There's A Big Reason Why JFK Kept A Coconut On His Desk
In August 1943, a young JFK was a lieutenant in the Navy and commander of the ship PT 109, where he was struck by a Japanese warship, known as Amagiri, which severely damaged Kennedy’s ship, along with injuring him and his crewmates. The crew had to escape the then-sinking boat and swim to the nearest island, which was miles away. One of Kennedy’s crewmates was severely injured, however, and Kennedy, showing strong courage and leadership, carried the man by his lifejacket strap with his bare teeth (via Smithsonian Magazine). The crew would swim a couple of miles until they found the nearest island, which they discovered to be uninhabited.
The men stayed on the island for two days, eating nothing but coconuts. They attempted to swim the route that the Navy ships were supposed to go through, but they found no one, so they decided to swim to a larger island. However, while there, Kennedy and his men came across two locals in a canoe — Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa — who were a part of a group called the Coastwatchers. Its purpose was to give information to the Allies if they saw any enemy activity in the Pacific Ocean, which would be the biggest blessing the crew could receive.
ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue82erqxnpJ2ys7HSZphmmpmcerOxwKymp2WnncZutsWkZKSdoKl6onnCqJqopqWperC6jKGgrGWUmsCsew%3D%3D