Kennedy Administration - Career
Career
In 1941, with U.S. entry into World War II (1939–45) approaching, John Kennedy put his career on hold and in September followed his brother Joe Jr. into the U.S. Navy. Assigned initially to Naval Intelligence in Washington, he became sexually involved with a woman the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suspected (later cleared) of being a Nazi spy and was transferred to a patrol torpedo (PT boat) squadron and sent to the Pacific theater of war. In the Solomon Islands on August 2, 1943, a boat under his command, PT-109, was rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri. Some authorities questioned Kennedy's seamanship and command abilities prior to the sinking of his craft. No one, however, doubted his genuine heroism in rescuing injured crew members or his courage in sustaining his crew behind enemy lines pending their rescue. Awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart, and proclaimed a...
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