Where do we get such men……..

XFORMED writes at The Wide Awakes and chaotic synaptic activity a wonderful article on the men of PT-109 and of her skipper,  John F. Kennedy.

One still wonders where we get such men…..

I have been interested in the Pacific Theater of WW2 since I was a kid (born 10 yrs after Pearl Harbor)
Ever since I read PT-109 as a kid I have been amazed at what this relatively physically frail man accomplished.

Though some in the past few years have tried to diminish what he did, the fact is that he did what he did and most of his men survived.

But, as a historical side note (not at all to diminish the bravery of Kennedy and his crew) is the story of Lt Hugh Barr Miller Jr. who survived (severly injured) the sinking of his ship, the USS Strong, drifting ashore on the island of Arundel, between Kolobangara and New Georgia after 4 days adrift with 6 enlisted men.

Ten days after they landed he suffered a hemorrhage and ordered the remaining 3 crewmembers to save themselves.  He divided his belonging and much of his remaining clothing amonst the remaining three.

But he survived. Scavenging around the enemy held island he found a dead Japanese soldier and removed his weapon and some grenades from the lifeless body.

At one point he used those very grenades to kill all of a 5 man Japanese patrol who was looking for whomever stripped the dead Japanese body. Supplied by weapons from this engagement the deaths of another 25 japanese soldiers are attributed to him.

Miller was rescued by Maj. Goodwin Luck flying a J2F Duck who volunteered for SAR operartions in the Rendova area
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But for me the really interesting part is this:

Miller’s ship was sunk July 4, 1943.
Miller landed ashore on July 8, 1943
Miller was rescued August 16, 1943
PT-109 was sunk August 2, 1943
PT-109 crew rescued August 9, 1943

There were 7 days when these two men were seperated by a strait of only approximately 13 miles!

Miller was rescued August 16, 1943 after 43 days and 40 lbs. and later recommended for the Navy Cross.

Where indeed.