Lt. John_F. Kennedy aboard the PT-109

In the early hours of August 2, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rammed an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead.

Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy’s actions in saving his surviving crew after PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer earned him several commendations and made him a war hero.

The Crew of the P.T. 109

A torpedo from John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 rests some 1,200 feet (360 meters) underwater in the Solomon Islands. Key details from the torpedo and its nearby launching tube helped identify this wreck site as that of the World War II boat.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

Written by Bob Karn for RDX Retro ~ August 20, 2024