World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

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The “Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French Post Office” is named in honor of an Omaha sailor. Born in Arkansas, French moved to Omaha to live with his older sister after his parents died. He enlisted in the Navy in 1937, serving as a mess attendant and returning home after fulfilling his four-year commitment. As an African American man, French served at a time when prejudice and discrimination were ever-present in the military. He proudly reenlisted four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

During the Battle of Guadalcanal, Japanese destroyers sank the USS Gregory on September 4, 1942. With 15 of his injured shipmates adrift in a raft, French tied the line to himself and swam more than six hours in shark-infested waters towing his shipmates to safety.

Heralded as the “Hero of the Solomon Islands,” French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on May 21, 2022. Risking death so that others might live, French demonstrated the courage to defend American freedom, so that democracy may continue to grow and prosper for generations to come.