Omaha, NE — The United States Postal Service (USPS) is dedicating the Benson Station, 6223 Maple St., Omaha, NE in honor of Petty Officer 1^st Class Charles Jackson French, at a ceremony on September 9, 2022. A World War II hero with ties to Omaha, French rescued fifteen of his injured shipmates who were adrift in a raft, by tying a line to himself and swimming for more than six hours in shark-infested waters off the coast of the Guadalcanal. Heralded as the “hero of the Solomon Islands” French was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal on May 21, 2022.   The naming of the Benson Station was brought forward in legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) and U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb), and signed by President Joe Biden.

In addition to Bacon and Fischer, expected speakers include USPS Postmaster Keith Reid, Executive Director of the Great Plains Black History Museum Eric Ewing, U.S. Navy Captain Ben Selph, Omaha Mayor Deputy Chief of Staff – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Keith Station, and the nephews of Petty Officer French, Chester French and Roscoe Harris.

The Dedication will take place on
Friday September 9^th at 10:30am.
Benson Station
6223 Maple Street
Omaha, NE 68104

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