A Black World War II hero is getting a massive tribute from the U.S. Navy for the incredible feats he performed decades ago. Officials recently announced that they will name an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer after Charles Jackson French, a soldier who single-handedly pulled a raft full of his fellow crewmates to safety in September 1942, according to the Nebraska Examiner.
After Japanese forces sunk the USS Gregory near Guadalcanal Island, Petty Officer 1st Class French dove into shark-infested waters, helped gather 15 of his injured shipmates on a raft, and tied the rope around his waist. The brave soldier then swam all of them to safety, earning him the title of “Human Tugboat.”
French served during an era where Black sailors had limited opportunities and weren’t recognized for heroic deeds as much as their white peers.
“He cared about his fellow sailors,” Roscoe Harris, one of Frecnh’s nephews, said in March 2022, per the Examiner. “He cared about them when the Navy was segregated. He saved those white sailors because they needed saving.”
Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the naming of the new destroyer during the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium in Arlington, Virginia, a statement from the Navy reads. Construction on the ship will begin in 2026 and delivery is set for 2031.
“Let this ship inspire us to challenge our own limitations and to always — always — answer the call of duty, even when the waters are rough and the path ahead uncertain,” Del Toro said.
French has been honored numerous times previously, from having a post office named after him in 2022 to posthumously receiving the Navy and Marine Corps Medal the same year, reporters noted.
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