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Topic: WHAT WAS THE TRUE COLOR PAINT JOB ON THE 109 |
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VCR
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Posted on: Mar 6, 2008 - 4:09pm
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Your right-Randel said he was stationed with JFK and we talked about the boats-I assumed it was the 109.
I have pictures of the 361 in:
New Guinea
Subic Bay
Phillipine Islands
Solomon Islands
polou Islands
Manilla bay
My comment was not meant to be anything other than info received from a conversation. I never did the math on the years and or boat numbers.
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VCR |
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Posted on: Mar 6, 2008 - 4:16pm
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Actually what strikes me as a bit weird is that Randel went on to talk about JFK being stationed for a bit with Ron 27, but after giving myself a refresher on history-was JFK even given another boat after the wreck?
I'd hate to think I was in some way duped, just doesn't seem like something Randel would do?
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Drew Cook
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Mar 7, 2008 - 6:56am
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VCR,
Yes, JFK was given command of another boat after the 109 was sunk.
He was made skipper of PT 59, a 77' Elco that along with PTs 60 and 61 (also 77' Elcos) were being converted into gunboats to deal with the increasing Japanese troop and resupply barge traffic among the islands.
JFK oversaw the conversion during September of 1943, which consisted of the removal of the torpedo tubes and stern 20mm gun, and the installation of 40mm guns on the stern and foredeck, six single .50 caliber guns behind armor shields (three along each side), radar, and some additional armor plating around the cockpit and other areas of the boat.
After the refit, JFK commanded PT 59 (or "GB 1" - Gunboat 1, as it was sometimes referred to), for about two months before he left the combat area, with the boat's most notable action being the rescue of the remnants of a Marine patrol off Choiseul Island while under fire on November 2, 1943, three months to the day after PT 109 was lost.
I read somewhere that the 59 under JFK was painted green, and since the 109 was green, I've thought most boats in that area must have been painted green. But since we now have photographic evidence that the 61 was gray in July of '43 (before her refit to the gunboat configuration, granted)...?
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VCR
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Posted on: Mar 7, 2008 - 5:31pm
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Maybe that makes a bit more sense-I have a picture of ron27 lined up with a note that they were fitted as gunboats and a note for the radar masts.
Thank you for the clarification-I feel better
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Jerry Gilmartin |
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 Posted on: Mar 8, 2008 - 7:56pm
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Just in case this is helpful, I have spoken to LCDR (then LT) Russ Hamachek, who was CO of PT150 and is one of our Save the PT Boat (PT658) crewmembers and benefactors. After his tour on PT150 he was sent back to the PT training base in Miami FLA for training to become a Squadron Commander. He did become the Squadron Commander of RON39. During that time, I think 3 to 5 months (late 43 and early 44) he was working in Miami with JFK and 2 other senior LT's, who were all being trained together to become Squadron Commanders of new PT Squadrons. Russ said that JFK had this really nice convertable (a Packard? I think) and he would go out on the town with a lot of the PT Boaters in Miami to enjoy the nightlife. He was there with Russ until JFK was called up to Bethesda Naval Hospital to get his back looked at since his back pain was pretty severe. Once at Bethesda, the Navy Doctors classified him as unable to continue service and so JFK was Medically Discharged shortly after that. Maybe those boats you are talking about were in Miami at the training base at the time, and were painted Green. I am pretty sure most of the Elco boats stopped in Miami for at least some short time to conduct training as a unit before going overseas. I am proposing that there is a possibility for their paths to have crossed while JFK was assigned to an entire Squadron of boats during the training as its CO. As an aside, it seems to me that it is pretty common to hear from PT boaters that many claim in some way to be connected to JFK. Association with him has obtained some type of magical quality it seems in the PT Boat circles. I think I heard Dick Keresay (PT105 CO) quoted as saying at a PT Boats Inc reunion/convention that if all the guys that now claim to have been involved in rescuing JFK and the crew of PT 109 were actually there, there would have been 50 boats involved instead of 2 or 3 (or something to that effect). But there you have it. Also from reading this message board, it is amazing how many times I have read people claiming they have some type of connection to JFK, and then when you check into it does not pan out. Sorry if I seem jaded, but this subject is very well worn and maybe I have become a little incredulous when I hear something like that.
Jerry PT658 Portland Oregon
Jerry Gilmartin |
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VCR
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Posted on: Mar 12, 2008 - 4:17pm
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Jerry, I appreciate the information, Like I said, I was talking to a vet-and he spun a tale about JFK, the boat color came up because at the time, I loved PTs but all the info I had was from scrapes I could get in books ww2 and Mc Kales Navy-this all transpired 9+ years ago.
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