Japanese airstrike! Get to your battle stations!
It's April 1943.
An American transport ship suffers a brutal surprise attack en route to Tulagi Island.
Enemy planes pepper the deck with gunfire as the ship’s crew scrambles to fight back.
In the midst of the chaos a passenger jumps into the fray, dodging bullets and debris to help move the wounded to safety.
" I'm low on ammo. Quick!"
"Wait there. I'll get the ammo. "
"All right, buddy, you'll be okay. Just, just stay calm.
I'll get help!"
This brave soul is 25 year old Jack Kennedy, a freshly trained PT boat captain
who's had to pull some strings to get out of a safe assignment and see actual combat.
Without a word Jack expertly reloads the gun.
"This one's for Pearl!"
"Stop the attack! Retreat and back to the base! "
After a stressful few minutes, the assault ends just as abruptly as it started.
Jack helps tend to the wounded and the ship continues onwards to Tulagi.
Reporting for duty at Tulagi, Jack is given the lay of the land
along with the other PT captains and crews of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2.
"Men, to further expand our control of the area,
we’re gonna do some good old-fashioned leapfrogging.
By bypassing smaller islands in favor of larger ones,
we can take down enemy supply chains where they start.
If we can pull this off,
we’ll be able to cut the head off of the snake and weaken Japanese control,
one major island at a time.
"Jack, this, this doesn't look good."
"No, Russel, it will be fine.
Sir! I’ll take command of my Devil Boat and give ‘em hell."
"Now that's what I like to hear!
Kennedy, with me. Everyone else, dismissed!"
The PT boat Jack Kennedy has been assigned to his PT-109
It looks like it's seen better days.
Despite only being in operation for less than a year,
the boat has participated in twenty-two combat patrols
and fought engagements with Japanese forces on six different occasions.
"It doesn’t look like much, but she's gonna wear accounts.
Let's get to work."
When Jack takes command of PT-109 on April 23rd, 1943,
all of the bullet holes, burn marks, and chipped paint didn’t seem to matter.
It was his, and he was going to use it and make a difference in this war.
“Kennedy? As in Joe Kennedy?
Oh great, there’s nothing like being led into battle by a soft little daddy’s boy.
I’m here to fight for my country, not play war with a rich kid.”
"Сome on Ray, give him a chance. "
We don’t even know him yet.
Rich kid or not, this guy's gonna be responsible for our lives,
so we gotta get on his good side."
Jack Kennedy actively participates in the ship repairs,
getting his hands bloody and dirty alongside his men.
"Come on guys, let me give you a hand!"
"Ray, Chuck, good job! I guess we’re all sons of a gun. "
On August the 1st, 1943, that respect in bond would be put to the test.
Fifteen PT boats, including PT-109, are sent to patrol the Blackett Strait.
Command have received word earlier in the week that five Japanese destroyers are passing through the area,
and this is their best chance to cripple the Tokyo Express.
The devil boats are separated into divisions, given a location to patrol, and then they wait for their prey.
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Jack and the rest of the PT-109 crew continue their patrol in near-darkness.
"Run on just one of the engines."
This makes them much slower and less agile,
but also more difficult to detect.
The element of surprise was crucial to the mission.
Hours pass until just before 2:30 AM on August the 2nd.
“Ship at two o’clock!
Is that the 169?”
As the vessel approaches at startling speed,
it quickly becomes clear that it's not an American PT boat.
It's the Amagiri - a Japanese destroyer.
And it's on a collision course with PT-109.
“They’re coming in hot, we gotta get out of the way!”
“Engage the engines! Prepare for a torpedo run!”
Unfortunately, the Amagiri is coming in so hot
the PT-109 doesn't have time to get out the way.
"Brace for impact!"
The knife-like bow of the Amagiri cuts through the PT-109
as easily as a wave, severing the boat in half.
The explosion results in a massive fireball.
The PT-169 and 162 circle up and fire torpedoes at the Amagiri in retaliation.
"Torpedoes! Torpedoes! Brace for impact! "
Every projectile misses.
"Machineguns! Return fire!"
They didn't even look back assuming the crew of PT-109 was lost in the blast.
But thankfully...
that was not the case.
The survivors of PT-109 struggle to find safety.
Two members of the crew, Andrew Jackson Kirksey and Harold William Marney, perished instantly.
Engineer Patrick “Pappy” McMahon suffered serious burns.
As the rest of the crew struggles to find safety, the boat’s fuel leaks out into the waters around the wreckage
and is ignited by the remnants of the fireball.
The surface of the water is transformed into a fiery deathtrap.
Having come out of the ordeal mostly unscathed,
Kennedy swims through the wreckage to rescue as many men as he can.
Aside from Kirksey and Marney the remaining 11 men are alive with various injuries.
McMahon is in the worst shape, with burns covering 70 percent of his body.
Jack dragged the struggling McMahon to a piece of floating wreckage and took stock of the situation.
"That's everyone, Skipper."
“All things considered, things could be worse. Not by much, but still worse.”
“What do we do now? We can’t just tread water expecting someone to come save us."
"Oh, what's that?"
"It's sharks!"
"Okay, we'll make our way to land and see if I can flag down another division.
We're not dead yet, dammit."
The closest island was three and a half miles away, but even that was no problem for Jack.
Having been on the swim team at Harvard he was the strongest swimmer of the bunch,
and dragged McMahon behind him clenching a life jacket strap with his teeth.
Only two members - Johnston and Mauer - couldn’t swim at all.
They were hauled on what was left of the hull of the 109, dragged through the water by the other men.
After four hours of determined swimming and avoiding detection by Japanese camps,
the entire crew make it to Plum Pudding Island - a tiny little island to the Northwest of the Blackett Strait.
"It would be great if we could find something to cook."
It seems like paradise at first, but it didn't stay that way for long.
Despite frequent recon missions in nearby water islands,
it seems like help is not coming for them.
"Never seen so much bird poop in my life."
"Guys, I've found something!"
The crew sit baking in the sun, surviving only on coconuts.
"What do we have here? This little fellow looks tasty,"
"Don't let him get away!"
"Shut up, Mauer!
Don't spook him!"
"Go easy, easy."
"There are 6 of us. We can each have a leg."
"Maths never was your strong point, Chuck."
"Japanese barge, shut up and get down."
"Do you think they saw us?"
"If they did - they didn't make a fuss. I think we're clear this time."
"This time, but they're gonna unless we find our way to get back to base."
With just coconuts for food, the Japanese nearby and rescue seemingly distant, the group's tempers start to fray.
"Hey Mauer, you’re the cook here. Can you whip us up something that isn’t these damn coconuts?"
"That’s all there is, genius. You can sprinkle some sand on it if it’ll make you feel better."
"You... Dammit!"
"Take that!"
"You idiot."
"Skipper, quick, the locals have seen us."
"We Americans.
Boat sank. Need to get home.
You help?"
Desperate to get back to some kind of civilization Kennedy took a coconut
and carved a message into it that would lead to their rescue.
Several days later, after spending a torturous week in the Solomon Islands,
Kennedy and the rest of his crew were transported back to their base.
He takes command of another boat, PT-59.
However, this was not going to be just any PT boat.
Kennedy transforms it into an all-out assault vehicle.
"What kind of a friend are you?"
"You got a new boat and don’t ask us out for a daytrip?"
"You guys… After what we’ve been through I didn’t think you would want to join me."
"What do you think, Chuck?"
"I don't know. I’ll only come if there are coconuts. "
"Well gentlemen... Buckle up!"
"Hey Russell, check out my sweet ride!"
"You sure you filled up enough for the trip?
You want me to clean your windshield?"
"Flank speed. Come on guys."
"Yeehah! Yeah!"
"Dolphins! Great, look at it! Wow!
Now this is living!"
After PT 59's conversion was complete
Kennedy and his crew of mostly volunteers carried out 13 patrols between the islands over a period of a month.
He never got the opportunity to avenge his fallen men, but he did get an opportunity to save many American servicemen.
"Where are they hiding?"
"Shut up!"
"Kennedy, we have a situation.
We have 87 marines trapped on Choiseul.
They were engaging the enemy as a diversion so we could draw resources,
but the operation went sideways and now they have no way home.
I need PT-59 and two other boats for a rescue mission."
"We're on it, sir."
Not wasting any time Kennedy returns to his crew to prepare the vessel.
"Men, get the 59 ready for action.
We are pushing off for Choiseul in a few hours."
The crew rushes around, checking the guns, loading ammo
and making sure everything is ship shape.
“The guns are prepped and the vessel is good to go, but we’re low on fuel, Skipper.
Only half a tank, that’s definitely not enough to get to Choiseul and back.
Especially not with all that extra weight.”
"Guys, do you remember the time we were stranded on that island? "
"How could we forget?"
"Ray, you remember you were in the ocean for days?
"I remember, Skip. My feet are still wet."
"Chuck, you remember how we were eating those damn coconuts all the time until we were sick?"
"Yes, Skipper."
Okay, we've got half a tank of fuel, but if we don't help out
these boys are gonna go through that too.
Maybe worse.
I'm not about to let that happen."
"Let's go get them, Skip. "
"Flank speed."
The crew of PT-59 set out under the cover of darkness.
After several hours of choppy seas and heavy rain the rescue team reached the target.
The situation is dire.
“Japanese are on the beach! They’re firing on the marines in the water!”
“We have to get them out of the water!
We need to get closer! Get us between the shore and the landing craft!"
As bullets fly and ricochet off PT-59’s armored hull,
the stranded marines are loaded into the rescue boats and prepare for the trip home.
The unexpected show of force kicks up sand and shreds trees as everyone on the PT-59 cheers.
“We’ve got them on the run now!
Engage the engines. Let's get out of here."
PT-59’s engines rumble and sputter to life as the vessel jolts forward,
causing a few passengers to lose their balance.
Before they are able to build up speed and escape the onslaught,
the engines sputter again,
lose power, and come to a complete stop.
"They aren't moving. Are they toying with us?"
Hah! They stopped! Fire! Fire!
PT-59 starts to take heavy fire as the Japanese intensify their assault.
"Blow the boat!"
With a sound of gunfire ringing in his ears, Jack frantically considers what their next move should be.
And then, behind the sound of gunfire and bullets whizzing by and bouncing off the deck,
there's a low droning sound that finds its way into Jack’s ears.
"It's PT-236! They came to help us!"
“Ha, hot damn, we’ve got ourselves a tow, boys!"
"Hey Jack, how is that sweet ride of yours?
Need a tow?"
"We have the 59, returning to base.
I've never had to rescue a rescue team before."
"This is one for the books, eh?"
Between the tragedy of PT-109 and the heroic rescue of the Marines
Jack Kennedy had become a seasoned warrior in just three months.
Unfortunately, the elements have taken a toll on him.
"Kennedy."
"Yes, sir!"
Doc says you have malaria and colitis, you're severely underweight and you need X-rays down at Talagi for your back.
That ulcer is not getting any better either.
I'm sorry to do this to you, son, but I'm relieving you of duty.
Thank you for your service, prep for transport to Talagi.
Say your goodbyes now."
"Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed."
"It's been an honor serving with each and every one of you.
My busted body isn't worth anything to this crew anymore,
but my heart and soul remain here with you.
Remember the ones we lost,
the ones we lose every day,
and keep fighting the good fight.
If there is ever anything I can do for any of you,
ask me.
You will always know where you can get in touch with me."
Jack Kennedy returned to the US on December the 23rd, 1943,
and became the 35th president of the United States in 1961.
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