Navy to Name Destroyer After Swimming Hero Charles Jackson French
The United States Navy on Wednesday announced that it will name a ship after Charles Jackson French, a World War II hero who swam his shipmates to safety.
The announcement was made by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro during a keynote address at the Surface Navy’s 36th National Symposium in Arlington, Virginia. The U.S.S. Charles J. French will be an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer.
French was a Petty Officer First Class and a mess attendant on the U.S.S. Gregory during World War II. The ship was sunk by Japanese forces in 1942 in the battle of Guadalcanal in what is now the Solomon Islands. French was thrown into the water and helped save the lives of 15 of his comrades by swimming them via a makeshift raft for eight hours through shark-infested waters under the eye of enemy combatants.
Honors for French’s bravery were delayed during his lifetime beyond a letter of commendation. The Navy in 2022 dedicated a training pool for rescue divers at a base in San Diego to French, who died in 1956. There are also efforts underway to name a post office after him in his native Nebraska.
“For too long, we did not recognize Petty Officer French appropriately, but we’ve begun to correct that,” Del Toro said in his remarks. “Recently, we renamed the training pool at Naval Base San Diego after him. And, today, with profound conviction and heart brimming with long-overdue recognition, I am proud to announce the name of our newest destroyer, DDG 142, will be the USS Charles J. French.
“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.”
The Navy has 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the fleet with 13 under contract. Its engines are capable of producing 100,000 horsepower and achieving more than 30 knots while also hosting multiple helicopter hangars.
The keel on the USS Charles J. French will be laid in 2027 with delivery to the Navy projected in 2031.