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Kennedy Joins the Navy
Kennedy joined the Navy in 1941 just before the United States entered World War II. In 1943 he arrived in the Solomon Islands to take command of PT 109, a patrol torpedo boat. On the night of August 1, 1943, PT 109 was struck by the Japanese warship Amagiri and severed in two. Kennedy and the 11 surviving crew members swam three miles to the nearest island—John dragging an injured crewmate by his life-vest with his teeth.
Seven days later, after a message Kennedy carved into a coconut reached Lieutenant Arthur Evans (via native islanders), Kennedy and his crew were rescued. Kennedy was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal as well as a Purple Heart. |