[presidio9]

Joe Kennedy lost a son in combat.

Only because Joe did not control Joe Jr. the way he controlled his younger boys.

John Kennedy could easily have obtained a 4-F excuse from all combat...based on his well-known medical problems. That he didn't is a testament to his courage...and is in marked contrast to the behavior of many others - well-known to us all - who chose not to expose themselves to danger even though their problems were far less serious.

You are right about one thing. John had no business being in the navy. He was addicted to speed and there is speculation that the reason his command did not have its engines running, which enabled it to be rammed by a much slower (and larger -and therefore difficult to be suprised by) boat was that he was crashing from a high. In any case Joe realized that his son's political career needed a combat service record in the years ahead, so he bribed people to ignore his son's problems. This is accepted as fact by liberals, because it somehow adds to the myth of his "heroism." His screw-up with the PT would have resulted in a courts-martial for most men. Instead, Joe Kennedy's wealth and influence resulted in two medals.

Again, these are PT boats. The idea that one could be rammed by a destroyer is nearly unthinkable. How many other PT boats with operational engines do you suppose were rammed over the course of the entire war?

As I said in the previous post - you have no idea at all about truth.

I'm not the one who believes in fairy tales. Enjoy the celebrations tomorrow. They will be getting less and less fervent as the years go by. Boomers are getting older, and they are the only concentrated believers in and support for the Kennedy myth. As I said in the previous post - you have no idea at all about truth.

[Let's Roll]

Expanding on the boomer perspective you raised. I'm a boomer and I remember the JFK assassination very well etc. But I've never felt so in danger as I do from these islamo-terrorists.

I don't think it's just being older, wiser etc. I think it's simply that the old Cold War commies may have been evil but not insane. Words like retaliation, mutual destruction meant something to them. Islamos not only don't care, they welcome death. It's like you literally have to eradicate them because rational self-interest doesn't control them the way it would anyone else.

[Charles Martel]

Again, these are PT boats. The idea that one could be rammed by a destroyer is nearly unthinkable. How many other PT boats with operational engines do you suppose were rammed over the course of the entire war?

I recall reading that the PT-109 is the *only* U.S. combat vessel listed as lost due to collision during WWII.

With that kind of luck, JFK might well have been done in by one man with a clunky old Italian rifle (with misaligned telescopic sight).

[carton253]

Didn't Joe die after John's boat was rammed and he became a hero? Wasn't jealousy of his brother that caused Joe to volunteer to take that fateful mission?

So, the buying of the PT boat wouldn't have happened because Old Joe lost young Joe in war.