 JFK in World War II The world recognizes him as the charismatic young American president struck down in his prime by an assassin's bullet, but the early chapters of John Fitzgerald Kennedy's life are often overlooked. In particular, the courage -- what Hemingway famously characterized as "grace under pressure" -- that kennedy exhibited more than once while serving in World War II is especially worth remembering. Considering the perils he faced during his naval service in the Pacific, in many ways JFK was lucky to have lived as long as he did. Above: JFK on board the torpedo boat he commanded in the Pacific in 1943.
 Brothers in Arms Both John and his older brother Joseph (right) joined the Navy -- John had back problems and needed to use family connections and appeal to the Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence in order to enlist -- but otherwise their experiences could hardly be more dissimilar. John eventually served on an 80-foot, 56-ton torpedo boat in the Pacific, while Joseph became an aviator based in Britain. Above: The two brothers in their naval uniforms, circa 1942.
 Ready to Go John Kennedy did not immediately see action. In October of 1941, he was appointed an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve and joined the staff of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), where he helped prepare intelligence bulletins. On January 15, 1942, he was assigned to an ONI field office in Charleston, South Carolina. He served there and in Chelsea, Massachusetts before attending Naval Reserve Officers Training School in Chicago and then Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training in Melville, Rhode Island. He completed his training on December 2 and was named commander of the PT 101. But even then, he was assigned to Panama, away from combat.  The Moment Arrives On February 23, 1943, Kennedy transferred as a replacement officer to a squadron based at Tulagi Island in the Solomons; at last he would encounter the enemy. On August 2, the 26-year-old JFK's boat, the now-famous PT 109, was in the midst of a nighttime patrol when it was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. It split in two, killing two of the 13-kmember crew. Upon impact JFK had been thrown around the cockpit, injuring his back. He ordered his men to abandon ship, in case it went up in flames. When the fire from the wreckage began to subside, they returned to the part of the boat that remained afloat. Above: A replica of PT 109 -- and part of the crew that served on the boat -- takes part in his inaugural parade in 1961.
 Swimming to Survive When it became clear the remnant of the boat was taking on water, the crew elected to swim to a dimly seen island -- which turned out to be three miles away. The swim took at least four hours (it is estimated they were in the water for 15), with Kennedy bearing the extra burden of using his teeth to drag an injured crewman by his lifejacket straps. Upon arriving they discovered the island had no food or water. An exhausted JFK swam back out into the open water in an unsuccessful attempt to draw the attention of any other PT boat that might be passing.  Salvation in a Coconut On August 4, JFK and his men swam to a larger island (he again towed the injured crewman). On August 5, JFK and Ensign George Ross swam to still another island in the quest for help. On August 6, they made contact with natives; JFK gave them a coconut with a carved message to take to a naval base in Rendova. The next day the natives brought a message instructing JFK to journey to Rendova with them. On August 8, PT 157 came and picked up the crew, six days after their boat sank. Above: JFK with his crew in 1943; he is on the far right.
 The Next Chapter By September, JFK had taken command of a new boat, PT 59, but on November 18 a doctor directed him to leave it. In early 1944 he returned to the U.S., where he was hospitalized for his back injuries. He was finally released from all active duty and retired from the U.S. Naval Reserve on physical disability in March of 1945. The PT boat incident brought him honors including a Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. It also made him a celebrity, as it inspired a number of news stories and then later a book, a 1963 movie starring Cliff Robertson (he was personally picked by JFK for the role), and a top ten song called "PT 109" by Jimmy Dean. JFK joked about the recognition, noting of his heroism: "It was involuntary. They sank my boat."  The Kennedy Curse As John was hailed as a hero, his older brother continued to risk death. Even though Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. completed his designated number of B-24 missions, he declined leave and instead volunteered for more missions involving aircrafts laden with explosives, from which the pilot would parachute before detonation. A premature explosion killed him and his co-pilot. He posthumously received the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal. The death had implications beyond being a family tragedy, as his brother John suddenly replaced him as the focus of their father's political ambitions. John and their younger brother Robert would also die violent deaths, while sister Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish would perish in a plane crash. Above: A photo taken not long before Joseph's death at 29 on August 12, 1944.
 The Pain Remains Long after he left the military, JFK still carried a memento of his service: his damaged back. The problem was severe enough that he endured near-fatal surgery in 1954 (this photo shows a gaunt then-Senator Kennedy and wife Jackie leaving the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City after the operation on December 22, 1954). Even that failed to alleviate the suffering. In Robert Dallek's JFK biography An Unfinished Life, he writes, "Something as simple as bending over a lectern to read a speech caused him terrible pain. Out of sight of the press, he went up and down helicopter stairs one step at a time." In later years Kennedy resorted to often extreme measures to deal with the discomfort, including shots of amphetamines while in the White House.  A Navy Man Forever In 1960, John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon to become our 35th president. Three years later he was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald and in death become an icon. His military career always remained vitally important to him and in an August 1, 1963 address to the U.S. Naval Academy he eloquently expressed the honor held by all who can say, "I served in the United States Navy." Above: Sailors walk past JFK's quotation on the lower deck of the USS John F. Kennedy on March 3, 2007 during its final port call to Boston before being decommissioned. The Movie:  U.S. Navy Lieutenant, junior grade John F. Kennedy (Cliff Robertson) uses his family's influence to get himself assigned to the fighting in the Solomon Islands in World War II, much to the surprise of Commander C.R. Ritchie (James Gregory). He collects a crew, including Ensign Leonard J. Thom (Ty Hardin), "Bucky" Harris (Robert Blake) and Edmund Drewitch (Norman Fell), and energetically repairs the damaged PT 109. On one mission, the PT 109 is sent to rescue a paramarine patrol trapped on an island. Kennedy successfully takes aboard the survivors, but barely gets out of range of Japanese guns before running out of fuel. The tide starts taking the boat back towards the island. In the nick of time, another PT boat arrives and tows the 109 to safety. Another sortie is less successful. While on patrol one moonless night, a Japanese destroyer appears suddenly out of the darkness and cuts the 109 in two, killing two crewmen. Kennedy leads the survivors in swimming to a deserted island. After a few days, Kennedy encounters two natives and gives them a message carved on a coconut. Fortunately for the sailors, they take it to an Australian coastwatcher, who arranges for a rescue. Afterwards, Kennedy is eligible to transfer back to the U.S., but elects to stay in the fight. | |
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