DEFENCE attorney and CNN legal analyst Midwin Charles died at the age of 47. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Charles Gilpin Jackson (Downingtown, Pennsylvania), who passed away on February 23, 2023 at the age of 73. . 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. Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is the fourth of Joe and Katherine's children. Failed to remove flower. 0000002403 00000 n Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Please reset your password. However he learned to swim, Frenchs days in Foreman were numbered. The U.S. Navy also dedicated its surface rescue swimmer training pool at Naval. What happened next would take Navy Messman Charles Jackson French from the mess hall and into quiet adoration for his bravery. Charles Jackson French is a World War II hero with Omaha ties that few people know about. memorial page for Jettie Mae French (4 Dec 1916-17 Nov 1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 3400830, citing Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego . TwitterCharles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his bravery. [10], In June 2022, President Biden signed into law (H.R.4168) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6223 Maple Street, in Omaha, Nebraska, as the Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office.[11]. This account has been disabled. 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. Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! 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 . Adrian, though superficially wounded, was able to hang on. When three Japanese destroyers attacked the USS Gregory as it sailed off the coast of the Solomon Islands in September 1942, a Black cook from the ship plunged into shark-infested waters and with a rope tied around his waist swam for eight hours, dragging a lifeboat full of injured shipmates away from Japanese territory. Charles Jackson French (25 September 1919 - 7 November 1956) [1] was an American war hero from Foreman, Arkansas. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. He was a native of Foreman, Arkansas and moved to Omaha to live with his sister after the death of their parents. 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. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. 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 tied a line to himself and swam for more than two hours without rest, thus attempting to tow the raft. zH#mAqtI 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. He served in the Navy, becoming a true war hero in 1942. When Adrian told French that the current was carrying them toward the Japanese occupied island, French. 0000125789 00000 n (U.S. Navy) 27 Apr 2021 Military.com | By Stephen Losey French saved the lives of 15 of his shipmates by swimming through shark-infested waters near the Solomon Islands. [1] His death didn't slow the investigators down. Charles Jackson French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. Still, the man that we know and remember is one whos a testament to doing the right thing even when its not easy and putting others before yourself. French was assigned to the mess (kitchen) as an attendant. Just before 1 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 5, the two ships saw flashes of gunfire. There is a problem with your email/password. 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. Charles Jackson French was born in 1919 and grew up in Foreman, Arkansas. The letter read, in part, 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 Sept. 5, 1942. 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. We have set your language to Charles's grandfather died before his birth on October 10, 1332. The history of Cape Verde is typical and yet unique for its location. He is also recognized by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Many at home believed French should have received more. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 1st 2023 from 5:00 PM to 5:45 PM . He acceded to the throne in 1559, aged only 14, after the accidental death of his father Henri II from a jousting accident. 0000189970 00000 n Gregory, a destroyer training ship, when it was sunk by the Japanese navy near the Solomon Islands. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. 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. Charles VII starved to death . 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. . 0000007046 00000 n Thinking the flashes came from Japanese submarines, the pilot dropped a line of five flares in the water. episode was complicated by the issuance of a posthumous Silver Star to Lt. Cdr.H. 0000189493 00000 n Try again later. Seer. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. (Photo: Pinterest / Mia Corseca), By Stacy M. Brown Joinhere! to death with a metal bar in a fish shop in 1991 and dissolved their bodies in acid to cover his tracks. But Greco escaped arrest, and for years had lived a quiet life in Saint-Etienne, France as "Paolo Dimitrio," working as a chef in . 0000004154 00000 n On 1 February 1685, instead of walking his spaniels as usual in St James's Park, a park whose construction he had himself funded, Charles, plagued by a leg ulcer, perhaps secondary to gout, went for a carriage ride. [9], French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions. After decades of fighting, right when the French cause seemed the most lost, she led Charles's forces to victory after victory. Charles ascended to the English throne in 1625 following the death of his father, King James I. endstream endobj 271 0 obj <>stream 21 comments 96% Upvoted This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast Sort by When Charles Jackson French was later identified, he became a national hero. U[[[[[[[[[[`+{W]wEJ~wE+{WTx{7n4x= FOi4x= FOi|FgT"X,p.R~P;[+m*vi7p\ZOW 8 Now, 80 years after the Navy petty officer swam hours through. Swimming until sunrise, French and the 15 Sailors on the raft he was towing were spotted by a scout aircraft. At sunrise, an American scout finally spotted him and the others and sent rescue. Many at home believed French should have received more. zP|CY`oRHw`)UV\[|d/X3"{JrX1}qI_ji7`;LZ2[!x7)X+f$'^"#au"jJm&?i+ We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The story of Charles Jackson Frenchs heroism was later made public by Adrian, who described it on a radio program called It Happened in the Service in October 1942, according to Swimming World Magazine. A depiction of Frenchs heroic actions was included in the WWII Commemorative Card Set produced by Gum Inc., based in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Born in a small town in California, Charles was a man of many talents. 0000101640 00000 n French enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1937 and served four years. *(*B)$wHHB3Mg OMAHA, Neb. 0000732899 00000 n loneliness and of death. Buddy Blouin is a content writer that loves creating through the written word. French would go on to earn the name The Human Tugboat and garner immense respect from his fellow military peers. His main claim to fame (sounds strange to say that about a king of . As noted at history.com, the 1.2 million African Americans who served in World War II fought for democracy overseas while being treated as second-class citizens by their own country. Fellow troops tried to talk him out of the desperate move, to take cover and escape the shark-infested waters, but French wouldnt listen. 0000176236 00000 n 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. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. 0000003092 00000 n Despite his heroism, the ignorantly prejudiced United States all but ignored French. He served his four years in the Navy working the mess decks of Hawaii-based heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and returned home to Nebraska in 1941. With Hazel Gordy, Jackson had three children: Jermaine Lu Juane Jr., Autumn Joy and Jaimy. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. endstream endobj 264 0 obj <>stream Outgunned, Gregory only lasted three minutes from the time the flares were dropped to the time she began to sink. He was never seen again. xref The National Archives at College Park, College Park, Maryland. Though rumors spread that Charles Jackson French might be awarded the Navy Cross, he was given only a letter of commendation from Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr., the then-commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. 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. 0000010730 00000 n This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. %%EOF He was buried in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery Section N Site 490, San Diego, California. 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