A movement to honor a late black World War II veteran who helped save over a dozen injured shipmates when their ship was destroyed in the Pacific gained momentum after a top Navy official committed to looking for a way to recognize the sailor.
Social media posts from the weekend drew attention to the courageous story of Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French, who towed 15 wounded shipmates on a life raft through shark-infested waters after their ship, the USS Gregory, was sunk on Sept. 5, 1942, by Japanese warships near Guadalcanal.
“WW2 black sailor gets just the Navy-Marine Corps Medal for saving 15 men after being sunk in combat actions!?” tweeted Malcolm Nance, a terrorism analyst for MSNBC and a Navy veteran, tagging several Navy accounts.
WW2 BLACK SAILOR GETS JUST THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS MEDAL FOR SAVING 15 MEN AFTER BEING SUNK IN A COMBAT ACTION!? cc @USNavyCNO @chinfo @USNavyHistory #RevisitThisAward #Upgrade https://t.co/ob8bZiS7nB
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 25, 2021
PENTAGON READIES UNMANNED NAVY BUT DENIES IT’S ABOUT CHINA
“Thanks for highlighting this heroic story, Senior,” Rear Adm. Charles Brown, the Navy’s chief of information, responded to Nance on Sunday. “Will work with @USNavyCNO & look into whether we can do more to recognize Petty Officer French.”
Thanks for highlighting this heroic story, Senior. Will work with @USNavyCNO & look into whether we can do more to recognize Petty Officer French. https://t.co/Sz4enU5owK
— Navy Chief of Information (@chinfo) April 25, 2021
One of the survivors, Ensign Robert Adrian, reportedly knew the survivors would have been taken prisoner by Japanese troops if they floated ashore, according to an article published by the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
“Then French volunteered to swim the raft away from shore,” Adrian said. “He stripped off his clothes and asked for help to tie a rope around his waist and tow them to safety.”
Adrian reportedly told French that he would only be giving himself up to the sharks that surrounded them.
“French responded that he was not afraid,” Adrian said. French swam six to eight hours until the sailors were saved by a landing craft.
In May 1943, French was given a letter of commendation for “meritorious conduct in action” from Adm. William F. Halsey Jr., who was then commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. Survivors thought that French deserved a higher tribute, the article said.
French died in 1956 at age 37 in San Diego, according to Military.com.
On Monday, a Change.org petition was initiated, pushing for French to receive more recognition for his valor and asking President Joe Biden and the House of Representatives to award French the Medal of Honor posthumously.
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The Washington Examiner contacted the Navy about whether any decisions have been made regarding French’s commemoration but did not immediately receive a response.
