John F. Kennedy In His Patrol Boat
Despite having initially been medically disqualified, John F. Kennedy served in WWII commanding patrol torpedo boats. Here, he is seen on his most famous boat, the PT-109. It was rammed by a Japanese destroyer and was sinking when Kennedy rallied the survivors. They swam to a nearby island instead of surrendering. He towed a badly hurt crewman to the island by pulling the man’s life jacket strap between his clenched teeth. Kennedy became president 18 years later.
