photo #2214347

Another reason all Arkansas Veterans are in my Hall of Fame!Charles Jackson French (born Sept 25, 1919) is an American war hero born an orphan from Foreman, Arkansas who learned to swim in the Red River at the age of eight. He had first enlisted in the navy in 1937 and had completed his enlistment, moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he had family. 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.It was on September 5, 1942 during World War II, when 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 USS Gregory was hit by Japanese naval fire near Guadalcanal.If the wounded men had floated ashore they'd be taken as prisoners of war. French volunteered to swim the raft away from shore. He asked for help to tie a rope around his waist and towed them to safety. One of the sailors 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. He was a powerful swimmer, and swam all night, 6 to 8 hours until they were eventually saved by a landing craft.French successfully brought the men to safety on the shores of the Solomon Islands. Once French was identified, he became a national hero! For this action, French received a letter of commendation from Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. in May 1943. United States Navy Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French was the first black swimmer to earn the Navy Medal for his heroism in 1943. He was named Hero of the Year by The Chicago Defender.A depiction of French's heroic actions was memorialized on War gum trading cards, on calendars, and his story was told insyndicated comic strips. He made public appearances across the country to promote the sale of War Bonds. French is also recognized by the International Swimming Hall of Fame.French was posthumously award the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions in 1942. The award was presented last week on May 21, 2022 at Naval Base San Diego during a Training Pool Dedication Ceremony.Petty Officer First Class Charles Jackson French passed away on November 7th, 1956 at the age of 37. French is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California. Lest We Forget.