PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy

by William Doyle

The longest Olympic swimming event ever staged before then, the men’s 4,000-meter freestyle race, was held only once, in 1900. Fourteen of the twenty eight competitors registered a result of “did not finish,” and the distance was promptly retired. On the afternoon of August 2, 1943, John F. Kennedy covered that same distance, plus a mile more, over open water, behind enemy lines in broad daylight, fully exposed for four hours to any Japanese lookouts or pilots who happened to look his way. All the while, he bit on to a strap and towed a badly burned sailor along with him. Simultaneously he was charged with leading nine other men, including several injured and several non-swimmers, toward safety. It was a performance Kennedy would rarely talk about publicly, but it was an astonishing feat that his crewmen never forgot. On this day, his leadership and example delivered them the hope, however slim, that salvation may be on the horizon.