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The President’s Desk
The President’s Desk ➤ The Coconut
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The Coconut
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John F. Kennedy and PT109
Tulagi
The headquarters for the PT squadron at Tulagi were located in a compound of huts in the muddy terrain. Rain fell four or five hours a day. Food rations were SPAM, scrounged eggs, powdered ice cream and beer captured from the Japanese.
He also asked his parents to send him Victrola needles and a small camera. He wanted the needles so that he could play his favorite song, Blue Skies, over and over again on the phonograph. The chorus is:
Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see…
Full Transcription:
Dear Dad & Mother & Brothers & Sisters:
I’m sorry that I haven’t written sooner – but I’ve been extremely occupied with the South Pacific phase of this total global war. I have finally seen what I came 10,000 miles to see – and to the question was it worth coming 10,000 miles to see – the answer – with a quick look up in the air – is yes – but I must admit that a 10,000 mile trip in the other direction to see peace – would be a heck of a lot more worth-while.
I can’t tell you in much detail about where I am or what I’m doing – but will try to…
Back has stood up fine – the rest of me is O.K. also. On reading back over the letter I may have caused you some worry – don’t – am in an excellent spot – in the best duty I could possibly be in the Navy – and we have the boat going very fast. We can always get away.
Love to all, Jack over Am starting my sixth month out of the states – a few more and I’ll be ready to let Bobby relieve me – I’ll go back and get married and have a son – and when he grows up – he can come out and relieve Bobby. Teddy better stay home – and join the W.P.B.
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Fellow Officers
This snapshot from Kennedy’s scrapbook shows him with his fellow PT boat officers, left to right, Jim Reed, Barney Ross (behind John F. Kennedy), and Red Fay (circa 1943).
The Crew of the PT109
Lieutenant Kennedy skippered a crew of 12 men.
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A Terrible Collision
The Amagiri tore out of the darkness straight towards PT109. At full speed it crashed into the PT boat, splitting it in two. PT109 burst into flames and most of the crew were knocked or fell into the water. Two men died in the crash. Eleven others survived and clung to the wreckage. The next day they swam about four miles to a small island called Plum Pudding. An injured Kennedy led the way towing a badly injured crew member with the man’s life preserver strap in his teeth.
With help from Barney Ross, he repeatedly sought help for his crew despite an injury to his back caused by the crash. He swam for many hours often at night over sharp coral reefs looking for friendly ships.
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John F. Kennedy in World War II
This is Kennedy’s identification or “dog” tag.
Photographer: Visco Hatfield
JFK at the Helm
A Family Serves
John F. Kennedy was not the only member of his family to serve in World War II. His older brother, Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., was a Navy pilot who died when his plane exploded en route to a hazardous bombing mission over Normandy. His sister Kathleen volunteered with the Red Cross in London, England.
PT109 in Action
By early August 1943, Lieutenant Kennedy and his crew had safely completed 30 patrol missions. But, on the 31st mission, a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri, appeared suddenly out of the night.
The Rescue
Four days after the crash, the rescue of the PT109 crew began with a fortunate encounter with two native islanders - Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana. With a knife, Kennedy carved this message on a coconut shell:
“NAURO ISL…COMMANDER…NATIVE KNOWS POS’IT…HE CAN PILOT…11ALIVE…NEED SMALL BOAT…KENNEDY.”
Gasa and Kumana took the carved shell to an Australian coastwatcher, Lt. Reginald Evans, who was monitoring naval activities for the Allies. Evans notified the U.S. Navy. Kennedy later joined him; and together they planned the rescue, and the crew was saved. On August 8, six long days after the collision, Kennedy and his men returned to their base.
JFK Receives Special Honors
After the sinking of the PT109, Lieutenant Kennedy receives two medals for his heroism in the rescue of his crew.
The Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Purple Heart
He received the Navy and Marine Corps medal (left) for “extremely heroic conduct,” and the Purple Heart (right) for injuries suffered during the incident. He was later promoted to the rank of full lieutenant.
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A Lasting Memento
In handwritten notes made by Senator Kennedy in 1957, he recollected Biuku Gasa, the Solomon Islander who was instrumental in his rescue, and wrote:“I don’t remember his name. I never knew it, but I will never forget him.”
MORE INFORMATION: JFK in WWII
MORE INFORMATION: JFK and PT109
JFK’s Sketch
Senator John F. Kennedy created these sketches on his personal stationary to illustrate the formation of PT boats before the collision with the Amagiri (left) and to show the positions of crew members and guns on the PT109 (right). He drew them for the screenwriter of a 1957 TV play about the PT109.
Courtesy of Harry McCormack
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“I am alive…”
It had been widely feared that the PT109 and her crew were lost. In a letter home to his family following the crash, Kennedy wrote that he was “alive - and not kicking - in spite of any reports that you may happen to hear. As soon as possible I shall try to give you the whole story.”
FULL TRANSCRIPTION:
August 12, 1943
Dear Folks:
This is just a short note to tell you that I am alive - and not kicking - in spite of any reports that you may happen to hear. It was believed otherwise for a few days - so reports or rumors may have gotten back to you. Fortunately they misjudged the durability of a Kennedy - and [I] am back at the base now and am OK. As soon as possible I shall try to give you the whole story.
Much love to you all -
Jack
Solomon Islands
Lieutenant Kennedy captained a Patrol Torpedo (PT) boat like this one. In an effort to push the Japanese back, the U.S. established PT boat bases in the Solomon Islands both to harass Japanese shipping that supplied troops in the islands, and to support the U.S. Army and Marine Corps attacking the Japanese on shore.
In 1941, John F. Kennedy - like millions of other men and women - enlisted in the military to serve his country.
Explore this story to discover the wartime experiences of the young man who would become the 35th president of the United States.
Special Training for Fast Boats
In 1942, Lieutenant Kennedy volunteered for special training for Motor Torpedo Boat Duty in Melville, Rhode Island. He received this certificate for completing the course in December 1942.
JFK in the South Pacific, 1943
A Small, Fast Pest
The symbol for PT boats was a mosquito sitting atop a torpedo. Although very fast, the wooden PT boats were highly vulnerable to enemy attack and almost always operated at night.
The South Pacific
In April 1943, traveling by ship, Kennedy reported to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2 in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, some 10,000 miles from his home in Massachusetts. The Solomon Islands were vital to Japan’s Pacific strategy to cut off Australia and New Zealand from the United States.
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“Dear Dad + Mother + Brothers + Sisters: …”
In a letter home, Kennedy told his parents not to worry about him and that he was “in the best duty I could possibly be in the Navy - and we have the boat going very fast. We can always get away."
For Safekeeping
(Palm Beach, FL 1944)
John F. Kennedy examines the coconut shell that helped save him and his crew. After the war, he had it encased in plastic as a paperweight for safekeeping.
He kept it on his desk throughout his political career.
A Love for the Sea
From the time he was a boy, Kennedy loved the sea. At the age of 24 in 1941, he joined the U.S. Navy and was commissioned as an Ensign. Kennedy is pictured here in Charleston, South Carolina in 1942.