On the morning of August 2nd, 1943,

PT-109, a World War II U.S. Navy patrol boat, captained by twenty-six year old John F. Kennedy, sank after a collision with a Japanese ship.

JFK was able to save both his own life and the lives of most of his crew.

Two Solomon Islanders were instrumental in the ordeal: Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana.

In May 2002 the National Geographic Society and explorer Robert Ballard set out
to find the wreck of PT-109.

On behalf of the JFK Institute in Boston,
Ballard was asked to present two bronze busts of JFK to Eroni and Biuku. He did deliver one, to Biuku, but Eroni never received his.


A couple of years later the bust that for Eroni found it’s way to him.


It was really wonderful to meet Eroni.

When we arrived, he was sitting with his wife,
and was surrounded by all of his children and grandchildren. It really was amazing to talk with him
and ask him, first hand, what he remembered about JFK.

Tears streamed down his face when he opened the box, he didn’t stop hugging the bust.

For a detailed description of what happened to PT-109, please go to this link:

http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/John-F-Kennedy-and-PT109.aspx