US Navy Acknowledges The Wreck Of JFKs PT-109 At Last
Author: Lyn Thomas
Date Created: Dec 3, 2008 - 7:32:23 PM
In May 2002, Robert Ballard led a National Geographic
expedition which discovered the remains of John F Kennedy's PT-109, sunk in 360
meters of water in the South Pacific. Finally after six years, the US Navy
experts have recently declared the wreck is the remnant of the boat skippered
by JFK.
After the bombing of
PearlHarbour,
in 1941, American troops were shipped to various tropical islands in the South
Pacific. In Vanuatu 100,000 American troops were housed on the tropical
island of
Santo,
while 25,000 more were based on
Efate. The
main objective of the Americans was to halt the Japanese advance across the
chain of South Pacific islands.
Almost 60 years ago a Japanese destroyer, appeared out of
the darkness in the early hours of the morning. It drove over the top of a
PT-109, skippered by 26 year old John F Kennedy, ambassador's son, millionaire
heir and soon to be president of the
United States. The destroyer sliced
through the PT-109, instantly killing two members of the crew and leaving the
rest clutching onto the still-floating bow section.
Knowing that rescue was not likely to happen, Kennedy
encouraged his members to make the several-hour swim to a nearby deserted
island. In spite of suffering a back injury, Kennedy assisted one of his crew
by holding onto the sailor's vest with his teeth.
Starvation, exhaustion and thirst plagued the sailors,
before they were finally rescued by local Solomon Islanders in dugout canoes.
The islanders had been able to move around in the daytime, unnoticed by the
Japanese. They passed onto a coastguard a coconut they had found with a rescue
message carved on it by Kennedy.
Six days after their boat was destroyed, Kennedy and his
remaining crew were hauled aboard a sister PI-109. The coconut, which had been
the instrument that saved the men's lives, was proudly displayed on the Oval desk
at the White House, throughout Kennedy's presidency. It was a reminder to
everyone, that in life there are Blue Moon Opportunities, if you have the
courage to act on them. Opportunities that completely change lives.
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