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Topic: While were on the subject check out this photo |
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TED WALTHER |
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 Posted on: Oct 1, 2014 - 9:11pm
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The boat is PT 161 RON 9,the date is between October-November 1943, The tan young officers are Identified as:
LTjg John McElroy, Skipper of PT 161(on right) and LT ???? PT 59 Skipper. Also notice the 20mm in the forward gun turret. The background, suggest a small cove, which could mean this is Bau Island, Rendova and the 161 is tied up to the dock on left side of cove(facing channel).
Take care,
TED
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Drew Cook
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Posted on: Oct 4, 2014 - 12:44pm
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Guy on the left looks more like Bobby Kennedy than JFK, but...?
And...who took over the 59 after JFK?
Wish we could see ALL JFK's photos in his album from the South Pacific...the JFK Library had several not-seen-before photos online briefly years ago -- when my computer skills were in their infancy, or I'd have captured them if possible --,but I haven't seen them since.
As I remember, there were several that just had shots of individual guys, with one or two identified, but there was also one intriguing one with (I think) JFK and another guy standing in front of what looked like two 80' Elcos in the background, and you could see (indistiguishable in the tiny online photo) what looked like numbers on the charthouse(s)...
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TED WALTHER |
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Posted on: Oct 4, 2014 - 7:36pm
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Drew;
The identification on the back of the photo was written by John McElroy, and he wrote this gent is JFK.
LT. Al Cluster, COMRON 3(2) signed the PT 59 Logbook on 18 November 1943 relieving JFK as Skipper" left boat as directed by Dr. at Lambu Lambu", and assigned ENS John Mitchell(also 9th Class Melville) as Skipper and LTjg Robert "Dusty" Rhodes as Exec. They were underway at 1440 for Blanche Harbor, Sterling Island. Originally, Mitchell was JFK's Exec and Rhodes was 3rd Officer on PT 59. This did not work out for long and Al Cluster made LT. Joe G. Atkinson, Skipper of PT 59. Joe Atkinson's best friend was Lennie Thom. They met at V7 training at Notre Dame and both graduated in the 9th Class at Melville, Atkinson, Vanderbilt '41, was Captain of Vanderbilt football team. Atkinson was originally on PT 39(as Exec), then 61(as Skipper after Ken Prescott got Malaria), before taking over as Skipper of PT 59. After this Atkinson rotated back to Melville, volunteered to go to RON 15, then came back to RON 39 and picked up PT 586 STARDUST from the ELCO plant and Lennie Thom picked up PT 587 THOM CAT.
Take Care,
TED
P.S. You know Ken Prescott wrote me once, that the officers had some time on their hands so they decided to play a football game in the field next to the Lever Brothers Plantation House(BOQ) at Searlesville (Banika Island, Russell Islands), well He didn't mention if Joe and Lennie and new arrival Gene Berger were all on the same team, but some poor slob got his leg broken, so they were told NO MORE FOOTBALL GAMES!
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Roy Forbes
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Posted on: Oct 5, 2014 - 7:22am
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| Very cool Ted. Love the detailed history. |
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Will Day
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Posted on: Oct 5, 2014 - 10:49am
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There is a three-part McElroy history on the net right now.
Will |
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TED WALTHER |
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Posted on: Oct 5, 2014 - 12:10pm
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Will;
Yep that's where I found this.
Take care,
TED
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Drew Cook
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Posted on: Oct 5, 2014 - 3:09pm
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Ted,
Thanks for posting the photo and the info.
Another heretofore unseen WWII PT photo...we can't have too many of 'em!
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David Buck
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Posted on: Oct 8, 2014 - 5:41am
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Hmmm Ted,
After looking at this photo it appears that might not be JFK, have a look at some other photos of JFK s ears and the one in your photo of the gent on the left?
Also JFK was right handed and it appears that the gent on the left (my left looking at the photo) is left handed.
Have a look at the photo of JFK in the cockpit of the 109 note two things,
The side on which he has his belt end on(right handers place it to the left ,left handers place it to the right ,not 100% but most follow this and once started do it for life.)
His wrists have no watch on them(this is just a minor point as what appears to be a watch is on the left wrist of the gent in your photo but after going through a number of JFK photos it appears that he did not wear a watch or anything else on his wrists in many of them.)
Anyway just my two cents worth,
Ta
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TED WALTHER |
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Posted on: Oct 8, 2014 - 7:09am
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David;
All good observations, I am only going by what's written on the back of the photo, which was written by John McElroy. I don't know about the belt thing, His belt is done as per USN uniform standards: loose end towards left.
JFK was known for too things, he didn't wear hats and he rarely wore a watch. However, in the Pacific it was known that JFK had a hat collection of sorts. As for the watch, he probably only put it on when getting ready to get underway, and most righties back then wore it on the left wrist. Also the Skinny-ness of this guy is concurrent with JFK;s recorded appearance in October-November1943. The necklace does look the same, (however in the cockpit photos he has a rosary also hanging in front of it), and is hanging just like the 109 photo(lower than most) if it is, it was given to him by Claire Booth Luce, before he deployed as a good luck charm.
JFK before war in Europe.
JFK as an Ensign 1942.
JFK in the SOLOMONS1943.
JFK PT109 SEARLESVILLE MAY1943. "Good Luck charm gold coin, with Rosary Cross in front of it.
While in the PT 161 photo, the gent looks like he might not had enough Brylcreem that day, there are definite similarities with the many faces of JFK.
Take care,
TED
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