WWII Navy officer who helped rescue Kennedy dies at age 97

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press



SUNDAY, FEB 26, 2017 03:30 PM EST

MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — The WWII Navy officer who guided his warship into Japanese territory to rescue the future President John F. Kennedy and his crew is dead at age 97.

The daughter of William “Bud” Liebenow said Sunday he died in Mount Airy, North Carolina. Susan Liebenow of Arlington, Virginia, said her father died Friday from pneumonia complications.

Liebenow was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and recently graduated college when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. He joined the Navy and served on the fast, small and heavily armed attack vessels called PT boats. After Kennedy’s PT boat was destroyed in the South Pacific in 1943, Liebenow guided his vessel behind enemy lines to find Kennedy and 10 other survivors.

Kennedy invited Liebenow and his family to the presidential inauguration in 1961.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/02/26/wwii-navy-officer-who-helped-rescue-kennedy-dies-at-age-97/

[Mendocino]

1. I remember growing up

that once in a great while, you would hear of a vet from Spanish-American War dying. There were still many WW1 vets alive at the time.

Now the youngest WWII vets are about 90, maybe a very few left who lied about their age that are a bit younger. About 8 million Americans served, in ten years they could be virtually gone.

[nitpicker]

4. Let's not forget the Korean War vets (some were recalled WWII vets)

The ones that served before the armistice are now at least 80.

The Korean War Veterans Association, in its latest magazine issue, had obtained some Korea Defense (post-war) vets to run for KWVA office along with Korea War vets.

When the KWVA held its annual meeting in DC in 2005, about 50 out-of-towners (plus locals) showed up, mostly KW vets. They got to tour various things, such as the annual ceremony at the Korean War Memorial, another ceremony at Arlington Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (plus a smaller one at the Korean War bench), the White House, plus other options.

I was along as an associate member, as my dad served just after WWII in the Army and jumped from GI Bill college into the Air Force when the Army started recalling its WWII vets. Guess what? They found out he had been in the Army and sent him TAD to Korea. If you go to Arlington Cemetery, there are a lot of tombstones that show the two-fer ((WWII, Korean War)), plus some with the trifecta (Vietnam added).

As for the Kennedys, JFK had been let go on a medical discharge, RFK's experience had been in the Navy, but Teddy joined up and had his father's pull send him to Paris instead of Korea.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. R.I.P.

Whenever I hear something about "PT" boats, I think of this -

[AllaN01Bear]

3. thank you for your service sir. silent key.