charles jackson french medal of honor

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. Author and Navy veteran Malcolm Nance got the services attention Sunday when he tagged several official accounts in a Twitter post about French. 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. After the death of his parents, he lived with his older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. He was 37 years old when he died on November 7, 1956, in San Diego, California. Charles Jackson French with his sister, Viola, at a Creighton football game on Oct. 31, 1942, at which he was honored. Growing Up and Early Naval Days. As promising as that sounded, that was the most dangerous place to be for fear that they would be captured and executed. 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. French saved. The publication for writers and readers to create and read amazing content, Actress, Stage playwright, Author, Motivational Speaker, Teacher Fitness Coach. Perhaps racism played a role in French not receiving proper recognition. Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French was an American hero who gave his life in service of his country. Charles will be remembered fondly for his generous spirit, his kind and gentle nature, and the lasting impact he left on those he loved. Both Miller and French have been highly decorated for their service, but Thomas wants to see them awarded the top honor. French was a swimmer who performed a. Will you do the same? This is the story of Charles Jackson French, who rescued several soldiers during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He was recognized locally in September 2022 with the renaming of a Benson post office in his honor. ** Little is known of his earliest days. Steve is the military affairs reporter for The World-Herald. After the engagement, a group of about fifteen men were adrift on a raft, which was being deliberately shelled by Japanese naval forces. 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 . During his youth, he would often swim in the Red River and became quite adept at it. He had first enlisted in the Navy in 1937 [1] and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. Aboard a lift raft with several other sailors and drifting towards enemy-held islands, French volunteered to tow the raft himself by swimming. It is time to honor those who deserve honor! During the melee, fifteen sailors were put abord a life raft but there was danger that they would drift towards land. The information that we present to everyone is extremely important, and a small donation can help us keep it that way. 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Japanese destroyers sank the ship he was on, the USS Gregory, in the South Pacific in September 1942. His bravery and selfless devotion to duty will always be remembered and serve as an example to all who serve in the United States military. Rear Adm. Charles Brown presents a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal to Chester French Jr. of Omaha, nephew of Mess Attendant 1st Class Charles Jackson French, and Chesters wife, Linda, on May 21 in San Diego. The ensign told French the plan was crazy, that they were surrounded by sharks and he would only get himself killed. During his service, he received a letter of commendation from the commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet, Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr. Despite the fact that more than one million African Americans served, not a single Black soldier received the Medal of Honor. He was a mess steward, one of the few positions Black sailors were then allowed to fill in the military. [2] USA Swimming honored him at the finals of the 2021 Swim Trials in June. Itwould ef. Dismiss. The Navy mess attendant was credited with swimming for several hours through shark-infested waters while towing a lifeboat filled with wounded shipmates, all of whom were White, until they could be rescued. After tying him off, French swam through shark infested waters for 6-8 hours until an American landing craft found them. It is the service's highest award for noncombat heroism . 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. I say MOH. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Brown noted that, with Frenchs name and photo attached to the Navy pool, his story will be told well into the future. He swam six to eight hours in shark-infested waters before being rescued by marines on a navy landing craft. 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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. These are the least desired jobs possible and beneath the White troops. There was a problem saving your notification. These sailors and soldiers were welcomed back to American soil with signs that pointed one way for Whites and the other way for Blacks. 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 received no medal, only a letter of commendation. In San Diego in 2022, French's family was presented with his posthumous Navy and Marine Corps medal. Frenchs story was soon told by the War Gum Trading Card Company. USA Swimming presented him with a gold medal for winning the gold medal in the mens 8 meter swimming event at the Olympic swimming trials in Omaha in June 2021. Charles French managed to load fifteen injured crew members onto a life raft and then tied a rope to the raft and secured the other end to his waist, after which he swam for eight hours through shark-infested water until they were rescued, but received no recommendation for the Medal of Honor. "The country did . In the end, there were fifteen additional sailors on the raft with the mess attendant. Your email address will not be published. Linda Thomas of Bowling Green, Virginia, wants President Joe Biden to award the Medal of Honor to Black World War II Navy heroes Doris Miller and Charles Jackson French. German prisoners of war were allowed to ride with White soldiers while the Black fighters were relegated to open, drafty, smelly cattle cars. The International Swimming Hall of Fame had this painting created of French, one of the most famous Black heroes of World War II. He pulled off his clothes, had his shipmates help tie a rope around his waist, and dove into the water. Award of a Medal of Honor would require congressional intervention, but award of a Navy Cross or a Navy and Marine Corps Medal would not. Lets get this HERO the Medal of Honor, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-days Black Heroes, at Home and at War. Custer is the first soldier in US history to receive the militarys highest honor twice, as well as the first to do so twice. Omaha hailed hometown hero Charles Jackson French back in 1942, when the African American mess steward saved the lives of his shipmates after their destroyer was sunk in the World War II battle of the Solomon Islands. The son of a Black minister and a woman who would not admit she was White, James McBride grew up in orchestrated chaos with his 11 siblings in the poor, all-Black projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn. French was memorialized on War gum trading cards and in a comic strip. Teachers are pumped. To see these posts, click this link, For Womens History Month 2022 we featured 31 amazing Black women we should all know. Navy officials escorted members of Frenchs family to his gravesite at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, on San Diegos Point Loma peninsula. You must know this HERO Charles Jackson French, Charles Jackson French survived the destruction of the USS Gregory and then swam for hours dragging a life raft full of his shipmates through Shark infested waters. He was celebrated in the Black press and was even the subject of a syndicated comic strip. The New York Times best-selling story from the author of The Good Lord Bird, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction. This activity includes urging President Biden to posthumously confer the Medals of Honor on Doris Miller and Charles French.. On September 5, 1942, United States Navy Petty Officer First Class 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 after the ship on which he was serving, the USS Gregory, was hit by Japanese naval fire near Guadalcanal. A letter of commendation? If the Navy and Marine Corps Medal is appropriate for Frenchs action, and by any objective measure it would be, then he ought to get the Navy Cross of MOH. Benjamin Selph shares recognition for Charles Jackson French on behalf of the Navy. That inquiry helped bring about last weeks award ceremony. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. You can read more about the Virginia NAACPs work and our six Game Changer issue areas by visiting NAACPVA.org. Soon Frenchs name will be immortalized in Omaha, too. A man discriminated against by the country that he loved, was willing to put his life on the line for. Charles Jackson French is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. Virginia NAACP President Robert Barnette was pleased to have his Executive Committee give its unanimous support to Mrs. Thomas effort. During the battle, the Bunker Hill was struck by two kamikaze planes which caused the ship to suffer a massive explosion. 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. It took so long.. Change.org Uh oh. A world class collection of Black History inspired by a 5th grade teacher who told Arturo Schomburg that there was NO African history. Charles Jackson French's draft registration card. The Arkansas native had moved to Omaha to live with his sister as a youth after his parents died, and he became one of the most famous Black war heroes of the 1940s. Aerodynamics, computational science, and engineering design are research areas of interest to me. The Chicago Defender named him Hero of the Year. For his bravery, Navy Messman Charles Jackson French was provided a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. "Bull" Halsey, the Commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet, and the Navy Cross, the second-highest award available. French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions in 1942. French towed a raft loaded with his wounded shipmates. Charles Jackson French saved the lives 15 Sailorsall of them whiteby pulling them on a raft behind him as he swam for hours through shark-infested waters. He disrobed and with assistance tied the tow rope around his waist and swam what is estimated to be six to eight hours. . 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 . The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) launched a new series to recognize the courage and heroic deeds of the heroes who call the Omaha area home. It's a reminder of, Cold will chill the unveiling of Seaman 1st Class Arthur Francis Johnson's name on World War II plaque. French made public appearances after the rescue, including attending a Creighton University football game with his sister in 1942. After the death of his parents, he lived with an older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. It is not necessary to purchase the item in the link. Im proud we could come together to recognize his legacy of service and sacrifice.. He died in 1956, at age 37, of depression and alcoholism from untreated post-traumatic stress, family members say. The night that propelled Charles Jackson French into the role of hero was September 5, 1942, when enemy bombs sank the U.S.S. More at the source. Please subscribe to keep reading. As one of the survivors, French found himself in the water on a life raft. He enjoys sports, politics, comic books, and anything that has to do with history. 1603) On June 20, 2022, President Biden signed it into law. During World War II Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French swam 68 hours in shark-infested waters near Guadalcanal while towing a life raft with 15 USS Gregory survivors of an attack by the Japanese Imperial Navy. Kind of sounds like it. On January 11, 1945, French was serving aboard the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier that was involved in the Battle of Okinawa. UNOs Hero of the Heartland event continued the long overdue recognition of Frenchs heroism. Ensign Robert Adrian was fresh out of the Naval Academy and a junior officer on the Navy destroyer USS Gregory when it was sunk near Guadalcanal on Sept. 5, 1942. But French said he wasnt afraid. Though the survivors felt French deserved a Medal of Honor or at least a Silver Star, the Swimming Hall of Fame story states, he never received either. Dorie Miller is the most well-known African American hero of World War II. . Inspiring Stories of Black History and Achievement. You gotta be kidding me. This post office renaming is important to his family, the community of Omaha, and the state of Nebraska. Omahans during World War II knew a strong-swimming, shark-defying, human tugboat of a hero when they saw one, regardless of the color ofCha, An African American sailor from Omaha was hailed as a hero during World War II for swimming through shark-infested waters to rescue his wounde, The full House approved HR 4168 to rename the facility at 6223 Maple St. the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office., The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said identifications of the 92nd Infantry members, known as "Buffalo Soldiers," have beendifficult beca, Lt. Vernon Baker of Clarinda, Iowa, is part of a series of graphic novels about recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nations highest award f, A 36-year Air Force missile and space officer has been nominated as the next commander of Offutt-based U.S. Strategic Command, the Pentagon an, Eighty years ago, Nebraska set the pace for the nation in launching a scrap metal drive to support the World War II effort. Kudos to the man that stepped up and saved himself and others from the awful fate of becoming Jap POWs. 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. Within days, French, 22, reenlisted. He is shown here later in his career, as a lieutenant commander. Name a warship after this Hero. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). The publication for writers and readers to create and read amazing content, Actress, Stage playwright, Author, Motivational Speaker, Teacher Fitness Coach. UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, speaks to the bravery and courage of Charles Jackson French at the Hero of the Heartland event. The bravery that he demonstrated serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that can be made at any age. As the 10th State Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Virginia Air National Guard, I take great personal pride in supporting French and Millers application for the Medal of Honor. Official accounts in a comic strip and a landing crew was sent to... Place to be six to eight hours in shark-infested waters before being by! The story of D-days Black heroes, at age 37, of depression and from. Fate of becoming Jap POWs on, the raft himself by Swimming with Frenchs name will be told into. In 1956, in Omaha, too, including attending a Creighton University football Game with wounded... 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