UNO Honors Charles Jackson French in Inaugural “Hero of the Heartland” Event
- published: 2023/02/16
- contact: Brandon Bartling - Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications
- email: unonews@unomaha.edu
Chester French, nephew of Charles Jackson French, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event.
Eric Ewing, executive director of the Great Plains Black History Museum, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event.
UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, speaks to the bravery and courage of Charles Jackson French at the Hero of the Heartland event.
Keith Station, deputy chief of staff for diversity, equity, & inclusion for the City of Omaha, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event.
U.S. Navy Capt. Benjamin Selph shares recognition for Charles Jackson French on behalf of the Navy.
Chester French, nephew of Charles Jackson French, shares remarks at the Hero of the Heartland event. Proclamations naming the Benson post office in his uncle's honor are featured on easels in front of the stage.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) launched a new series to recognize the courage and heroic deeds of the heroes who call the Omaha area home. The inaugural Hero of the Heartland event, hosted by UNO’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and UNO’s Military-Connected Resource Center, honored a World War II hero whose acts have been largely forgotten for decades.
The event, held Feb. 9, 2023 in UNO’s Milo Bail Student Center, honored Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French for his tremendous bravery and efforts in World War II. According to the U.S. Navy Press Office, French had moved to Omaha from Arkansas, but re-enlisted in the Navy days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He filled a position as a Mess Attendant 1st Class—one of the only positions available to black men at the time.
Japanese destroyers sank the ship he was on, the USS Gregory, in the South Pacific in September 1942. Charles Jackson French saved the lives 15 Sailors—all of them white—by pulling them on a raft behind him as he swam for hours through shark-infested waters.
UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, spoke at the event, pointing to how his actions can inspire us all to be heroes in our own way. “It has been reported that Charles Jackson French simply asked his injured crewmates, ‘Just tell me if I’m going the right way.’ French’s example shows that everyone has within themselves the capacity for great bravery.” U.S. Navy Capt. Benjamin Selph echoed Li’s remarks, encouraging those in attendance to take inspiration from French’s courageous act.
The story of French’s bravery was celebrated at the time but then largely forgotten for decades. The Omaha World-Herald reported that French’s story was brought back to prominence through a social media post by the International Swimming Hall of Fame. That led to recognition during the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials held in Omaha in 2021.
His family was presented with a posthumous Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and a swimming pool used for training at the Naval Base San Diego was dedicated in his honor in May 2022. He was recognized locally in September 2022 with the renaming of a Benson post office in his honor. UNO’s Hero of the Heartland event continued the long overdue recognition of French’s heroism.
The Hero of the Heartland event will honor additional local heroes in the coming years. The event was held as part of events hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs in observance of Black History Month. Future Hero of the Heartland events may be held during other heritage months to celebrate heroes among a broad array of diverse ethnic groups.