NAVAL HERO
“I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.'”
- John F. Kennedy (JFK Library)
- John F. Kennedy (JFK Library)
Soon after he graduated from college, John F. Kennedy "joined the Navy.... [Kennedy] was made Lieutenant (Lt.) and assigned to the South Pacific as commander of a patrol torpedo boat, the PT-109. Lt. Kennedy had a crew of twelve men whose mission was to stop Japanese ships from delivering supplies to their soldiers" (JFK Library).
Navy and Marine Corps Award
"On the night of August 2, Lt. Kennedy’s crew patrolled the waters looking for enemy ships to sink. A Japanese destroyer suddenly became visible. But it was traveling at full speed and headed straight at them. Holding the wheel, Lt. Kennedy tried to swerve out of the way, but to no avail. The much larger Japanese warship rammed the PT-109, splitting it in half and killing two of Lt. Kennedy’s men. The others managed to jump off as their boat went up in flames. Lt. Kennedy was slammed hard against the cockpit, once again injuring his weak back. Patrick McMahon, one of his crew members, had horrible burns on his face and hands and was ready to give up. In the darkness, Lt. Kennedy managed to find McMahon and haul him back to where the other survivors were clinging to a piece of the boat that was still afloat. At sunrise, Lt. Kennedy led his men toward a small island several miles away. Despite his own injuries, Lt. Kennedy was able to tow Patrick McMahon ashore, a strap from McMahon’s life jacket clenched between his teeth. Six days later two native islanders found them and went for help, delivering a message Jack had carved into a piece of coconut shell. The next day, the PT-109 crew was rescued" (JFK Library).
"For his courage and leadership, Kennedy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and injuries suffered during the incident qualified him for the Purple Heart" (Plotkin, National Archives).
"At a later date, when asked to explain how he had come to be a hero, [John F. Kennedy], by then an aspiring politician, replied laconically, 'It was involuntary. They sank my boat'" (Plotkin, National Archives). |
Excerpts from the Citation for Kennedy's Medal:
"Unmindful of personal danger, Lieutenant... Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations"
"His outstanding courage, endurance, and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval services"
"The consequences of the event for John F. Kennedy were more far-reaching than simple decorations for a uniform. The story was picked up by the writer John Hersey, who told it to the readers of The New Yorker and Reader's Digest, and it followed Kennedy into politics, where it was a strong foundation of his appeal. For here was a war hero who had not won battles but who had shown courage and dogged will, responsibility for those he led and the ability to inspire them-- and it would be hard to better this as a short list of qualifications for a political leader" (Plotkin, National Archives).