John F. Kennedy
A younger John F. Kennedy was sent to serve as an ensign in the United States Naval Reserve back in September 1941. After finishing the Naval Reserve Officer Training School in 1942, he was rapidly promoted to the lieutenant junior grade and received an assignment on the patrol torpedo boat squadron in Rhode Island.
In 1943, Kennedy was sent to command two patrol torpedo boats in the Pacific Theater of WWII. On August 2, 1943, as Kennedy was the commander of a 20-people crew, PT-109 was severely cut in half as a Japanese destroyer of the Solomon Islands rammed into it.
As it is written in the books, Kennedy reportedly said to his crew: “There’s nothing written in the book about such a situation. Many of you have families and some of you even have children. What do you want to do? I have nothing to lose.”
Apparently, his crew decided to join him and refused to surrender to the Japanese, so Kennedy took the initiative and led them on a three-mile swim to an island nearby. As he noticed that one of his men was too injured to swim on his own, Kennedy decided to clench the strap of the sailor’s life jacket and carried it in his teeth until he arrived on the shore.
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23 Responses
The picture of Roosevelt, is Franklin, not Theodore.
The picture is of Franklin D. Roosevelt, not Theodore Roosevelt.
I THINK AS A ‘TRUE”AMERICAN CITIZEN AND VETERAN , THAT THESE TYPES OF LEADERS SHOULD BE TAUGHT TO ALL SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN FROM FOURTH GRADE UP THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL TO KNOW WHAT AMERICA REALLY STANDS FOR AND THE VERY CRITICALLY IMPORTANT VALUES OUR SOCIETY/ COUNTRY SHOULD BE BASED UPON IN TODAYS WORLD!!!!
You left out George Bush, a naval aviator who was shot down in the battle of Midway.
Both George H.W. and George W. served.
For Teddy Roosevelt or Theodore Roosevelt you had a picture of Franklin Roosevelt otherwise a good piece.
My second choice. He also looked like a president. Jackie was a special first lady. Trend setter! Mover and shaker! He didn’t not back down to Cuba or Russia. Not like our weak, scared ,confuse mess in office now. He made a proud America. Even when he was in severe pain, he still stayed strong!
He was mean and calculated! But I do believe he wanted a proud America.
Don’t know much about him. I will look it up. He looked like a president and a brave man? He looked thoughtful ? Strong looking . Not weak feeble like Biden? And his band fools with no clue. How to run America.
WRONG ROOSEVELT PICTURED. Good article otherwise.
THATS FDR NOT TEDDY ROOSEVELT! OMG
Thank you so much for your observation! Indeed we got the wrong Roosevelt, and we’re so happy that you took the time to let us know about the mix-up. We appreciate your input and please never hesitate to let us know about your feedback!
This is not Theodore Roosevelt. This is his distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, our longest serving president. , elected in 1932. 1936,1940 and 1944. He died in office in April of 1945, did not live to see the end of WW!!. Historians usually agree he was one of our three greatest, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and FDR. I was born in 1931, he was the only President I knew for many years.
Thank you so much for your observation! Indeed we got the wrong Roosevelt, and we’re so happy that you took the time to let us know about the mix-up. We appreciate your input and please never hesitate to let us know about your feedback!
This is not Theodore Roosevelt, this is Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President from 1933 until hill his death in April 1945.
I have posted this comment 2 or 3 times already, but it doesn’t seem to show up.
Thank you so much for your observation! Indeed we got the wrong Roosevelt, and we’re so happy that you took the time to let us know about the mix-up. We appreciate your input and please never hesitate to let us know about your feedback!
You forgot George H.W. Bush that served as a Navy Pilot in WWII.
What about George Bush the fighter pilot shot down twice?
Jimmy Carter was in the Submarine Service, you dont get any braver than that!
This is Theodore, thank you for correcting.
There were a few more. Rutherford Hayes, James Garfield, William Henry Harrison, James Monroe, Franklin Pierce, and George Bush. (Who was not shot down during the battle of Midway, but later on in the war flying over one of the islands in the Iwo Jima chain).
What about President George W. Bush ?
Grant was a drunk who should have never had command of a boy scout troop.