P.T. 109
Jimmy Dean
Words and music by Marijohn Wilken and Fred B. Burch
Peaked at # 8 in 1962
In '43 they put to sea, thirteen men and Kennedy
Aboard the P.T. One-Oh-Nine to fight the brazen enemy
And off the isle of Olasana in the strait beyond Naru
A Jap destroyer in the night cut the One-Oh-Nine in two
Smoke and fire upon the sea
Ev'rywhere they looked was the enemy
The heathen gods of old Japan
Yeah, they thought they had the best of a mighty good man
And on the coast of Kolombangara looking through his telescope
Australian Evan saw the battle, for the crew had little hope
Two were dead and some were wounded, all were clingin' to the bow
Fightin' fire and a'fightin' water, tryin' to save their lives somehow
Smoke and fire upon the sea
Ev'rywhere they looked was the enemy
The heathen gods of old Japan
Yeah, they thought they had the best of a mighty good man
McMahon the Irishman was burned so bad that he couldn't swim
"Leave me here. Go on," he said, "'cause if you don't we'll all be dead"
The P.T. skipper couldn't leave him a man to die alone at sea
And with a strap between his teeth he towed the Irishman through the sea
Smoke and fire upon the sea
Ev'rywhere they looked was the enemy
The heathen gods of old Japan
Yeah, they thought they had the best of a mighty good man
He led his men through waters dark, rocky reefs, and hungry sharks
Braved the enemy's bayonets, a 38 hung 'round his neck
Four more days and four more nights, a rescue boat pulled into sight
The P.T. One-Oh-Nine was gone but Kennedy and his crew lived on
"Now, who could guess or who could possibly know that this same man named Kennedy......"
Would be the leader of the nation, be the one to take command
The P.T. One-Oh-Nine was gone but Kennedy lived to fight again
Smoke and fire upon the sea
Ev'rywhere they looked was the enemy
But JFK and his crew lived on
"Which proves it's hard to get the best of a man named John"
Big John
Big John
Big John
TRANSRIBER'S NOTE: spellings of geographical references confirmed with the kind assistance of the John F. Kennedy Library staff. The staff reported "Mr. Hontz: The island you ask about is "Olasana" - the 2d island that JFK moved his crew to after the 109 was sunk. I think you're hearing the word "Naru" - a 3d island near Olasana where JFK met the islanders that got his message to the coastwatcher who got them rescued." The spelling of crew member McMahon's name was confirmed via the official US Navy reports of the action found at http://www.numa.net/exped/pt109/rpt.html
source: Robin Hood
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geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225/Country) (
geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225) (
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