The Navy to Dedicate Surface Rescue Swimmer Training Pool to Legacy of Charles Jackson French

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Austin Haist | NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO (Mar. 2, 2022) The Navy will dedicate the surface rescue swimmer training pool at Naval Aviation Schools Command Swim Site San Diego to the legacy of Stewards Mate 1st Class Charles Jackson French May 21, 2022. French was an African American WWII hero who saved the lives of 15 of his shipmates, when their ship, the USS Gregory (DD-82/APD-3) was sunk by Japanese forces during the Battle of Guadalcanal near the Solomon Islands. The pool is located on board Naval Base San Diego and will be named “The Charles Jackson French Training Pool,” which is a fitting tribute since the school’s motto embodies its mission, “So others may live.”  

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

02.28.2022

Story by Krishna Jackson 

Naval Base San Diego

SAN DIEGO -- The Navy will dedicate the surface rescue swimmer training pool at Naval Aviation Schools Command Swim Site San Diego to the legacy of Steward's Mate 1st Class Charles Jackson French May 21, 2022.

French was an African American WWII hero who saved the lives of 15 of his shipmates, when their ship, the USS Gregory (DD-82/APD-3) was sunk by Japanese forces during the Battle of Guadalcanal near the Solomon Islands. The pool is located on board Naval Base San Diego and will be named “The Charles Jackson French Training Pool,” which is a fitting tribute since the school’s motto embodies its mission, “So others may live.”

French was born Sep. 23, 1919 in Foreman, Arkansas. He entered the Navy at 18 years old and served four years from 1937 to 1941, before being honorably discharged. After his enlistment, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska where his family lived until he felt compelled to reenlist in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.

In June 1942 French was stationed in San Diego on board USS Gregory, a destroyer transport, as a Mess Attendant 1st Class. The ship left San Diego for Hawaii to train for engagement with Japanese forces in the Pacific. The night of Sep. 5, 1942, WWII would seal USS Gregory’s fate.

In the dark of night, USS Gregory was conducting a patrol near the Solomon Islands when flashes lit up the night sky and Japanese forces spotted USS Gregory and another U.S. ship. The Japanese fired upon the ships, hitting, and sinking USS Gregory. As the ship sank, the Commanding Officer Lt. Cmdr. Harry F. Bauer, gave the order to abandon ship. Eleven Sailors were lost that night, including Bauer. The rest of the crew were in the water or on life rafts as Japanese forces continued to fire at them.

French found himself on a raft with 15 other men, one ore, and floating helplessly toward the enemy. Despite protests about sharks in the water, French tied a rope around his waist and jumped into the water, swimming for more than six hours before the raft was spotted by friendly forces as daylight crept over the horizon.

Once rescued, authorities tried to separate French from the group because he was African American. The crew retaliated and demanded that French remain a part of the group. In a testimonial, French shared how emotional it was for him to have his shipmates defend him and fight to keep him with them. French’s heroism became public knowledge at the end of 1942 on a radio broadcast, when Ensign Robert N. Adrian shared how French had saved him and the others in the raft.

In May 1943, French was awarded a Letter of Commendation, with ribbon authorized, by Commander South Pacific Area and South Pacific Force Admiral William “Bull” Halsey. The award was equivalent to today’s Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Since then, French’s story has been shared as part of Black History Month and in his hometown and other publications, but his name and story are not widely known for the level of heroism he demonstrated. The Navy wants to recognize French’s actions beyond the recognition he received when he was alive and by dedicating a pool that trains surface rescue swimmers to save lives, the Navy hopes others also find it a fitting tribute to his legacy.

French settled in San Diego with his family after leaving the Navy in 1944. He passed away in 1956 at the age of 37 and is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, where he is identified as Stewards Mate 1st Class. The Navy changed the Mess Attendant rate to Steward's Mate in February 1943, when French was still serving in the Navy.

• Date Taken: 02.28.2022
• Date Posted: 02.28.2022 16:40
• Story ID: 415464
• Location: SAN DIEGO, CA, US