The War
In 1943 John F. Kennedy found himself serving in The United States Navy, commanding a Torpedo Patrol Boat in the South Pacific. This was the first time in John’s life that he found himself in an official leadership position, a distinction that he did not take lightly. On August 2nd, 1943, his patrol boat, PT-109, was rammed by a Japanese warship ("John F. Kennedy," 2012). The boat was destroyed, and two crew members were killed. Kennedy led the remaining crew to safety by finding refuge on a nearby island. Kennedy pulled one of the wounded men through the water by the strap of his life vest; this incident caused severe damage to Kennedy’s back. From that point forward, the lingering injury would plague him until the moment of his death.