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(Guardian)   US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy stops off in the Solomon Islands to personally thank the children of the two men who found JFK and his crew after the sinking of PT-109   (theguardian.com) divider line
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    More: Sappy, Solomon Islands, Caroline Kennedy, John F Kennedy, senior US diplomats, prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, Eroni Kumana, Japanese forces, new US ambassador  
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1001 clicks; posted to Politics » on 09 Aug 2022 at 8:05 AM (33 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



46 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
wademh
2022-08-08 11:56:25 PM  
Now that's a pleasant bit of news. How nice.
 
vudukungfu [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 6:40:22 AM  
That was back before bone spurs were a thing
 
robertus [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 8:07:16 AM  
Oh that's delightful

/seriously
 
kbronsito
2022-08-09 8:07:52 AM  
There was a brief argument over who should save him. Ultimately, they decided to each save half of Kennedy.
 
saywhonow
2022-08-09 8:13:28 AM  
That's a hell of a trip from Europe. I hope she gave them some lederhosen
 
Publikwerks
2022-08-09 8:13:57 AM  
Wow, that's a long flight from Europe.
 
Publikwerks
2022-08-09 8:14:18 AM  

saywhonow: That's a hell of a trip from Europe. I hope she gave them some lederhosen


DAMN YOU
 
kindms
2022-08-09 8:17:21 AM  
nice a bunch of racists prevented the actual men from attending his inauguration denying an invite from the POTUS
 
johnryan51 [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-09 8:19:51 AM  

kindms: nice a bunch of racists prevented the actual men from attending his inauguration denying an invite from the POTUS


Yes. I read that also. +1
 
leeksfromchichis [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 8:22:15 AM  
Oh gawd, are there still Kennedies
 
Barricaded Gunman
2022-08-09 8:25:44 AM  
FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?
 
Publikwerks
2022-08-09 8:43:09 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?


Obviously not from New England. I remember the ads for the JFK library on TV-38 talking about that coconut
 
johnryan51 [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-09 8:44:53 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?


Fark user imageView Full Size
 
spongeboob [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 8:51:04 AM  
The Kennedy Family proves America not only has a class system but there is also an aristocracy
I wish they were all Dead Kennedys
 
qorkfiend
2022-08-09 8:58:06 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?


He also got it back and kept it on the Resolute Desk.
 
BitwiseShift
2022-08-09 8:58:31 AM  
The Solomons.  Brings back memories of my dad and the WWII.
 
Barricaded Gunman
2022-08-09 9:01:56 AM  

qorkfiend: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

He also got it back and kept it on the Resolute Desk.


Are you kidding me?! JFK kept a WWII coconut message on the Resolute Desk and today is the first I'm hearing about it? WTF?
 
Omnivorous [BareFark]
2022-08-09 9:04:47 AM  
FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

You can see the coconut in the "Letters of Note" blog:
https://lettersofnote.com/2011/04/20/11-alive-need-small-boat-kennedy/

The lesser-known part of the story is that John Kennedy invited Kumana and Gasa to his inauguration but British officials, in a tiff over American support for independence movements around the colonial world, blocked them from traveling:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biuku_Gasa_and_Eroni_Kumana
 
UNC_Samurai
2022-08-09 9:06:29 AM  

vudukungfu: That was back before bone spurs were a thing


That was one of those wars where service was just something that happened.

All three of the Kennedy sons served.

Bob Dole was a decorated soldier from his service in Italy - and spent time at the same rehabilitation hospital as Daniel Inouye, who lost part of his right arm fighting in Italy.

Ford was an outstanding officer aboard Monterey, and played an important role in fighting a fire that almost destroyed the carrier.

George McGovern, the biggest peacenik in the Democratic Party during Vietnam, flew B-24s in Italy.

Bush Sr. flew Avengers off the San Jacinto, and was shot down and rescued.

Hell, for all of his many, many crimes and faults, Nixon waived multiple exemptions and served in the Navy.  Now, he ended up in air transport logistics, but that's what he was good at, and he served.

Reagan served in a special actor's unit in LA and New York; his eyesight excluded him from active service.  And for years afterwards he was a little bitter about coming out of the service and Hollywood saw him as past his prime to be a star actor.  It was one of several factors that contributed to his attitudes towards the industry and political views, including being very willing to name names for HUAC.

And as a footnote, John Wayne was effectively a draft dodger. He got a deferment for a couple of different reasons, but a number of the guys above could have easily done the same.  It's just particularly galling that Wayne avoided serving in the most legitimate war in the last century, then was a vocal proponent of the Vietnam War.
 
Flowery Twats
2022-08-09 9:06:59 AM  

Omnivorous: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

You can see the coconut in the "Letters of Note" blog:
https://lettersofnote.com/2011/04/20/11-alive-need-small-boat-kennedy/

The lesser-known part of the story is that John Kennedy invited Kumana and Gasa to his inauguration but British officials, in a tiff over American support for independence movements around the colonial world, blocked them from traveling:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biuku_Gasa_and_Eroni_Kumana


They're mentioned by name in both Kennedy's book and Lonely Vigil (also an excellent read). Hardly "written out of the history".
 
UNC_Samurai
2022-08-09 9:07:59 AM  

Publikwerks: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

Obviously not from New England. I remember the ads for the JFK library on TV-38 talking about that coconut


I need more coffee, I read that as VT-38 and was trying to figure out why a presidential library was using a torpedo plane squadron for advertising.
 
UNC_Samurai
2022-08-09 9:08:36 AM  
Oh, and paging Polish Hussar to a naval history thread.
 
Barricaded Gunman
2022-08-09 9:14:52 AM  

UNC_Samurai: John Wayne was effectively a draft dodger. He got a deferment for a couple of different reasons, but a number of the guys above could have easily done the same.  It's just particularly galling that Wayne avoided serving in the most legitimate war in the last century, then was a vocal proponent of the Vietnam War.


Honestly, what could be more Republican than dodging military service for yourself, then spending the rest of your life making tough-guy movies and banging the drum for everyone else to go fight?
 
UNC_Samurai
2022-08-09 9:18:01 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: Honestly, what could be more Republican than dodging military service for yourself, then spending the rest of your life making tough-guy movies and banging the drum for everyone else to go fight?


Giving a speech to an ROTC assembly COMPLETELY plastered?

Drunken John Wayne Speech
Youtube Jofuq5JDOuw
 
OtherLittleGuy [BareFark]
2022-08-09 9:33:42 AM  

Publikwerks: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

Obviously not from New England. I remember the ads for the JFK library on TV-38 talking about that coconut


That coconut became Minority Leader in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and now runs the T.
 
fiddlehead
2022-08-09 9:34:38 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: UNC_Samurai: John Wayne was effectively a draft dodger. He got a deferment for a couple of different reasons, but a number of the guys above could have easily done the same.  It's just particularly galling that Wayne avoided serving in the most legitimate war in the last century, then was a vocal proponent of the Vietnam War.

Honestly, what could be more Republican than dodging military service for yourself, then spending the rest of your life making tough-guy movies and banging the drum for everyone else to go fight?


But he was a "Hero of Liberty"!

Fark user imageView Full Size


/"Manhood and honor," lawl.
 
Abox
2022-08-09 9:44:19 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: Are you kidding me?! JFK kept a WWII coconut message on the Resolute Desk and today is the first I'm hearing about it? WTF?


The whole premise of Gilligan's Island was based on it.  Like many shows it lost focus in favor of popular characters and plot points.
 
madgonad [OhFark]
2022-08-09 9:46:35 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?


I read story in middle school - so at least as recently as the early 80s it was part of curriculum.

It is a good read, not very long, and is made more interesting due to the story being real and one of the characters becoming POTUS.

It was published in the New Yorker in 1944 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1944/06/17/survival
 
qorkfiend
2022-08-09 9:48:35 AM  

Barricaded Gunman: qorkfiend: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

He also got it back and kept it on the Resolute Desk.

Are you kidding me?! JFK kept a WWII coconut message on the Resolute Desk and today is the first I'm hearing about it? WTF?


You're one of the lucky 10,000 today!
 
PreMortem
2022-08-09 9:59:09 AM  
In case you would like to know what driving a PT-109 was like:

PT-109 gameplay (PC Game, 1987)
Youtube PNV1SIdfqcU
 
vudukungfu [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 10:03:29 AM  

leeksfromchichis: Oh gawd, are there still Kennedies


The grift must flow
 
Billy Bathsalt
2022-08-09 10:29:49 AM  

PreMortem: In case you would like to know what driving a PT-109 was like:

[YouTube video: PT-109 gameplay (PC Game, 1987)]


It was a fast boat, for a bunch of plywood.
 
dbirchall [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-09 10:42:39 AM  
Wait, I thought she had a lobotomy, and then died in a plane crash off the vineyard?
 
jim32rr [recently expired TotalFark]
2022-08-09 10:44:56 AM  
Sinking what?
Fark user imageView Full Size
 
jclaggett
2022-08-09 10:47:21 AM  

OtherLittleGuy: Publikwerks: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

Obviously not from New England. I remember the ads for the JFK library on TV-38 talking about that coconut

That coconut became Minority Leader in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and now runs the T.


That explains *everything* that is wrong with the T these days.
 
capacc
2022-08-09 11:02:33 AM  

UNC_Samurai: vudukungfu: That was back before bone spurs were a thing

That was one of those wars where service was just something that happened.

All three of the Kennedy sons served.

Bob Dole was a decorated soldier from his service in Italy - and spent time at the same rehabilitation hospital as Daniel Inouye, who lost part of his right arm fighting in Italy.

Ford was an outstanding officer aboard Monterey, and played an important role in fighting a fire that almost destroyed the carrier.

George McGovern, the biggest peacenik in the Democratic Party during Vietnam, flew B-24s in Italy.

Bush Sr. flew Avengers off the San Jacinto, and was shot down and rescued.

Hell, for all of his many, many crimes and faults, Nixon waived multiple exemptions and served in the Navy.  Now, he ended up in air transport logistics, but that's what he was good at, and he served.

Reagan served in a special actor's unit in LA and New York; his eyesight excluded him from active service.  And for years afterwards he was a little bitter about coming out of the service and Hollywood saw him as past his prime to be a star actor.  It was one of several factors that contributed to his attitudes towards the industry and political views, including being very willing to name names for HUAC.

And as a footnote, John Wayne was effectively a draft dodger. He got a deferment for a couple of different reasons, but a number of the guys above could have easily done the same.  It's just particularly galling that Wayne avoided serving in the most legitimate war in the last century, then was a vocal proponent of the Vietnam War.


Apparently the soldiers knew about John Wayne and booed him
 
Garza and the Supermutants [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 11:13:09 AM  
That was very wise of her.
 
gbv23
2022-08-09 11:18:48 AM  
We had our own Camelot presidency, even more honorable and attractive:

i.imgur.comView Full Size
 
DON.MAC [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-09 11:37:27 AM  
A local guy makes PT boat kits if you feel the need to have a working model of PT-109.  Build it with all the options and you can play games with the 3 props to turn faster and the torpedoes can launch and go.  The thing is about a yard long and can maintain speed in a swim spa at full speed.
 
Turbo Cojones
2022-08-09 1:29:30 PM  

Barricaded Gunman: qorkfiend: Barricaded Gunman: FTFA: At great personal risk, Kumana and Gasa took a coconut, on which Kennedy had written an account of the crew's plight, back to the Australia coast watcher they were working with. The patrol boat crew were then able to be rescued.

How have I never heard this story before?

He also got it back and kept it on the Resolute Desk.

Are you kidding me?! JFK kept a WWII coconut message on the Resolute Desk and today is the first I'm hearing about it? WTF?


There are pics
 
dericwater
2022-08-09 2:29:03 PM  
I don't get the Kennedy hate. Sure, generation of Kennedys that is one prior to Caroline (John, Ted, Joe, Bobby) can be seen through today's social lens as being piggish and womanizing and such. But through the lens of the 1950s-1980s, that was rather standard alpha-male behavior.

Caroline's generation seem to be fairly mundane. Those who have the chance follow up with public service, like Caroline. None, so far as I can tell, are doing any grifting anywhere close to the level of the Trumps, or heck, even the Bushes.

I mean, what's the last scandal we've heard of a Kennedy? Yeah, some have that rapey-rape thing going on, which is on par with most affluent white male.
 
Polish Hussar [TotalFark]
2022-08-09 3:28:16 PM  

UNC_Samurai: Oh, and paging Polish Hussar to a naval history thread.


Thanks for the heads up, I've been distracted by current naval events today.  Ukraine smacked the hell out of a Russian naval aviation base in occupied Crimea this morning.  One of their most impressive strikes of the war so far.
 
UNC_Samurai
2022-08-09 5:17:57 PM  

dericwater: I don't get the Kennedy hate. Sure, generation of Kennedys that is one prior to Caroline (John, Ted, Joe, Bobby) can be seen through today's social lens as being piggish and womanizing and such. But through the lens of the 1950s-1980s, that was rather standard alpha-male behavior.

Caroline's generation seem to be fairly mundane. Those who have the chance follow up with public service, like Caroline. None, so far as I can tell, are doing any grifting anywhere close to the level of the Trumps, or heck, even the Bushes.

I mean, what's the last scandal we've heard of a Kennedy? Yeah, some have that rapey-rape thing going on, which is on par with most affluent white male.


RFK, Jr. is a world-class anti-vax nutcase, that's about it.
 
DON.MAC [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-09 8:52:37 PM  

dericwater: I don't get the Kennedy hate. ...

Caroline's generation seem to be fairly mundane. Those who have the chance follow up with public service, like Caroline. None, so far as I can tell, are doing any grifting anywhere close to the level of the Trumps, or heck, even the Bushes.


So Caroline's generation isn't causing much problems?  Is that because 2/3 of them are dead?  The 2nd and 3rd cousins all seem to be Republicans when they show up politically except of Caroline who is still a Democrat.

The Kennedys are a typical crime family that looked good.  They had the grifting down long ago and tried very hard to appear legit.
 
kindms
2022-08-09 11:03:47 PM  

DON.MAC: dericwater: I don't get the Kennedy hate. ...

Caroline's generation seem to be fairly mundane. Those who have the chance follow up with public service, like Caroline. None, so far as I can tell, are doing any grifting anywhere close to the level of the Trumps, or heck, even the Bushes.

So Caroline's generation isn't causing much problems?  Is that because 2/3 of them are dead?  The 2nd and 3rd cousins all seem to be Republicans when they show up politically except of Caroline who is still a Democrat.

The Kennedys are a typical crime family that looked good.  They had the grifting down long ago and tried very hard to appear legit.


2/3 joe kennedys sons were assassinated. FU. their biggest issue was they liked to drink and get some strange. America feeling guilty that a single family got whacked for the 60s is the reason the kennedys are a thing.
 
johnryan51 [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2022-08-10 9:39:51 AM  

DON.MAC: dericwater: I don't get the Kennedy hate. ...

Caroline's generation seem to be fairly mundane. Those who have the chance follow up with public service, like Caroline. None, so far as I can tell, are doing any grifting anywhere close to the level of the Trumps, or heck, even the Bushes.

So Caroline's generation isn't causing much problems?  Is that because 2/3 of them are dead?  The 2nd and 3rd cousins all seem to be Republicans when they show up politically except of Caroline who is still a Democrat.

The Kennedys are a typical crime family that looked good.  They had the grifting down long ago and tried very hard to appear legit.


IMO grifting is selling a product that is inferior. The Kennedys sold authentic whiskey.
 
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