Pt 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II (Thorndike Press Large Print American History Series) - Hardcover

Donovan, Robert J.

3.82

857 ratings by Goodreads

9780786259649: Pt 109: John F. Kennedy in World War II (Thorndike Press Large Print American History Series)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786259647 ISBN 13: 9780786259649

Publisher: Thorndike Pr, 2003

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Presents an account of John F. Kennedy's naval service in World War II, particularly of the rescue of his crew after his PT boat was destroyed.

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Review:

"To me, PT109 has always been one of the great war stories of all time." - Senator Edward M. Kennedy; "In PT 109 we see a man assailed by hunger, heat, cold, discouragement and danger rising, without dramatics or posturing, to greatness." - New York Times Book Review; "This salutary book brings back the days when men heard an undeniable call to service in something bigger than themselves, and answered in kind." - Daniel Schorr

Book Description:

“To me, PT109 has always been one of the great war stories of all time.” — Senator Edward M. Kennedy “In PT 109 we see a man assailed by hunger, heat, cold, discouragement and danger rising, without dramatics or posturing, to greatness.” — New York Times Book Review “This salutary book brings back the days when men heard an undeniable call to service in something bigger than themselves, and answered in kind.” — Daniel Schorr Seventeen years before John F. Kennedy became the thirty-fifth president of the United States—in the early morning of August 2, 1943, to be exact—a PT (Motor Torpedo) Boat under his command was rammed and sliced in half by a Japanese destroyer in the waters of Blackett Strait, in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy’s wartime career had been unremarkable to that point, but in the aftermath of the ramming, as the destroyer swept away and fired two shots back at the broken and burning PT boat, Kennedy became a hero. Gathering his surviving crew to the derelict forward section of the boat, which was still floating, Kennedy swam into the darkness and towed the injured crew back to the hulk. He would spend 30 of the next 36 hours in the water, during which time he and the crew swam three miles to a small island with Kennedy towing a badly burned survivor. Over the next three days Kennedy placed his life at risk in the effort to secure the rescue of his crew, which was finally effected on day 4. Only two men were lost, and those at the time of the collision. In September 1943 Kennedy assumed command of PT 59 and was promoted to Lieutenant. In October he plucked 50 marines from the water beneath enemy guns. In November, suffering from a ruptured disc and malaria, Kennedy was directed by a doctor to leave his command, and returned stateside in early 1944 weighing just 125 pounds. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps medal and the Purple Heart. PT109 was published by McGraw-Hill in 1961. Robert Donovan traveled more than 30,000 miles and interviewed hundreds of people to get his story. Every survivor of PT 109, including Kennedy, cooperated. The book was made into a movie with Cliff Roberts in the leading role. Out of print for many years, it remains a swift read and a fascinating glimpse into the younger years of a great leader. The man who would later proclaim, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country,” used his formidable family connections in 1942-43 not to get out of the war, but to get into it—into the Navy despite a bad back, then into active duty, and finally into combat. Years later, several of his crew worked in his presidential election campaign. In August 1963, three months before his assassination, Kennedy wrote: “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.’” This edition features a new foreword by noted NPR commentator and journalist Daniel Schorr exploring what duty to country meant to the WWII generation and to the Vietnam War generation of politicians.

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