Base San Diego, at a ceremony in which the bases rescue swimmer training pool was dedicated in his honor. This man did as much if not more than a medic often does to save 15 of his comrades from capture, while being actively shelled, in shark infested waters. Bill to honor World War II hero Charles Jackson French at Omaha post office signed into law Updated: 6:46 PM CDT Jun 15, 2022 Infinite Scroll Enabled KETV Staff Report Show Transcript. 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. French was memorialized on War gum trading cards and in a comic strip. It is the services highest award for noncombat heroism and the same award presented to Lt. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the future U.S. president, for bravery under similar circumstances during World War II. A man who served and re-enlisted again when we entered World War II. He was a generous and kind soul who was always willing to lend a helping hand. BZ PO1 French! Follow him on Twitter @SteveLiewer. In Omaha, French was honored at a Creighton University football game and was selected to lead a crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance at an Armistice Day (now called Veterans Day) event. His family was presented with a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and a swimming pool used for training at the Naval Base San Diego was dedicated in his honor in May 2022. A world class collection of Black History inspired by a 5th grade teacher who told Arturo Schomburg that there was NO African history. The mess attendant died in 1956 at only 37 years of age. 6001 Dodge Street, This meant that if there were family members they had to live in ghettos like the general public. After the engagement, a group of about fifteen men were adrift on a raft, which was being deliberately shelled by Japanese naval forces. In his interview with Wright, French described the intense racism he encountered, even after he helped save his shipmates. After the death of his parents, he lived with his older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. 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. It has been reported that Charles Jackson French simply asked his injured crewmates, Just tell me if Im going the right way. Frenchs example shows that everyone has within themselves the capacity for great bravery. U.S. Navy Capt. Now, 80 years later, the Navy is finally catching up. It took so long.. The waters were shark-infested. Ted Carlson, commander of Naval Base San Diego, which makes this recognition of Charles (Jackson) Frenchs heroic actions even more significant.. . When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. After the engagement, a group of about fifteen men were adrift on a raft, which was being deliberately shelled by Japanese naval forces. Or even going back to the 90s when a lot of this (blacks finally getting the awards they deserve) started to happen. He told Adrian, Just keep telling me if Im going the right way. Once daylight broke, the raft was spotted by a scout plane, and a landing crew was sent out to rescue them. In her pitch, Thomas said, to politicians: If ever youve needed a moment that says, I can look past party and politics and everything else going on in the world, this is it. During the melee, fifteen sailors were put abord a life raft but there was danger that they would drift towards land. Hundreds of Blacks were slaughtered and 10,000 left homeless in this largely unknown event. Did Charles Jackson French receive the Medal of Honor? Ensign Robert Adrian realized that the currents were pulling the lifeboat back towards a Japanese-held island. There is no way a man with a set of brass balls the size of what PO1 French possessed could float, let alone tow a raft. The wording of the letter follows. French was also the only African American to appear on World War II patriotic trading cards issued by GUM, Inc. On May 21, 2022, a dedication ceremony for the bases rescue swimmer training pool in Frenchs honor was held at Naval Base San Diego, during which the award was presented. You have permission to edit this article. Charles Jackson French with his sister, Viola, at a Creighton football game on Oct. 31, 1942, at which he was honored. 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. French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions in 1942. On Thursday, a billto rename the Benson postal facility at 6223 Maple St. the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office cleared the Senate by a unanimous vote. Charles Jackson French with his sister, Viola, at a Creighton University football game on Oct. 31, 1942, at which he was honored. urging Congress and President Joe Biden to posthumously award French the Medal of Honor . You can cancel at any time. Although he demonstrated extreme bravery, instead of the Medal of Honor, all French received was a nice letter from the U. S. Navy. Her husband, Floyd, has served on the Caroline Board of Supervisors for. Charles Jackson French, an African American orphan and champion-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. For Black History Month 2022 we focused on Health and Wellness in the Black Community. Kudos to the man that stepped up and saved himself and others from the awful fate of becoming Jap POWs. I was elated, said Chester French Jr. of Omaha, Charles nephew, who attended along with several other French family members. Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French swam through shark-infested waters for hours while towing a raft loaded with 15 of his wounded USS Gregory shipmates. 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. As one of the survivors, French found himself in the water on a life raft. Since they were taking direct fire, Id feel the Navy Cross the more appropriate of the two. Well, that was the racism of the times, one has to admit. 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. He was responsible for the development and construction of hundreds of public works projects during his career. 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. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! The server is misbehaving. After his military service, French developed alcoholism and depression. 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 . His wife, Linda, called the event just awesome., It makes you want to cry, she said. French tied a line to himself and swam for more than two hours without rest, thus attempting to tow the raft. 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. This sounds horrendous and it was, but it is just one example of the horrors of war that greeted Black soldiers who had risked their lives for their country with the goal of making it an equitable society for all. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. Continue for more information on the site and posts that may be of interest. 80 years later, Omaha hero who swam in shark-infested waters receives Navy honor. He enlisted in the Navy in 1937 and became a mess attendant, one of the few military jobs open to African Americans in the segregated U.S. armed forces of that era. The ship sailed on the Pacific Ocean heading towards Guadalcanal. 2023 A Month of Tribute to 31 Women We Should All Know, Rosewood A Typical Race Riot in America. We depend on your support and thank you for it! Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos, books and value items. 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. French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. The living quarters were strictly segregated as was housing for family members. Charles Jackson French is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. Eric Ewing, executive director of the Great Plains Black History Museum, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event. The New York Times best-selling story from the author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction. These are the least desired jobs possible and beneath the White troops. 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It is time to honor those who deserve honor! Author and Navy veteran Malcolm Nance got the services attention Sunday when he tagged several official accounts in a Twitter post about French. The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother. During this time, the military followed the segregation laws that were prevalent in the nation. There are some that estimated the time at two hours but in any case, it was a tremendous physical act of courage, keeping in mind that the enemy was still searching for them with the intent of killing them. The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. 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. He was a mess steward, one of the few positions Black sailors were then allowed to fill in the military. 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