French
DeutschUSS Charles J. French
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Charles J. French |
| Namesake | Charles Jackson French |
| Builder | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Identification | Hull number: DDG-142 |
| Status | Authorized for construction[1] |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Arleigh Burke-class destroyer |
| Displacement | 9,217 tons (full load)[2] |
| Length | 510 ft (160 m)[2] |
| Beam | 66 ft (20 m)[2] |
| Propulsion | 4 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines 100,000 shp (75,000 kW)[2] |
| Speed | 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)[2] |
| Complement | 380 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Kevlar-type armor with steel hull. Numerous passive survivability measures. |
| Aircraft carried | 2 × MH-60R Seahawk helicopters |
| Aviation facilities | Double hangar and helipad |
USS Charles J. French (DDG-142) is a planned Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, the 92nd overall of the class, named for Charles J. French.
Naming[edit]
She is named for Steward's Mate 1st Class Charles J. French, an African American cook serving in the US Navy during WWII was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroic actions not involving direct contact with an armed enemy. US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro announced the name on 10 January 2024 in honor of a sailor whose heroics has long been over-looked.
Historical background[edit]
French was serving in the Pacific aboard the destroyer USS Gregory when his ship was sunk at Guadalcanal on 4 September 1942. As the crew were abandoning ship, the Japanese began shelling helpess men in the water. French collected a group of wounded shipmates onto a makeshift raft which was attached to his waist with a rope. He then spent the next eight hours swimming through the shark-infested waters towing the raft carrying approximately fifteen shipmates to safety. Despite saving these lives, and the multiple recommendations to decorate French with a higher level medal or award for his valor, such as the Navy Cross, all were rejected by the military. Instead he only received a personal letter of commendation from Admiral William Halsey.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "DDG-142". nvr.navy.mil. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class". Federation of American Scientists. FAS.org. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Navy will name a new ship for the 'human tugboat,' a forgotten WWII hero". 11 January 2024.
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