Ambassador Joseph Kennedy not only squelched the board of inquiry that the Navy had in store for JFK, he lobbied to get his son awarded the Navy Cross. The brass decided not to court-martial Lt. Kennedy, but they did knock the medal down to a Navy & Marine Corps Medal -- an award that was regularly given for lifesaving.
And let's not forget why JFK got sent to the far reaches of the South Pacific in the first place: He was having sex with a woman who also happened to be a German spy!