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 We have set your language to 0000102179 00000 n He had first enlisted in the Navy in 1937[1] and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. John Henry Murphy Sr.; Slave. 0000164266 00000 n Now, 80 years after the Navy petty officer swam hours through. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. 0000011569 00000 n He saved 15 shipmates by swimming six to eight hours though shark-invested waters. When Charles Jackson French was later identified, he became a national hero. 0000005708 00000 n 0000012751 00000 n The 23-year-old helped injured sailors onto a makeshift raft and when U.S. Navy Ensign Robert Adrian told him that the current would pull the raft toward a Japanese-occupied island volunteered to jump in the water and pull the raft in the other direction. On September 5, 1942, USS Gregory was hit by Japanese naval fire near Guadalcanal and sank. A Black man serving in the segregated armed forces, French was credited with saving wounded shipmates during WWII. But this time, Charles Jackson French would see significantly more action. Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, 17741985, Record Group 92. The U.S. Navy Office Of Information reports that the Gregory, outgunned, sank after just three minutes. A Black sailor swam against sharks to save his White shipmates. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. While we may never hope to be in such a perilous situation, life will inevitably throw uncomfortable situations our way. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. %PDF-1.4 % 0000125638 00000 n After turning 18, he joined the Navy and was a mess attendant, one of the few jobs that Black sailors were regulated too. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. ishof.org/assets. And by the time he was 18, French decided to strike out on his own and enlist in the U.S. Navy. Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! 4168 to rename an Omaha post office for French. (U.S. Navy) 27 Apr 2021 Military.com | By Stephen Losey You can always change this later in your Account settings. 0000008519 00000 n Towards the end of his life, he was admitted to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake, New York after a relapse of tuberculosis. Try again. Wounded and dying, the skipper ordered two companions to leave him and go to the aid of another crewman who was yelling for help, historians wrote. A training pool at Naval Base San Diego was named after French, and a post office in his hometown of Omaha also bears his name. He appeared before enthusiastic crowds at bond rallies, and a high decoration seemed assured. This was during a period of American history when segregation was active, which means black men and white men were not permitted to swim together, even during Navy swim calls in the ocean. There was a problem getting your location. After his parents died, he left Arkansas and moved in with his married, older sister Viola in Omaha, Nebraska. He shed his waterlogged clothes, tied a rope around his waist, and started to swim. Find the nearest body of water to you. How- Oh, and while you are at it, dont forget to tie a raft to yourself thats holding more than a dozen people in it, fill the water with sharks, while multiple units of the Japanese Imperial Navy try to kill you at the same 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. 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. 0000163762 00000 n 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. French was memorialized on War Gum trading cards, in syndicated comic strips, on calendars, and The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. But since then, theres been a push to give this forgotten World War II hero his due. Interment Control Forms, A1 2110-B. Story highlights. 0000004758 00000 n In April 2021, a post about French from the International Swimming Hall of Fame revived his story. The ship was severely damaged after only minutes and began to sink into the shark-infested waters. The first was an enlistment was in 1937 when he served four years before receiving an honorable discharge in 1941. French would go on to earn the name The Human Tugboat and garner immense respect from his fellow military peers. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. @Ll&F"|s^`l"1~#L-;x?z>G6?QUTNA/"yVb]-ef6&u&:3'rjW7D]UH)PpA-+vKN|Vz1Jb#c BF6P)cjTu #A He was a Black World War II hero. Charles Jackson French (Find a Grave Memorial) After his military service, French suffered from alcoholism and depression. Her boilers had burst and her mess decks were aflame. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. The book is essentially Charles Jackson as protagonist Don Birnam on a four-day weekend bender in 1936. 0000186651 00000 n After his service on the USS Gregory, Charles Jackson French didnt rest on his laurels. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is the fourth of Joe and Katherine's children. Charles Jackson French died young, his World War II heroism mostly forgotten, even in the place he called home: San Diego. French was a swimmer who performed a heroic act that gave others another chance at life. ;P"f 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. On the night of September 4, 1942, during the Battle of Guadalcanal, the USS Gregory was struck by an attack from multiple Japanese destroyers. 0000012613 00000 n xref Charles Jackson French - Unknown Hero. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. 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. #wzCa3H'HnmBfOhS9A^dexl(wu%pp; /[GL] E$ * cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He said that he was more afraid of the Japanese shooting at him than the sharks, and he continued on his way. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 0000125572 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. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? 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. Adrian attempted to talk French into getting out of the shark-infested waters, but French responded that he was more afraid of the Japanese than he was of the sharks. 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. French returned to Omaha when his deployment ended in November 1941, but he wouldnt stay in Nebraska for long. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Described as a "human tugboat," he received a royal welcome from citizens of all races in his sister Viola's hometown of Oma- ha, Nebraska. The ship was severely damaged after only minutes and began to sink into the shark-infested waters. How Charles Jackson French Became "The Human Tugboat". Can You Name All 8 United States Uniformed Services? Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. English After the war the officers of the unit that killed the white unit were executed for war crimes. 0000189493 00000 n French made public appearances after the rescue, including attending a Creighton University football game with his sister in 1942. Like many other Black stories from wars, such as the all-Black female 6888th Central Postal Battalion, recognition can often be minimized or come far too late. The AFRO provides readers with good news about the Black community not otherwise found. startxref Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. After a Japanese attack in the Pacific during WWII, the Navy petty officer swam through shark-infested waters towing a life raft that was tied around his waist. 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. 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. 0000005539 00000 n In that capacity, the U.S. Navy Office Of Information reports that French spent four years the USS Houston, serving meals to the white sailors, cleaning their tables, and keeping the mess hall spick and span. 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. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. When Adrian told French that the current was carrying them toward the Japanese occupied island, French. The tragic news of her death was announced by her family on her Twitter and Instagram accounts on April 6, 2021. In 2005, based on results from the DNA research, Jackson's involvement was revealed in the following murders: O6z ` ~+ [2] With the attack on Pearl Harbor, French went to the closest recruitment office, and on December 19, 1941, re-enlisted in the United States Navy. Born Sept. 25, 1919, French died on Nov. 7, 1956, at 37. U[[[[[[[[[[`+{W]wEJ~wE+{WTx{7n4x= FOi4x= FOi|FgT"X,p.R~P;[+m*vi7p\ZOW 8 More like this: New Study Surfaces Detailing Racial Discrimination in the Military, Filed Under: Military History Tagged With: Black military history, Charles Jackson French, Navy. Drag images here or select from your computer for Charles Jackson French memorial. (NNPA Newswire) It remains by far one of the most heroic acts performed in war, and it also counts as one of the most underappreciated sacrifices in American history. This browser does not support getting your location. Weve updated the security on the site. This account has been disabled. 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. Foreman, Little River County, Arkansas, USA, San Diego, San Diego County, California, USA. He returned to his role in the mess on the USS Endicott and the USS Frankford, and witnessed D-Day and the invasion of southern France. French is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. But the Omaha World-Herald noted some decades later that future president John F. Kennedy had been given the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for a similar act of bravery. The ensign told French the plan was crazy, that. 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. The story of a Black Navy vet who saved 15 of his crewmates during World War II was only known among a few families for many years. Regardless of the region, at all the bases there were separate blood banks, hospitals or wards, medical staff, barracks and recreational facilities for Black soldiers. Today, Tuesday, March 2, the world wonders how Degrassi star Jahmil French die while he was only 29. 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 to pull to safety a raft of 15 sailors. 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. Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7th, 1956 at the age of 37. Many at home believed French should have received more. After his parents died, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, to live with his sister. He was celebrated in the black press and was even the subject of a syndicated comic strip. Soldier. In life, French wasnt honored like he deserved. Just tell me if Im going the right way, French said. 0000189006 00000 n Family members linked to this person will appear here. 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. 0000101640 00000 n 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. A small donation would help us keep this available to all. To serve side-by-side with his fellow troops knowing the unfair treatment he faced is one thing, but to be willing to put his body under such duress to save them is beyond heroic. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Contributor: Judy Borden Soos (46958020) Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7, 1956 at age 37. 1. 0000003885 00000 n 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. Mostly forgotten, even in the Black press and was even the subject of a comic. Available to all, San Diego, San Diego to Omaha, Nebraska, to live with his sister,... % Y, VkWdV0Rl'GDD+ '' a [ * qMQV in your account settings to Omaha, Nebraska attending Creighton... Volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request Omaha when his deployment in. In Omaha, Nebraska, to live with his sister in 1942, USA, Diego! The cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request this... ; s children more afraid of the memorial manager on November 7, 1956 at the of! 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