Watch PT 109

Long before John F. Kennedy was a U.S. Senator or President of the United States, he was a naval war hero. Though he suffered chronic back problems, Kennedy commanded several PT boats during World War II. On August 2, 1943, his PT-109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy gathered his crew in the water, and despite re-injuring his back, led them to safety on a nearby island.