The occasional shark, forceful currents, and a few stingers were all part of a South Pacific swim undertaken by Jack Lundberg of northern Jefferson County and five friends. But those hazards were nothing compared to the challenges met in the same place exactly 75 years earlier by the crew of the PT 109, they said.
Lundberg and teammates honored the World War II motor torpedo boat crew that endured an attack by a Japanese destroyer in an incident that has become legend.
In the dark of the early morning hours on August 2, 1943, the PT 109, led by future president John F. Kennedy, was rammed while patrolling the Solomon Islands. Two of the three crew members were killed instantly.
Eleven survivors swam about three miles to a deserted island, since dubbed Kennedy Island. Over the next six days, the crew moved to the nearby island of Olasana in search of food and water while Kennedy made swims around the area to look for rescue opportunities.
Native canoeists Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana came across the survivors and took news of them to an Australian coast watcher and the U.S. Navy. On August 8, 1943 the crew was rescued.
Lundberg, a builder by profession, said he had never done anything like the commemorative swim before but was excited to be a part of it. Joining him were John Kulewicz, the team captain and an attorney from Columbus, Ohio; Rich Lovering, another Columbus attorney; Atlanta lawyer Peter Canfield; Orlando, Florida, environmental consultant Jay Madigan; and Adrian Mula of Antigua, first mate of a yacht anchored nearby the swim.
Some among the team had fathers or uncles who served in the South Pacific during WWII.
Prior to entering the water, the team heard greetings from former U.S. Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK. She thanked them “for finding such a meaningful way to mark the 75th anniversary of PT 109.”
Also speaking to the swimmers were relatives of two other crew members and a historian. While those sentiments and the memorabilia the speakers shared were valued and impressive, there were two parts of the trip that were especially memorable, said Lundberg.
One, of course, was the swim itself. Contending with moderate winds and forceful currents, the swimmers sighted sharks along the way. Each swimmer was accompanied by a dugout canoe as they traversed the roughly 4.2 miles from Kennedy Island to Olasana and Naru Islands and back.
Although the swim was “strenuous and intense,” said team leader Kulewicz, “the team proceeded through the water without the additional challenges of serious injuries, risk of hostile fire from enemy aircraft and vessels and lack of food and water that had beset the surviving PT 109 crew.”
Reflecting on the effort, he said, “The tranquil setting in the tropical South Pacific was a far cry from the fierce combat that had raged across the Solomon Islands during World War Two.”
The other highlight for Lundberg was meeting the families of rescuers Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumama. Gasa’s widow and her grandson were among those who welcomed the team to their nearby village and homes.
Lundberg said the entire endeavor was an experience he will never forget and one he is glad he had the chance to join.
“The swim was a true test of our spirit and stamina,” said Kulewicz. “My teammates and I were inspired by curiosity, idealism and the love of country and willingness to take personal risks in service of the nation that guided the crew of PT 109 and all who served in World War Two.”
He added, “We each left the water with an even deeper respect for the adversity that President Kennedy and the surviving crew of PT 109 overcame.”
To learn more about the story of PT 109, go to the National Archives at archives.gov/publications/prologue/2003/summer/pt109.html.
