charles jackson french medal of honor

Pitney Bowes: First-Class Postage Products And Solutions For Businesses, Sending Packages Internationally Via First Class Mail, Great Northern: A First-Class Travel Experience, What To Know Before You Send A Letter To Poland, George Pullman: Inventor Of First Class Travel, Flying With Your Pet In First Class: Rules Benefits And Tips, First Class Postal Service: Expect Your Letter Or Package To Arrive Within One To Three Days. 80 years later, Omaha hero who swam in shark-infested waters receives Navy honor. Dismiss. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Lets get this HERO the Medal of Honor, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-days Black Heroes, at Home and at War. 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. There is no way a man with a set of brass balls the size of what PO1 French possessed could float, let alone tow a raft. The living quarters were strictly segregated as was housing for family members. Charles Jackson French was an American war hero from Foreman, Arkansas. He quickly went to work pulling other sailors aboard with him. Days later, he went down to his local recruitment office and reenlisted. It would seem to me well past the point to review Frenchs case. Itwould ef. 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Use our links to Amazon anytime you shop Amazon. According to the U.S. Navy Press Office, French had moved to Omaha from Arkansas, but re-enlisted in the Navy days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Note: when French was in the Navy, it was not permitted for there to be Blacks and Whites in the water at the same time. The gunfire hit two of the ships boilers and the Gregory was set ablaze by the fire. The mess attended tied a rope around his waist and the boat and began the journey. Charles French was born on September 25, 1919, in Foreman, Arkansas. I was happy to see that, as an American Black man, (French) got recognized.. In this story can be found the heretofore-unwritten chapters of one phase of the Negroes march toward freedom in America, written by a man who participated in it. Bacon, R-Neb., had written a letter to the acting secretary of the Navy a year ago, asking for a review of Frenchs file to determine whether he had received the proper awards. The mess attendant died in 1956 at only 37 years of age. French like so many Black men believed that if they showed they were willing to fight for the country that the country would show them and people of their race some gratitude and equality only to return to the same situation they were fighting against. Yet, history has overlooked him. French volunteered to tow the raft to another island that was safer, however, these were shark infested waters and those on board the raft attempted to talk French out of the mission, but he believed that death by shark would at least be quick and merciful. Continue scrolling down for more amazing information, videos, books and value items. French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. Charles will be remembered fondly for his generous spirit, his kind and gentle nature, and the lasting impact he left on those he loved. 1603) On June 20, 2022, President Biden signed it into law. A Black sailor swam against sharks to save his White shipmates. (H.R. Kudos to the man that stepped up and saved himself and others from the awful fate of becoming Jap POWs. "The country did . 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. This button displays the currently selected search type. Willie Johnson, the youngest person to receive the Medal of Honor, is also the youngest person to receive the medal. He was awarded both the Army and Navy Medal of Honor, the French Mdaille militaire and Croix de Guerre as well as decorations from Italy, Montenegro and Portugal. 6001 Dodge Street, This to the scientific notationed! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. The rescued men angrily reacted to this decision, threatening a fight if it wasnt reversed. The above summary gives a view of Charles Jackson French, a man who deserves a place in history, but like many Blacks have been excluded. Born in a small town in California, Charles was a man of many talents. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. Inspiring Stories of Black History and Achievement. French was a swimmer who performed a. https://chng.it/F8y8w5n2 via @Change 2023 A Month of Tribute to 31 Women We Should All Know, Rosewood A Typical Race Riot in America. His own father served in the war, too. This man did as much if not more than a medic often does to save 15 of his comrades from capture, while being actively shelled, in shark infested waters. In May 2022, the Navy finally presented French'srelatives with a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal in recognition of his heroics. This is a close as you can get to a system of slavery as it is forced on the service member. The waters were shark-infested. According to the U.S. Navy Press Office, French had moved to Omaha from Arkansas, but re-enlisted in the Navy days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Or even going back to the 90s when a lot of this (blacks finally getting the awards they deserve) started to happen. He exemplified our core values and faced adversity with unwavering grit and selflessness. This was one of the few assignments available to Black troops and included stevedores, stewards. French was memorialized on War gum trading cards and in a comic strip. . Custer is the first soldier in US history to receive the militarys highest honor twice, as well as the first to do so twice. 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. To comment or make suggestions on future posts, use Contact Us. After the death of his parents, he lived with his older sister, Viola, in Omaha, Nebraska. French was a swimmer who performed a heroic act that gave others another chance at life. Did Charles Jackson French receive the Medal of Honor? During World War II, he served as a U.S. sailor. But French said he wasnt afraid. Please subscribe to keep reading. Required fields are marked *. Inaction has been a great injustice to the goodly Sergeants bravery and sacrifice, for him and his Troops. That inquiry helped bring about last weeks award ceremony. During his service, he received a letter of commendation from the commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet, Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr. This cartoon by Black artist Charles Alston for the U.S. Office of War Information celebrates the wartime valor of Charles Jackson French and two other Black sailors, Doris "Dorrie" Miller and Ervin Bell. After he began swimming, he soon encountered sharks. 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. He was only referred to as French on the card, though. After tying him off, French swam through shark infested waters for 6-8 hours until an American landing craft found them. Information from ISHOF, military.com, KETV in Omaha, and the Chicago Defender was used in the article, Filed Under: Heroes Tagged With: Charles Jackson French, rescue, Solomon Islands, USS Gregory. GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS He was a talented carpenter, a skilled handyman, and a master of DIY projects. It was amplified on social media in spring 2021, prompting USA Swimming to honor him during the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha last June. Charles Jackson French, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 77 on June 17th, 2020. Charles Jackson French saved 15 men from the USS Gregory in September of 1942. 1 of 5. It is the services highest award for noncombat heroism and the same award presented to Lt. John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the future U.S. president, for bravery under similar circumstances during World War II. It's a reminder of, Cold will chill the unveiling of Seaman 1st Class Arthur Francis Johnson's name on World War II plaque. But after his parents died, he moved to. A man willing to fight in defense of his country. French was hailed as the hero of the Solomons and the Human Tugboat for his daring rescue of the Pacific during World War II. He was a talented carpenter, a skilled handyman, and a master of DIY projects. A self-declared light-skinned woman evasive about her ethnicity, yet steadfast in her love for her 12 Black children. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Don Bacon,cleared the House of Representatives in March. The Color of Water: A Black Mans Tribute to His White Mother. The United States Navy cook was on board the battleship West Virginia when the boat was attacked during Pearl Harbor despite having no training with the weapon, Miller was able to use an anti-aircraft machine gun to down multiple Japanese planes. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Took the thoughts right outa my head SFC D. And if the shark had of tried to bite this Hero in those big brass ones, the shark woulda broke off a few teeth. He is shown here later in his career, as a lieutenant commander. This whole story violates the laws of physics. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. 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 . Of the many acts of bravery among the men of Gregory during its final battle (including the mortally wounded skipper ordering his crew to abandon him and help other wounded, never to be seen again) was Charles French. Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center, Community Engagement Partnership Initiative, Josie Gatti Schafer Named CUMU Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Research Fellow, #NUforNE: Keeping Nebraska Communities Healthy, Social Mobility, Experiential Learning Focus of Interview with UNO Chancellor Li, University of Nebraska Omaha, The story of the men who fought and served under trying circumstances. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. 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. And the Human Tugboat for his daring rescue of the ships boilers and the Human Tugboat for daring. 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