Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By And/Or Copyright
	70k 45k	Neldon Theo French was born on 25 July 1918 in Benton County, Tenn., to Clarence H. and Alma M. French. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on 09 September 1940 at Nashville, Tenn., and arrived at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, S.C., two days later. Following his boot camp training, French served at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (from 23 December 1940), and at the Marine Barracks, Quantico, Va. (from 23 June 1941), where he received promotions to private 1st class (28 December 1941) and corporal (22 March 1942). Carried as “in the field” on 28 April 1942, Cpl. French took part in the Guadalcanal campaign, being wounded in action on 24 September 1942. Subsequently, on 08 October 1942, Cpl. French, in Company A, 1st Marine Raider Battalion, dug in in a defensive position along the Matanikau River, came under attack by approximately 150 Japanese that plunged through the dense jungle growth against the leathernecks' hastily prepared positions under the cover of smoke. French and other members of his platoon bore the brunt of the savage assault, the enemy employing automatic weapons, hand grenades and bayonets. Fighting fiercely in hand-to-hand combat, the marines refused to be dislodged and while they died at their positions, they exacted a heavy toll, daylight revealing 78 dead Japanese on the field of battle. For his heroism on the night of 08-09 October 1942, the 24-year old Tennesseean was awarded the Navy Cross (posthumously), as well as a share of the Presidential Unit Citation awarded the First Marine Division. Originally interred on Guadalcanal, French’s remains were eventually returned to the land of his birth in response to his mother’s request on 30 June 1947, and he lies in Baker’s Chapel Cemetery, Camden, Tennessee. USS French (DE 367) (1944-1946) was the first ship to be named in his honor. Photos from Special Forces Roll of Honor		Bill Gonyo Downey, Cal. Assoc. Researcher Navsource
	295k	17 June 1944: Orange, Tex. – Guests view the christening and launching of USS French at Consolidated Steel & Shipbuilding. Standing at center is Mr. C.H. French, father of Corporal French.		Neldon French
	262k	17 June 1944: Orange, Tex – Mrs. Alma French, mother of Corporal French.
	238k	17 June 1944: Orange, Tex. – Mrs. French prepares to christen the ship.
	270k	17 June 1944: Orange, Tex. – Mrs. French breaks the traditional bottle of champagne on the ship's bow.
	283k	17 June 1944: Orange, Tex. – USS French being launched at Consolidated Steel & Shipbuilding.
	277k	USS French (DE-367) off San Francisco in 1945-46. (U.S. Naval Historical Center photo #NH 79837, Courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1974 from the Naval History and Heritage Command)		Mike Green Port Angeles, Wash.
	56k	1972: Photo of mothballed ships moored together in the muddy waters of the Napa River at Mare Island. From left are Sedgwick County (LST-1123), an unidentified LST, Owen (DD 536), French, an unidentified destroyer, Howard F. Clark (DE 533), and another unidentified destroyer. (Photo courtesy of L. Cote, from Warship Boneyards, by Kit and Carolyn Bonner)		Bob Hurst Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom

Contact information is compiled from various sources over a period of time and may, or may not, be correct. Every effort has
been made to list the newest contact. However, our entry is only as good as the latest information that's been sent to us. We list
only a contact for the ship if one has been sent to us. We do NOT have crew lists, rosters, or deck logs available. Please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on NavSource's Main Page for that information.

Additional Resources

---

Tin Can Sailors
The U.S. Navy Memorial
Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
The Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
The Destroyer History Foundation

---

To The DE, FF, LCS Photo Index Page

Back To The Main Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail: Webmaster.

This Page Created And Maintained By Mike Smolinski by Paul R. Yarnall, All Rights Reserved. Page Last Updated: 15 November 2021