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 Author  Topic: PT-109 Crewmember
Packardmal

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Packardmal  Posted on: Apr 15, 2020 - 12:31pm
With the continued search for my Fathers info { R.E.Lathrop Cmomm } Ron 4 and Ron 32, I discovered pics of his friend Willie Johnston, who was parts of Kennedys crew on the 109. Wanted to share so I uploaded and they are on the gallery today ( 2pics front and back of pic).
Anyone with further info on Dad please submit.

Thank you,
Mark Lathrop
NWOhio


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Apr 16, 2020 - 3:34am
Here's the images, I posted them here so I could save them. For some reason I can't in the gallery. Thank you for sharing them with us Mark.

That's an interesting bumper on the car:

jiuJ0.jpg

jif4m.jpg



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Packardmal

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Packardmal  Posted on: Apr 16, 2020 - 5:22am
Thank you Jeff, much appreciated.

Mark Lathrop
NWOhio


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billpr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of billpr   Send Email To billpr Posted on: Apr 16, 2020 - 5:09pm
Interesting photo for the crewman. thanks for posting. Always something new to learn here.


Bill P Reese

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Jerry Gilmartin

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jerry Gilmartin   Send Email To Jerry Gilmartin Posted on: Apr 18, 2020 - 11:26am
I checked the photo of the crew that posed the day before JFKs inaugural parade and Bill Johnston is the guy in the black hat in the center of the photo. His looks didn't change much from the time this photo was taken, except he may have gained a few pounds! Also you cant see his hairline under the hat!

jiH1c.jpg



Jerry Gilmartin
PT658 Crewman
Portland OR

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  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Apr 20, 2020 - 9:32am
FYI;
Bill Johnston was a RON 3(2) guy originally assigned to AGP-3 USS JAMESTOWN,prior to PT 109.
Take care,
TED


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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Apr 20, 2020 - 11:30am
PT 109 Radioman 2/c John Maguire also had a brother on PT 103.

Quoting from Robert J. Donovan's book "PT 109 - John F. Kennedy In World War II" about the August 1, 1943 Japanese air raid on Rendova:
"The sight that most horrified Radioman Maguire was a geyser of water and smoke that bounced out of the harbor in the distance near PT 103, whose own radioman was Bill Maguire, his younger brother."

"We're OK, " John Maguire shouted, hoping to hear "So are we." But PT 103 was nearly half a mile away, and no one heard. Or at least no one answered."

"When the all-clear sounded, Kennedy returned (the 109) to the buoy, where he and his men took stock of the toll exacted by the (Japanese) bombers. For Maguire at least there was consolation. He could see that his brother and the rest of the crew of PT 103 were safe."


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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Apr 20, 2020 - 1:29pm

Photo: PT 109/PT 163 crewman Raymond Albert. Albert's photo was not included in the 109 crew photos in any of the editions of Donovan's PT 109 - John F. Kennedy in World War II, or anywhere else, as far as I know.  It's the only photo of Albert I've ever seen. 

Albert was transferred to PT 163 after the 109 ramming/sinking/rescue, and was killed on 10/7/43 by a treacherous IJN prisoner he was guarding on the foredeck of the 163 after picking up survivors from the destroyer Yugumo, sunk in the battle of Vella Lavella. 

jiKS3.jpg

Drew


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Jeff D

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff D   Send Email To Jeff D Posted on: Apr 21, 2020 - 4:59am
Thanks for the education guys.

What horrible bad luck, survive getting rammed and sunk by a destroyer only to be killed by an enemy prisoner. It also explains why Japanese prisoners were so heavily guarded. I imagine that things did not go well for the prisoner after the killing.



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Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Apr 21, 2020 - 8:10am
Again, from Donovan's book:

"The prisoners were ordered to strip and lie on the foredeck while Albert and another sailor were stationed on either side of the cockpit with sub-machine guns to guard them. At dusk, as PT 163 was nearing its base, a prisoner, the one who had been the toughest to deal with in the water, appealed to Albert for a drink. Twenty, good-hearted and inexperienced, Albert fetched a cup of water and handed it to him. Instead of taking the cup the Japanese grabbed the sub-machine gun slung under Albert's arm. Albert struggled desperately, but the fellow had the jump on him. He forced the barrel against Albert's chest and pulled the trigger. Several prisoners leaped up. It was the last thing that they - and Albert's killer - ever did. The other sailor standing guard with Albert slaughtered every man who was not lying flat on his back."


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