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Two original pencil sketches of the PT-109 incident, drawn by Senator John F. Kennedy on off-white 3.75 x 5 sheets of "From the Desk of John F. Kennedy" memo paper, sketched as part of his work as technical advisor for the 'PT 109' episode of the CBS television series Navy Log. One sketch shows the layout of the PT-109 with its guns, torpedoes, and some crew members; the diagonal dotted line shows where the Japanese destroyer Amagiri cut through the boat. Kennedy indicates the locations of some of the his men: Barney Ross ("Ross") was on the bow; Harold Marney ("Marney”), who was killed instantly at impact, is shown in a front gun turret; JFK indicates himself and radioman John E. McGuire in the cockpit, "K" and "McG." The second sketch shows the patrol boat formation of the PT-109 leading the PT-162 and PT-169 through the Blackett Strait prior to the collision. Impressively suede-matted and framed together with a photograph of JFK and his PT-109 crew, as well as two PT-109 campaign pins, to an overall size of 21 x 27. In very good to fine condition, with light creasing and toning.
These remarkable drawings originated from the collection of Allan Sloane, a screenwriter for the CBS television series Navy Log, dramatizing the greatest survival war stories in the history of the United States Navy. In August 1957, then-Senator John F. Kennedy served as technical adviser for the 'P. T. 109' episode of Navy Log, which related the story of the sinking of the patrol torpedo boat that he commanded during World War II. Kennedy also appeared as a guest on the broadcast of that episode.
Further, these drawings were exhibited as part of the 'JFK in World War II' exhibition held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, from May 21, 2005 through Spring 2006. Includes a copy of the museum's receipt for the loan of the objects, a printout of the press release billing "Sketches created by Senator John F. Kennedy on his personal stationery to illustrate the collision of PT 109" as a key item in the exhibition, an original mailer advertising the special exhibit, and a pair of courtesy admission passes. Both sketches were also illustrated in the article 'The Making of JFK' by Brian John Murphy, published in the August 2008 issue of America in WWII (Vol. 4, No. 2), a copy of which is included.
In the early morning of August 2, 1943, Lieutenant Kennedy’s PT-109 was struck by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri in the Blackett Strait of the Solomon Islands. Following a miraculous 3.5-mile swim to shore, Kennedy and his ten surviving crew members were rescued from Olasana Island a full six days later. The young lieutenant's grace under pressure made him a national hero when the story was picked up by John Hersey and covered in The New Yorker and Reader's Digest.
Later on during JFK's run for president in 1960, in an effort to quell public concerns about what some called candidate Kennedy’s 'inexperience,' the campaign sought to publicize his heroic naval service. Utilizing the PT Boat as a recognizable symbol, various tie bars, pins, clasps, and charms were produced as campaign tokens and became highly sought-after mementos—two such examples are displayed here.
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