PT-109
PT-109 was a patrol boat commanded by future U.S. President John F. Kennedy in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. Kennedy's actions after the sinking of the PT-109 saved the crew, allowed him to claim "war hero" status in his political career, and may have contributed to his long-term back problems.
After the boat collided with the Japanese destroyer Amagiri on August 2, 1943, Kennedy led his men, clinging to the wreckage of the boat, to safety on a deserted island in the Solomon Islands archipelago. An article about the experience was printed in Readers' Digest just before Kennedy's first Congressional run, and the campaign reproduced the article and distributed it to potential voters.
Because of Kennedy's service in the Navy he was accorded the honor of burial in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia after his assassination in 1963.
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