Date of birth:

May 29th, 1917 (Brookline/Massachusetts, United States)

Date of death:

November 22nd, 1963 (Dallas/Texas, United States)

Buried on:

Arlington National Cemetery
Plot: 45. 

Nationality:

American (1776 - present, Republic)

John F. Kennedy was born on May 29th, 1917 as son to Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy Sr. (1888 - 1969) and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald (1890 - 1995). He was the brother to Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kennedy, Jr. (1915–1944), Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (1925–1968), and Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (1932–2009).

Promotions:
1941: Ensign;
?: Lieutenant (junior grade).

Career:
?: Edward Devotion School;
?: Greenough Lower School';
?: Dexter School;
?: Riverdale Country School;
September 1930: Canterbury School;
September 1931 - juni 1935: The Choate School, Wallingford;
October 1935: Princeton University;
September 1936: Harvard College;
1940: Stanford Graduate School of Business;
October 1941: Office of Naval Intelligence, U.S. Navy;
July 27th, 1942: Naval Reserve Officers Training School, Chicago;
September 27th, 1942: Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training Center, Melville, Rhode Island;
December 1942: Commanding Officer PT-101, Motor Torpedo Squadron 4;
April 23rd, 1943: Commanding Officer PT-109, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2;
October 1943 - January 1944: Commanding Officer PT-59, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2;
1945: Honorable Discharge;
April 1945: Special Correspondent Hearst Newspapers;
1946 - 1952: U.S. Congress;
1952 - 1960: U.S. Senate;
1960 - 1963: President of the United States.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant (junior grade)

Unit:

PT-109, Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 2, U.S. Navy

Awarded on:

June 12th, 1944

Citation:
"For extremely heroic conduct as Commanding Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 109 following the collision and sinking of that vessel in the Pacific War Area on August 1-2, 1943. Unmindful of personal danger, Lieutenant (then Lieutenant, Junior Grade) Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had succeeded in getting his crew ashore. His outstanding courage, endurance and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

Received while in hospital recuperating from back surgery.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Lieutenant (junior grade)

Citation
"For injury received as result of enemy action in the South Pacific Area on August 1, 1943"

The only U.S. President to be awarded the Purple Heart is John F. Kennedy. He received the Purple Heart after being seriously injured when the patrol torpedo boat (PT-109) he was commanding was sliced in half
and sunk by a Japanese warship near in the Solomon Islands in August 1943. Kennedy was badly hurt in the collision, as were two other sailors; two more were lost. Despite his injuries, then Lieutenant (junior grade) Kennedy “unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had succeeded in getting his crew to shore” on a nearby island.
Kennedy’s brush with death was popularized in newspapers and magazines, and his status as a war hero helped smooth his entry into Massachusetts politics.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

With three bronze campaign stars

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

• Photo 1: Public Domain
• - National Archives
  - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
  -Naval History & Heritage
  -History
  

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John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Boston - Massachusetts

Shipwreck USS PT-109

Vella Gulf - Western Province