Kennedy established heroism on PT-109
When the PT-109 was struck by a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy saved his crew, gaining him a place in history as a military hero. PHOTO FROM PUBLIC DOMAIN
At approximately 2 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 2, 1943, the future president of the U.S. was nearly killed when the Japanese destroyer Amagiri struck the U.S. Navy’s motor torpedo boat PT-109 at full speed, splitting the 80-foot craft in half.
John F. Kennedy, a new naval lieutenant who had yet to see action, embarked on a daunting voyage through shark-infested waters near the Solomon Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean to save the lives of his crew members.
The events of the day showcased his heroism and courage, and the story of Kennedy saving the lives of his crew eventually helped him succeed in politics.
During the midst of World War II, Kennedy, the son of the former U.S. Ambassador to England, enlisted in the Navy. He came back from the Pacific a decorated hero, receiving two medals for his actions.
“It was a mistake by JFK that his boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer, although there was fog. He did not know the destroyer was there. But then after that, he heroically, according to the tale and the story, dragged one of his injured crewmen for miles through the ocean and got the rest to safety,” Brookline High School history teacher Mark Wheeler said.
Kennedy’s story has been told and retold, finding its place in American lore.
“The crew floated on a piece of the boat for a while and then they swam for an island. Then Kennedy went back into the water and swam more miles across open water to a new island, where he eventually met up with an island spotter. He carved a message on a coconut, and Kennedy found the island spotter and somehow the coconut was transferred to Allied forces. The guys were rescued, so incredibly he was able to save his remaining crew with his heroism,” Wheeler said.
The patrol torpedo (PT) boats that 23-year-old Kennedy and his crew of 13 served on played a huge role in the Pacific theatre during World War II. PT boats were designed to move quickly to stop Japanese transport and cargo ships from reaching enemy occupied islands such as Guadalcanal and New Guinea.
According to Jim Lengel, a boater who specializes in sailing and nautical history, the PT boat Kennedy served on was a part of a fleet of boats that helped win World War II.
“The boats were made of plywood quickly and inexpensively,” Lengel said. “Right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we needed to create a defensive and offensive Navy. We quickly needed to build the Navy to quickly prosecute the war. The PT boats had big engines, torpedo tubes and guns and could bring torpedoes and shoot them.
According to Lengel, Kennedy’s previous experience in military school and his childhood sailing and swimming activities helped him when the time came for him to be tested in the waters.
“Kennedy had boating experience, and he knew how to sail and had experience in leadership. They were drafting, so they would take anybody.” Lengel said. “If you could show up, they would put you in a ship and send you out there very, very quickly. It’s not like they took months and months to decide who would take charge.”
Former Boston Globe editor and historian Lou Howland said after the war, when Kennedy’s ambitions turned to politics, the event played a role in molding his public image from a “child of privilege” to a “battle-tested combat veteran” and helped him get into the House of Representatives in 1947, the U.S. Senate in 1953 and the White House in 1961. According to Howland, Kennedy’s time aboard the PT boats brought out his best personality traits and qualities, which gave people a chance to see who he really was.
Kennedy White House Special Assistant David Powers famously commented, “Without PT -109, there would never have been a President John F. Kennedy.”
