JFK’s Daughter & Grandson Recreate Heroic Swim Where Late President Saved 11 Lives During WWII

John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and his only grandson, Jack Kennedy Schlossberg, recreated John’s famous swim during World War II. 

John swam between Pacific Islands, Plum Pudding Island, Naru Island and Olasana Island, to save his crew after their torpedo boat was destroyed by the Japanese. His heroism helped him win the presidential election in 1960. 

Caroline, who is now the U.S. ambassador for Australia, decided to recreate part of her father’s swim with the help of her son Jack. Both of them swam three-quarters of a mile in about 30 minutes between islets of the Solomon Islands in memorial of John. 

The U.S. Embassy in Australia shared the news on X, formerly Twitter. They spoke about this historic moment while adding a picture of the mother-son duo smiling after their swim. “Eighty years ago, President Kennedy swum between Plum Pudding Island (now Kennedy Island), Naru Island, and Olasana Island — multiple times, at night — to save himself and his PT-109 crew,” they wrote. “Yesterday, Ambassador Kennedy and her son, Jack, recreated the swim to commemorate the heroism and perseverance of the President and his crew.”

Caroline spoke about the event sharing how it was a special moment for her personally. “It gave me a renewed appreciation of the heroism of my father and his crew, and the Solomon Scouts. It was so meaningful to do this with my son, Jack.” 

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Jack also shared his own sentiment about his grandfather, “I have a lot of appreciation and admiration for what my grandfather did, and the perseverance it must have taken to survive.”

On August 1, 1943, John was serving in the U.S. military during World War II and on a boat with his crew when a Japanese Imperial Navy destroyer hit them. Their ship was torn apart and began to capsize. 

Eleven out of the 13 men had survived the crash. John and the crew jumped off the sinking ship and swam to Plum Pudding Island, which was renamed Kennedy Island in his honor. The men swam to nearby islands that they could locate, which included Olasana and Naru, to search for food. When they arrived at the islands the native people who were working with the Allies helped John by putting him in contact with U.S. Navy. John was able to successfully save all the men’s lives and is remembered as a hero for the episode.