When I was in the Army, we had a marching song that went, “G-I beans and G-I gravy. Gee, I wish I’d joined the Navy.”
October 13 is the Navy’s 247th birthday. My brother was a career Navy guy, so to honor him and to honor the Navy, I decided to watch the 1963 film, PT-109, starring Cliff Robertson as John F. Kennedy.
It’s a heck of a good movie. And gives an accurate depiction, I think, of what naval duty in the South Pacific must have been like during WWII.
I knew the story of PT-109. I knew it was commanded by a young Jack Kennedy. And I knew the harrowing story of survival after the boat was rammed and cut in half by a Japanese destroyer.
But what was a 20-something Jack Kennedy, a Harvard grad and child of privilege, doing commanding a small boat in such a dangerous locale in WWII? He could have used family connections to keep him out of hazardous duty.
But Kennedy called on powerful friends, not to keep him out of the service, but to get him into it. When it looked like the U.S. would be entering WWII, he put advanced schooling on hold and signed up for the Army’s Officer Candidate School. After months of training, he was released – disqualified because of chronic lower back problems.
And that should have been that. But with the influence of family connections, Kennedy was able to join the United States Naval Reserve. He was commissioned an ensign in October of 1941.
He volunteered for training at the Motor Torpedo Boat Squadrons Training Center and was promoted to lieutenant junior grade. After completing his training, he was assigned to a Motor Torpedo Squadron.
By December of 1942, Jack Kennedy was given command of PT-101, a Patrol Torpedo boat. One thing led to another, and by April of 1943, Kennedy was right where he wanted to be: in the thick of things – commanding PT-109, based on Tulagi Island in the Solomons.
And that should bring you up to the beginning of the film.
There is a lot of second guessing about what happened the night Kennedy’s boat was rammed and sunk. And a lot of criticism. Much of it based on misunderstandings about PT boat capabilities and tactics.
To all the critics and second-guessers, I give a resounding boo.
And to those who claim the sinking of PT-109 was somehow Kennedy’s fault, I give an even louder boo. Quite frankly, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
There is no doubt that Jack Kennedy’s leadership and efforts saved the 11 surviving members of his command. And on the Navy’s birthday, watching the depictions of this small band of heroes should remind us of the many honorable and brave members of the Navy who have served through the years. And serve yet today.
The film, PT-109, can be seen for free at archive.org.
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