THE US NAVY TO HONOR WWII HERO DUBBED THE ‘HUMAN TUGBOAT’
In 1942, Charles Jackson French towed a raft with 15 injured sailors through shark-infested waters for eight hours. He was denied any award or medal.
By CLAIRE BARRETT1/15/2024
Despite standing at just 5′8 and 195 pounds, French was a strong swimmer and calmly swam around the sinking ship gathering his injured comrades. (International Swimming Hall of Fame)
“Just tell me if I’m going the right way.”
Charles Jackson French called the words out to a raft of 15 injured sailors as he tied a rope around his waist and began to swim. He did so for nearly eight hours, swimming his way through shark-infested waters and into U.S. Navy history.
On January 10, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that the sea service will name a new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer after French in honor of his heroic actions that day during the September 1942 naval battle near Guadalcanal.
French, a Black cook who had previously completed a four-year enlistment in the Navy, reenlisted just days after the Dec. 7, 1941 attack at Pearl Harbor. By Sept. 4, 1942, French found himself aboard the destroyer-turned-transport ship USS Gregory as it returned from delivering a Marine Raider battalion to Savo Island.
https://www.historynet.com/charles-jackson-french-navy/
