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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. He enlisted in the Navy shortly after turning 18. French was the first black swimmer to earn the Navy Medal for his heroism in 1943.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 safety.Ensign Adrian was the only one on the bridge to survive and floated over into the water as the ship sank below him. Charles Jackson French was born Sept. 25, 1919, in Foreman, Ark., and moved to Omaha to live with a sister after their parents died. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Charles Jackson French. With the attack on Pearl Harbor, Charles French went to the closest recruitment office, and on December 19, 1941, he re-enlisted in the United States Navy. French, an orphan described as a human tugboat, received a royal welcome from citizens of all races in his sister Violas hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Thinking the flashes came from Japanese submarines, the pilot dropped a line of five flares in the water. %PDF-1.4 % Listen to Julian Jackson discuss Charles de Gaulle on the Bloomberg.com podcast Surveillance [at 33:20] Listen to Professor Jackson discuss de Gaulle on ABC Radio National's Between the Lines; At The Good Men Project, read Jackson on whether Emmanuel Macron might be the man to help the French people escape the long shadow of General de Gaulle WASHINGTON, D.C. - Legislation to designate the Maple Street United States Postal Service facility in Omaha, Nebraska as the "Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office" passed out of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee today. Who were the people in Charles' life? He had first enlisted in the navy in 1937 and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. Many were wounded and killed. A Navy messman, French courageously acted after the Japanese navy struck a U.S. ship in the South Pacific during the . Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! The ship was severely damaged after only minutes and began to sink into the shark-infested waters. Sorry! Along with Doris Dorie Miller, who received the Navy Cross for valor during the attack on the fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, French was one of the most celebrated Black sailors during the war. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Archived. With gunfire continuing all around them, French, a nearly 23-year-old Black man who wasnt even permitted to swim with his fellow white Sailors during training, tied a rope around his waist, tied the rope to the raft, and began to swim. Charles Jackson French faced all of this and more during his time of service and helped save many lives through grit and bravery. Outgunned, Gregory only lasted three minutes from the time the flares were dropped to the time she began to sink. He makes comedy sketches on his YouTube channel. He was born to a Thai mother and a French father. This browser does not support getting your location. Charles Jackson was first enlisted in the United States Navy in 1937 and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he lived with his family. Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. I get the chance to remember the Share yesterday to connect today & preserve tomorrow, Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved, ADVERTISEMENT Men who were returning from World War I needed jobs and there was competition for those jobs among the races. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. 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. Understanding the actions French took for them, the crew became angry, demanded that French wasnt leaving, and stated that anyone who had a problem could catch hands. Resend Activation Email. Little did he know that three weeks before his 23rd birthday, French would become a Navy hero. Despite never completing college, Jackson had a passion for literature and at various . He made his first comedy sketch "What I Would Love To Hear In Class" on February 6, 2016 . [3], French was an orphan from Foreman, Arkansas[4] who learned to swim in the Red River at the age of eight.[5]. Washington, DC -On Friday, Rep. Don Bacon (NE - 02) and Reps. Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) and Adrian Smith (NE-03) introduced H.R. 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 email does not appear to be a valid email address. 0000012814 00000 n 20072023 Blackpast.org. HTM0+|] r7CJ1qh,ofo!l22}4go5 %Y,VkWdV0Rl'GDD+"A[*qMQV.:7yj~UO8z"a)/AW_zwU(:eE>W0T x'?CsJEJ0B~|!Sed8y%>%lI8 ~f0&Y|q`e'Z3%>UJ+0Q,Oi6Z?pQYCGUw } X:jSlS8*%Qs&@SFCe1j;A*dr|JWx@!66mNs/&GAxy2 c3q:m ;">7 In May of 2022, French was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. 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. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. We remember Charles Jackson French and commemorate his heroism and incredible swimming to celebrate Black History Month. A depiction of French's heroic actions was included in the WWII Commemorative Card Set produced by Gum Inc., based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Just tell me if Im going the right way, French said as he began to tow the raft full of injured Sailors, according to a 1942 radio dramatization introducing Adrian to tell Frenchs story. There is a problem with your email/password. Share what Charles did for a living or if he had a career or profession. After the engagement, a group of about fifteen men were adrift on a raft, which was being deliberately shelled by Japanese naval forces. This account has been disabled. When 2 or more people share their unique perspectives, He swam between six and eight hours in shark-infested water before being rescued by marines in a navy landing craft. 0000005539 00000 n Add to your scrapbook. Charles French was born on September 25, 1919, in Foreman, Arkansas. Many of the bases and training facilities were located in the South, in addition to the largest military installation for Black soldiers, Fort Huachuca, located in Arizona. 0000189493 00000 n Halsey was then commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. 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. Failed to report flower. Adrian told him it was impossible that he would only be giving himself up to the sharks that surrounded them "French responded that he was not afraid. The story, incredible. Born Sept. 25, 1919, French died on Nov. 7, 1956, at 37. Following his re-enlistment, Charles Jackson French was assigned to the USS Gregory as a Steward's Mate 1st class. Foreman, Little River County, Arkansas, USA, San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA. Charles Thomas Jackson, (born June 21, 1805, Plymouth, Mass., U.S.died Aug. 28, 1880, Somerville, Mass. French rescued 15 wounded sailors after the ship he was on was bombed. 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. [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. The bootlegging and brothel organization was massive and when asked what he did, Capone often replied "I am just a businessman, giving the people what they want". Charles Jackson French (Navy.mil) Charles French was born on September 25, 1919, in Foreman, Arkansas. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 17741985, Record Group 92. Charles Jackson French was born on September 25, 1919, and died at age 37 years old on November 7, 1956. Three Japanese destroyers Ydachi, Hatsuyuki, and Murakumo came into the Slot undetected to bombard American positions ashore. Year should not be greater than current year. 734 death records, 32 followers 14.9k+ favorites. 0000054664 00000 n nv]Ps;d4=;.%6HF>|m}hQIk5C).vH x3F:D0efNyh>x?EKJR1Vr #i DD2o0P_zsYje!o,V 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. We have no information about Charles's family. French was the first black swimmer to earn the Navy Medal for his heroism in 1943. 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. A photo of French is shown outside the building at 63rd and Maple Streets. Try again later. Hearing voices, he found a life raft filled with 15 wounded men. All Rights Reserved. Verify and try again. 0000163762 00000 n (Photo: Pinterest / Mia Corseca), By Stacy M. Brown Fellow troops tried to talk him out of the desperate move, to take cover and escape the shark-infested waters, but French wouldnt listen. (U.S. Navy) CITATION: PUBLIC DOMAIN BY U S NAVY. Photograph: JEAN-JACQUES LEVY/AP He later received the Navy Cross. Make sure that the file is a photo. Close. Postal Service held a ceremony Friday in Omaha to formally rename the Benson branch post pffice for World War II Navy veteran Charles Jackson French. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. 0000108198 00000 n After the death of his parents, he lived with his older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. She flew over 2,000 miles in just under 15 hours. What is Charles' ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Charles Jackson French - saving 15 crewmen. [6][7] For this action, French received a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. in May 1943. Rank attained: STEWARDS MATE 1/C Previously right hand man to boss Johnny Torrio, Capone took over when Torrio was shot and severely injured and decided to resign. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner) 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. 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Charles Jackson was born in 1903 into a wholly dysfunctional family in Summit, New Jersey. 0000125243 00000 n 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. endstream endobj 329 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[37 219]/Length 30/Size 256/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream 0000184121 00000 n 0000054932 00000 n endstream endobj 264 0 obj <>stream Like many others at the time, he probably saw it as a way to. French was memorialized on War Gum trading cards and in a comic strip. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. French was assigned to the mess (kitchen) as an attendant. In June 2021, he was honored by USA Swimming at the Olympics Swim Trials in Omaha. 0000003773 00000 n -- The story of Charles Jackson French captured the attention of Omaha in the weeks ahead of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. the average French family member The U.S. Tension was heightened by the use by many companies of blacks as strikebreakers. Charles Jackson French (September 25, 1919 - November 7, 1956) was a United States Navy sailor. 0 1307. and you'll be alerted when others do the same. Abandon ship! The National Archives at College Park, College Park, Maryland. Charles R. Jackson. 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. "I knew that if we floated ashore we'd be taken as prisoners of war," he said. French successfully brought these men to safety on the shores of The Solomon Islands. 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S Mate 1st class shark-infested waters ) charles French was the first swimmer! Uss Gregory as a member subscribers are now members 'll be alerted when others do same. This tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage that we. Email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code Continue to OUR... And join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members rescued wounded...
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