David, Charles Walter, Jr.

Source:

 African American National Biography

David, Charles Walter, Jr.

(20 June 1917–5 Feb. 1943),

World War II coastguardsman and medal winner, was born and raised in New York, possibly in the borough of Manhattan. Nothing is known of David's early life.

While it is uncertain whether Charles David Jr. joined the coast guard prior to the war, or after the attack on Pearl Harbor, his rating at the time of his death suggests that he voluntarily enlisted late in 1941 or early 1942. By late 1942 David had joined the crew of the coast guard cutter Comanche, a 165-foot-long vessel that carried a crew of about six officers and sixty enlisted men. As an African American, David was assigned the only rating that blacks were allowed to hold at the time, that of steward's mate (with promotion available to steward). It was the job of the stewards and stewards' mates to serve the ship's officers, help to prepare and serve their meals, clean their quarters, and perform other affiliated duties. While general ratings (non-steward) for African Americans in the coast guard would eventually become available, opportunities were limited and usually restricted to those duty stations and ships outside of combat zones. However, that does not mean that black men like Charles David were not a part of the fighting coast guard; like any man aboard ship, in addition to their regular duties, he was also assigned general quarters stations when combat situations arose. In this case, David and others like him could serve in a variety of capacities, perhaps as ammunition passers, stretcher bearers, or as a member of a gun crew. While it is unclear what Charles David's general quarters assignment was aboard Comanche, it is thought that sometime in 1942 he received training as a rescue swimmer. It was while serving in that capacity that David would be decorated for his heroism and sacrifice.

While little is known regarding the extent and duration of Charles David's rescue training, he surely showed acumen in learning endurance swimming, line and small raft handling, and perhaps some first-aid basics. This new “rescue retriever” type of technique practiced by David and others was one devised by the coast guard out of sheer necessity. With the ever-increasing number of Allied ships and men lost to German U-boats in the North Atlantic in 1942 and early 1943, new methods had to be used to save lives, and African American coastguardsmen would be a small but vital part of the solution.

On 29 January 1943 Steward's Mate First Class Charles Walter David Jr. was aboard the Comanche at St. John's, Newfoundland, and heading out to sea for convoy duty. Along with several other cutters, David's ship would be escorting two merchant vessels and the armed transport Dorchester to Greenland as part of convoy SG-19. The armed transport was a large and valuable ship, carrying nearly 1,000 sailors and soldiers; in the early morning hours of 3 February the Dorchester fell victim to a German U-boat attack, hit by five torpedoes from the U-223. The cutter Comanche was just 2,500 yards away and quickly manned its battle stations, but it was too late. Just twenty minutes after the attack, the Dorchester sank by the stern, taking down with it over 650 souls. This incident would soon gain international renown, not only because of the huge loss of life but also because of the heroism of four army chaplains who sacrificed their lives so that others might live. The chaplains aboard the Dorchester, one Catholic, one Jewish, one Methodist, and one Dutch Reformed, helped the ship's passengers and crew into lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets to needy passengers, as well as offering encouragement and spiritual support. Their deeds would be commemorated in memorials, songs, and a postage stamp. However, there were other heroes born out of the Dorchester incident that have been all but forgotten; the African American coastguardsmen and rescue swimmers Charles David Jr. and Warren DeYampert.

Once the area of the sinking was determined to be clear of enemy submarines, the cutter Comanche moved in to assist in the rescue efforts. The cutter rescued ninety-seven men utilizing the rescue-retriever method, of which Charles David was one of the main participants. Spending several hours in the frigid waters David repeatedly dove overboard to save a number of men, and even saved the life of the Comanche's executive officer, Lieutenant Langford Anderson, who could not pull himself out of the water owing to exposure and exhaustion after participating in rescue efforts. However, David would pay the ultimate price for his heroism; two days later he died from the effects of hypothermia suffered during the rescue operations.

For his courage David was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. David's final resting place is unknown; he may have been buried at sea, or in Greenland, where his ship made port to land Dorchester survivors. If the latter were the case, he may have been re-interred at a private cemetery in his native New York after the war. Whether owing to a clerical error or simply because he was given a private burial, David is not listed on any World War II soldier or sailor memorials. However, David deserves to be remembered as an exemplar of African American service in the coast guard during the war, and one whose courage and sacrifice helped to pave the way for future generations of black coast guard men and women who would serve and be judged based on their individual qualities, not on the color of their skin.

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