And by the time he was 18, French decided to strike out on his own and enlist in the U.S. Navy. 0000732899 00000 n This account has been disabled. episode was complicated by the issuance of a posthumous Silver Star to Lt. Cdr.H. 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. He had spent his last tour cruising around the Pacific. Failed to delete memorial. Just before 1 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 5, the two ships saw flashes of gunfire. Foreman, Little River County, Arkansas, USA, San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA. He also recounted the narrative on the NBC radio program, It Happened in the Service. Although Ensign Adrian received the Purple Heart for being wounded in action during the attack, French received a letter of commendation for meritorious conduct in action instead of a medal. Growing Up and Early Naval Days. 0000190805 00000 n 0000003773 00000 n You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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 the . Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! 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. 0000125638 00000 n Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. endstream endobj 269 0 obj <>stream Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. #CharlesJacksonFrench #CharlesJacksonFrenchOfDeath #CelebritiesCauseOfDeath Charles Jackson French Cause of Death (Mar 2021) Obituary, Death, Reason Show more Show more ER doctor who treated. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Many at home believed French should have received more. Charles Jackson French - Unknown Hero. memorial page for Jettie Mae French (4 Dec 1916-17 Nov 1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 3400830, citing Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego . Charles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. 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. Adrian told him it was impossible. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. On the night of September 5, 1942, French was on board the U.S.S. Before ascending the throne he . Gregory was hit by Japanese naval fire in the South Pacific. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. After sunrise, French and his fellow Sailors were spotted and eventually rescued. There is no real piety without heroism. 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. 0000164084 00000 n After his release, Macmillan Publishers gave him an advance for a new book. The situation caused the English royal house of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois to lock horns over the throne of France. While we may never hope to be in such a perilous situation, life will inevitably throw uncomfortable situations our way. There are campaigns to demand a Congressional Medal of Honor for Petty Officer Charles Jackson French posthumously and plans for the Navy to dedicate a rescue swimmer pool in his honor. 0000009327 00000 n 0000003885 00000 n When the USS Gregory sank in 1942, a mess hall officer named Charles Jackson French dragged a raft full of his wounded crewmates to safety through shark-infested waters. French rescued 15 wounded sailors after the ship he was on was bombed. GREAT NEWS! Try again later. Charles Jackson French (25 September 1919 - 7 November 1956) [1] was an American war hero from Foreman, Arkansas. The story of Charles Jackson French takes an interesting turn once he and his fellow survivors reached safety. 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. A system error has occurred. [6] Adm. Halsey was then commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Adrian and other white Americans owe their LIVES to a black man whom he identified as a mess attendant named French,' the Pittsburgh Courier, a Black newspaper, wrote after French was identified. Please reset your password. And white soldiers and local white residents routinely slurred and harassed them.. No cause of death was provided. He asked for help to tie a rope around his waist and towed them to safety." 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. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. m1zQ+Q=,m ZpS#Ar4HB|jP;eKKFZIz loT~Lwz8XZ+ $2=CWH#r#Tm#e4Y#jW#QX:0;"-Q:HA@(2+dh!`Z6-$Hh1bS{RoQ#-2 G=A}k 8B9Ns~#^Z-0I0L%%l^UjT7;Bw0 29iGjoU6[QqgYB6,)-$tWga(PC`[ImnM!bxyghkxH> ' W He re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor where he was assigned to . Born Sept. 25, 1919, French died on Nov. 7, 1956, at 37. Outgunned, Gregory only lasted three minutes from the time the flares were dropped to the time she began to sink. U[[[[[[[[[[`+{W]wEJ~wE+{WTx{7n4x= FOi4x= FOi|FgT"X,p.R~P;[+m*vi7p\ZOW 8 Swimming World Magazine speculates that French may have learned to swim by visiting the citys stone quarries and the Red River. He had enlisted in the United States Navy in 1937. Please enter your email and password to sign in. C harles Jackson French was born on September 25, 1919 and died November 7 1956. Born on Sept. 29, 1919, Charles Jackson French spent his early years in Foreman, Arkansas. 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. Today, Tuesday, March 2, the world wonders how Degrassi star Jahmil French die while he was only 29. The ensign told French the plan was crazy, that. 0000189970 00000 n He was a Black World War II hero. But, while his heroic story was later made public, Charles Jackson French received little recognition during his life. Family members linked to this person will appear here. At the time, Black and white pools were segregated, making it difficult for Black people to find opportunities to learn to swim. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. For three centuries, the islands were a setting for the transatlantic slave trade, exile for political prisoners of Portugal and a NYCs Early African American Settlements Weeksville, How the GI Bills Promise Was Denied to a Million Black WWII Veterans, The Thrilling Tale of How Robert Smalls Seized a Confederate Ship and Sailed it to Freedom, How this enslaved man was made to serve as a breeder to increase his owners slave populations. War Gum Trading Card CompanyA depiction of Charles Jackson Frenchs heroism from the. 0000108198 00000 n A small donation would help us keep this available to all. (j/p> dO~"$3$i'FwKk9Evhr-R|(}@4rY$^'\h? Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Charles Jackson French, an African-American orphan, and championship-caliber swimmer navigated shark infested waters for about eight hours during World War II on a frigid September 1942 night. In the first year of his. Contributor: Judy Borden Soos (46958020) Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7, 1956 at age 37. In London, King Charles I is beheaded for treason on January 30, 1649. The ship was severely damaged after only minutes and began to sink into the shark-infested waters. September 8, 2022 In "International" June 27, 2018 In "Education" Year should not be greater than current year. (.~O|#I=xO7Zz_/p>b;rv6IH/wYI@S* If legends surrounding his death are to be believed, Charles the Bad's death was equally as unpleasant as his life. DEFENCE attorney and CNN legal analyst Midwin Charles died at the age of 47. H\@ytu$ K"Ag2,!t4v9zpmLgws,O/t?4>s8v=]~xnvm/i;~>|IP7qsE:zO:}u]q*pb~{+pI.[#o7;9 T=%y .^ Vl`zzxzzzx yX+ This conversation with Charles Jackson French occurred shortly after the Korean War. 0000184704 00000 n Washington, DC 20002, Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent, AFRO endorsements for the 2022 midterm elections, A time to dance: Rev. He was a powerful swimmer, and swam all night, 6 to 8 hours, until they were eventually saved by a landing craft. 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. It wasnt until 1988 that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was promoted by President Ronald Reagan to the cabinet executive level. The first was an enlistment was in 1937 when he served four years before receiving an honorable discharge in 1941. ishof.org/assets. French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. Later that year Nebraskas three U.S. representatives, Don Bacon, Jeff Fortenberry, and Adrian Smith, co-sponsored H.R. By Navy standards, it would be nearly unprecedented for a subordinate to receive a higher decoration for an act of heroism comparable to that of a superior.. [6][7] For this action, French received a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. in May 1943. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. 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. Charles French was born on September 25, 1919, in Foreman, Arkansas. Charles Jackson French, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on June 17th, 2020. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. 0000190410 00000 n Gregory, a destroyer training ship, when it was sunk by the Japanese navy near the Solomon Islands. There was a problem getting your location. 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. 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. The unfortunate truth is that, while we know that French passed away at the age of 37 and is buried in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery located in San Diego, CA, things are blurry. F. Baurer, the ships CO. When Charles Jackson French was later identified, he became a national hero. He had first enlisted in the United States Navy in 1937 and had completed his . I can assure you that all the men on that raft are grateful to mess attendant French for his brave action off Guadacanal that night, Adrian said. As is the case with many African Americans who served America during the time, Charles Jackson French is a name that more people should know. ), Interment Control Forms, 19281962. The letter read, in part, 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 Sept. 5, 1942. French was memorialized on War Gum trading cards, in syndicated comic strips, on calendars, and The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year.
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