Not the story you may be expecting!
John F Kennedy 1917 – 1963
John F Kennedy was born in May 1917, became a Lawyer and was usually referred to as JFK. Via both Houses of the US Congress he was elected as the 35th President of the US. However he only had 3 years in Office until his assassination on 22nd November 1963. His killer was Lee Harvey Oswald.
Oswald did not stand trial because he was killed by Jack Ruby 2 days after Oswald’s arrest. Despite his short time in Office, JFK was ranked highly in polls of US Presidents rated by historians and the general public. His personal life and his professional life were both subjects of considerable interest following public revelations after he was murdered. He left a Legal Legacy that included the Civil Rights Act and the Apollo Mission to the moon. His extramarital affairs were well known to the public.
In October 1962, US Spy planes discovered that Soviet Bases had been deployed in Cuba and this almost resulted in global thermonuclear conflict. JFK had tried to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba with the ‘Bay of Pigs’ invasion which failed badly.
Then for thirteen days from 16th October 1962 until 28th October 1962, the world held it’s breath while the 3 Leaders traded nuclear threats and Khrushchev eventually withdrew from Cuba, as he was faced by JFK’s warnings: “If Russia fired nuclear missiles onto the US East Coast cities, the US would obliterate Russia totally”. How did the US grow to such a position? US nuclear bases were spread all over the country and Russia could not have hit them all in a ‘first strike’.
JFK’s rise to fame began in 1940 after he graduated from Harvard University when he joined the US Naval Reserve. Helped by his father’s money and influence, JFK was promoted to the command of various Torpedo Patrol Boats in the Pacific Ocean.
His main Patrol Boat (PT) was the PT109 which after mechanical failure on a mission was rammed by a Japanese Destroyer and cut in half. He had taken command of PT109 in April 1943. As part of Motor Torpedo Squadron No 2, along with 14 other PT Boats, they tried to block the passage through the Solomon Islands of 4 Japanese destroyers which were trying to replenish supplies to the Japanese Garrison on the southernmost tip of Kolombangara Island. JFK’s Commanding Officer had received intelligence of the Destroyers passage and he sought to attack the convoy. Eight of the Patrol Boats fired 24 torpedoes but none hit the targets. Later the same day PT109 spotted a lone Japanese Destroyer and attacked at 2am. However the Destroyer’s bow cut PT109 in half. The Destroyer was the ‘Amagiri’. Two US sailors were killed and JFK was injured.
The front part of PT109 was still afloat and JFK grouped his ten crew members around the wreckage. JFK gave his men the option of fighting or surrendering. They voted ‘No Surrender’ and on 2nd August the men swam towards Plum Pudding Island, 3.5 miles away. Despite injuring his back in the collision, JFK towed an injured crewman to the island with a life jacket strap clenched between his teeth. During that night JFK swam towards Ferguson Passage in an attempt to hail a passing PT Boat. This attempt failed as did another try the following night.
JFK once again swam with his crew to another island in search of food and water. Here they heard from natives about an Australian Coast Watcher who had radio contact with various Allied Bases. His name was Reg Evans and he was the Uncle of the author’s Nephew’s Father-In-Law. Reg sent a message by native couriers with the co-ordinates of the tiny island marked on paper inside a coconut. Reg had a pedal operated wireless set so he was able to communicate ‘in clear’ to the US PT Base.
In all the Coast Watchers rescued 75 POW’s, 321 downed airmen, 280 sailors and 190 missionaries and civilians. Among the sailors was no less than JFK. Reg Evans had arranged the collection of JFK and his crew. PT Boats were constructed of wood and were generally around 80ft in length. They were powered by 3 x 1200hp Packard engines and had a top speed up to 45 knots. Initially they had 4 Torpedoes, machine guns and rockets. Reg had native scouts high up in the trees overlooking sites such as Japanese air bases and harbours. His best effort was 3 Destroyers in one signal. He keyed the information to the US Headquarters; planes were sent and all three were sunk.
Back to 2nd August, Reg spotted four Japanese Destroyers and one had a searchlight on something floating in the water. There was wreckage of a boat with figures moving on it. On 6th August one of Reg’s scouts reported that eleven men were on another island. He sent the native back with food and a letter on notepaper:-
“ On His Majesty’s Service. To the Senior Officer; I have just learned of your presence on Gross Island. I strongly advise that you come with this native to me without delay. Meanwhile I shall be in radio comms with your base at Rendova and we can finalise plans to collect the rest of your party, signed by Sub Lieutenant Evans.”
On 7th August Reg told the US Headquarters that 11 survivors from PT109 were on Gross Island and they needed food badly. The reply said, “We will send 3 PT Boats tonight”. When they arrived JFK was missing and later a native canoe landed after being scanned over by a Japanese search plane. From under a carpet of coconut leaves, JFK stepped onto the shore and they were all rescued.
After the War was over, Reg was back in civilian life working as an accountant in Australia when he received a letter inviting him to the White House and the two men met for the first time since JFK stumbled onto the island in 1943. The coconut shell encased in plastic and Reg’s original letter was framed on the Oval Office desk.
A memorial lighthouse was erected to honour the Coast Watchers at a place called Madang in Papua New Guinea in 1959. The Memorial Plaque carries the names of 36 Coast Watchers Killed while carrying out their dangerous duties behind enemy lines. The inscription says:-