Kennedy John


John Kennedy Signed and Autographed Free Frank While Recovering From His Heroic Mission of PT-109







Free Frank envelope, 7.5" x 4". Signed and Autographed by John Kennedy as "Lt. J.F. Kennedy." Kennedy penned his return address, "Lt. J.F. Kennedy/ U.S. Naval Hospital/ Chelsea - Mass." , including the word "Free" next to the postmark, The sending address was typed to "Ensign Richard Flood / Gallatin Hall B-24 / N.S. C.S. / Cambridge/ Massachusetts." Postmarked "Hyannis Port, Mass, Oct. 7, 1944". Near fine with small stain to lower right corner. Envelope neatly opened at flap visible to the verso. A photocopy of the letter that had at one time accompanied the envelope will be provided for reference. A search of auction records finds only one other similar Free Frank which sold nearly three decades ago. It was date Feb 26, 1944 an autograph envelope addressed to Francis E. LaClive with Franking Signature, Sold Aug 2, 1990 $3300.







A phenomenal John F. Kennedy signed and autographed Free Frank from the period Kennedy was recovering in Chelsea Hospital from his injury incurred during his PT-109 mission. One cannot overstate the importance of this mission, which both demonstrated Kennedy's heroism and dedication to his Country through his undying devotion to his duty and his willingness to put the good of others before himself. Showing that he could "walk the walk" was instrumental in his later years when he ran for President, and culminated in his speech "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country". In this vein, a younger Kennedy was put to this task on a night in August 1943.









Kennedy had taken command of PT-109, based at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands on a mission with a total of fourteen other PT's ordered to block or repel four Japanese destroyers and float planes carrying food, supplies, and 900 Japanese soldiers to the Vila Plantation garrison on the southern tip of Kolombongara Island. Intelligence had been sent expecting the arrival of the large Japanese Naval force that would pass on the evening of August 1. The resulting skirmish, later referred to as the Battle of Blackett Strait, involved all fifteen PT's including the PT-105, that radioed the sighting of Japanese destroyers at 2:00 a.m. Of the 24 torpedoes fired that night by the fifteen American PT's, not one hit the Japanese convoy. Kennedy spotted a Japanese destroyer nearby and attempted to turn to attack, when PT-109 was rammed suddenly at an angle and cut in half by the destroyer Amagiri, costing two PT-109 crew members their lives. The PT-162 and PT-169 were closest to Kennedy's PT-109 at the time of the collision. Kennedy gathered around the wreckage his surviving ten crew members including those injured, to vote on whether to "fight or surrender". Kennedy stated: "There's nothing in the book about a situation like this. A lot of you men have families and some of you have children. What do you want to do? I have nothing to lose." Shunning surrender, the men swam towards Plum Pudding island three and a half miles southwest of the remains of the PT-109.








Kennedy had been on the swim team at Harvard; and despite re-injuring his back in the collision, even towing McMahon by a belt clamped in his teeth, he was undaunted by the distance. Some of the other men were also good swimmers, but several were not; two, Johnston and Mauer, could not swim at all. These last two were lashed to a plank that the other seven men pulled and pushed as they could. Kennedy made an additional two mile swim the night of August 2, 1943, to Ferguson Passage to attempt to hail a passing American PT boat to expedite his crew's rescue and attempted to make the trip on a subsequent night, in a damaged canoe found on Naru Island where he had swum with Ensign George Ross to look for food. On August 4, he and Lenny Thom assisted his injured and hungry crew on a demanding swim 3.75 miles (6.04 km) miles southwest to Olasana Island, which was visible to the crew from their desolate home on Plum Pudding Island. They swam against a strong current, and once again, Kennedy towed the badly burned motor machinist "Pappy" MacMahon by his life vest. They were pleased to discover the slightly larger Olasana Island had ripe coconut trees, but still found no fresh water. On the following day, August 5, Kennedy and Ensign George Ross made the one hour swim to Naru Island an additional distance of about .5 miles (0.80 km) southwest, in search of help and food. Kennedy and Ross found a small canoe, packages of crackers, candy and a fifty gallon drum of drinkable water left by the Japanese, which Kennedy paddled another half mile back to Olasana in the acquired canoe to provide his hungry crew. Lieutenant "Bud" Liebenow, a friend and former tentmate of Kennedy's, rescued Kennedy and his crew on Olasana Island on August 8, 1943 aboard his ship, the PT-157. Kennedy and Thom, his executive officer on PT-109, were both later awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism and the Purple Heart Medal for injuries.







Taking only a month to recover, on September 1, 1943, Kennedy returned to duty and took command of the PT-59, a PT boat that had been converted into a gunboat. The plan was to attach one gunboat to each PT boat section. On October 8, Kennedy was promoted to full lieutenant. On November 2, PT-59, which included three former PT-109 crew members, took part with another boat in the successful rescue of 87 marines stranded on two rescue landing craft on the Warrior River at Choiseul Island, which was held by the Japanese. Under doctor's orders, Kennedy was relieved of his command of PT-59 on November 18, and sent to the hospital on Tulagi. From there he returned to the United States in early January 1944. After receiving treatment for his back injury, he was released from active duty in late 1944.









Kennedy was hospitalized at the Chelsea Naval Hospital in Chelsea, Massachusetts from May to December 1944. On June 12, he was presented the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (the Navy's highest noncombat decoration for heroism) for his heroic actions on August 1–2, 1943, and the Purple Heart Medal for his back injury on PT-109, on August 1, 1943 (injured on August 2). After the war, Kennedy felt that the medal he had received for heroism was not a combat award and asked that he be reconsidered for the Silver Star Medal for which he had been recommended initially. (His father also requested the Silver Star, which is awarded for gallantry in action, for his son).








An important John Kennedy signed and autographed Free Frank from a defining period of his life.









The recipient of the letter, Dick Flood, was a close friend of Joe Kennedy Junior during college, who also roomed with Joe during their years at Law School. John's letter to him, reaching out to Dick after his brother's death, discussed wanting to do something to perpetuate Joe's memory. He has thought of "getting together some essays, written by those who knew him well, which together could be placed in book form primarily as a gift to his parents …"






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