He received an honorable discharge on November 11, 1941, but re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor. The pilot dispatched a Marine landing craft to pick them up. 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. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. 0000002403 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % After decades of fighting, right when the French cause seemed the most lost, she led Charles's forces to victory after victory. 0000102129 00000 n 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,)-$tWga(PC`[ImnM!bxyghkxH> ' W As is the case with many African Americans who served America during the time, Charles Jackson French is a name that more people should know. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. Twitter Charles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Or, discover the forgotten stories of some of Americas most impressive Black war heroes. After turning 18, he joined the Navy and was a mess attendant, one of the few jobs that Black sailors were regulated too. hbbg`b``3 & hl/CQ?!yEAb [$~$HH5" ? To Frenchs surprise, the sailors insisted that French stay with them as a fellow member of Gregorys crew. Lest We Forget. 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. Try again later. This conversation with Charles Jackson French occurred shortly after the Korean War. F. Baurer, the ships CO. Gregory was hit by Japanese naval fire in the South Pacific. Please reset your password. endstream endobj 329 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[37 219]/Length 30/Size 256/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream k! French was lucky enough to escape without much harm and began gathering injured Sailors to put into a raft. 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. 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. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. TwitterCharles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery. French was memorialized on War Gum trading cards, in syndicated comic strips, on calendars, and The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. This account has been disabled. The situation caused the English royal house of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois to lock horns over the throne of France. After sunrise, French and his fellow Sailors were spotted and eventually rescued. Within minutes, two American ships on patrol were sunk by Japanese destroyers. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Charles VII, byname Charles The Well-served, orThe Victorious, French Charles Le Bien-servi, orLe Victorieux, (born Feb. 22, 1403, Parisdied July 22, 1461, Mehun-sur-Yvre, Fr. Jackson French was a 23 year-old orphan from Foreman, Arkansas who had enlisted in the navy in 1937. The U.S. Navy Ship the U.S.S. Charles Jackson French (25 September 1919 - 7 November 1956) [1] was an American war hero from Foreman, Arkansas. -- The story of Charles Jackson French captured the attention of Omaha in the weeks ahead of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. 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 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. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. On the night of September 4, 1942, during the Battle of Guadalcanal, the USS Gregory was struck by an attack from multiple Japanese destroyers. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). How- 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. 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. Many at home believed French should have received more. Can You Name All 8 United States Uniformed Services? Photo of Charles Jackson French and his sister Viola, appeared in the Omaha Star on 11/6/1942. He served two stints in the Navy. 0000190335 00000 n However, on February 15, 2002, Charles Jackson died from a heart attack in his cell in Folsom State Prison, he was 65 years old. Charles's grandfather died before his birth on October 10, 1332. The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. 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. 0000012751 00000 n Learn more about managing a memorial . Wright notes that his death didnt merit even two paragraphs in the San Diego press when he died in 1937. 0000012928 00000 n No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. #wzCa3H'HnmBfOhS9A^dexl(wu%pp; /[GL] E$ * 0000003885 00000 n @Ll&F"|s^`l"1~#L-;x?z>G6?QUTNA/"yVb]-ef6&u&:3'rjW7D]UH)PpA-+vKN|Vz1Jb#c BF6P)cjTu #A On the night of September 5, 1942, French was on board the U.S.S. 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, This page was last edited on 14 October 2022, at 13:20. But Frenchs ordeal didnt end there. His former co-stars shared the story of young French's death on social media. We havent even mentioned the racism yet. r\a W+Y f%`VY f%`V . Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone. Make sure that the file is a photo. Charles Jackson French has a story thats been forgotten in the pages of history. War Gum Trading Card CompanyA depiction of Charles Jackson Frenchs heroism from the. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. During Frenchs time in the military, segregation was still an issue he faced. With Joan leading from the front, the French crushed the English in battle, drove them back for the first time in years, and got Charles officially crowned the King of France in 1429. . ), king of France from 1422 to 1461, who succeededpartly with the aid of Joan of Arcin driving the English from French soil and in solidifying the administration of the monarchy. Liberals do not By Jer Clifton on March 1, 2023 . If you are interested, you are suggested to go through this video, Charles Jackson French Cause of Death.Post going through the entire video, you will get a better idea about the real and accurate news. Swimming World Magazine speculates that French may have learned to swim by visiting the citys stone quarries and the Red River. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. HUmo0/Fj'C&ThnR34M&-83(>g9t&i&M$]u8#J"I+K*$eS,tY9Jw*/dZZdW+uES3 n %}*ht0.x'AK){O"Nui -4Rdm9X{H$gU~7V;"~[L;ubr=@xd The first one is called L'appel, The Call, referring to the call he made in London on the BBC for the French to resist, but also to the call of history that calls on France's saviour to save the country that's de Gaulle. "Abandon ship!" Born in a small town in California, Charles was a man of many talents. Joinhere! Soldier. 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. 330 0 obj <>stream At sunrise, an American scout finally spotted him and the others and sent rescue. 0000106326 00000 n Michael Jackson died in a desperate search for sleep. Death 17 Nov 1968 (aged 51) Burial. O6z ` ~+ This is a carousel with slides. Perhaps out of fear of global embarrassment, Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. sent French a letter of commendation. 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. z:RA" ERAZC@ Try again later. Try again. The 22-year-old saved the lives of 15 sailors . After a tense standoff, the others realized that the survivors meant business and backed down. He was a native of Foreman, Arkansas and moved to Omaha to live with his sister after the death of their parents. endstream endobj 270 0 obj <>stream Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. It wasnt until recent years and long after his death at the age of 37 that this hero finally received his due. 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. If legends surrounding his death are to be believed, Charles the Bad's death was equally as unpleasant as his life. xref U.S. NavyCharles Jackson French salutes while next to his sister Viola at a Creighton University football game on Oct. 31, 1942. Born on Sept. 29, 1919, Charles Jackson French spent his early years in Foreman, Arkansas. Midwin Charles, who also appeared on CNN and contributed to Essence magazine, died at the age of 47, her family said Tuesday. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease and the only use of nuclear weapons in war. May we all proceed and help others with the courage and strength of Messman Charles Jackson French, a name that will never be forgotten. A staff writer for All That's Interesting, Kaleena Fraga has also had her work featured in The Washington Post and Gastro Obscura, and she published a book on the Seattle food scene for the Eat Like A Local series. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. 0000110683 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. As a Mess Attendant 3rd Class, his job was to serve meals to white officers and sailors, clear their tables and keep the mess "not a mess." The story of Charles Jackson Frenchs heroism was later made public by Adrian, who described it on a radio program called It Happened in the Service in October 1942, according to Swimming World Magazine. While the crews of Gregory and Little debated whether to engage the Japanese destroyers or depart quietly, a Navy pilot also spotted the flashes of fire. Mess Attendant 1st Class Charles Jackson French, known only at the time by his last name, was on Gregory that night. French was a swimmer who performed a heroic act that gave others another chance at life. 0 0000175553 00000 n Three Japanese destroyers Ydachi, Hatsuyuki, and Murakumo came into the Slot undetected to bombard American positions ashore. 0000104051 00000 n French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. Failed to remove flower. 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