August 2, 1943 gave new meaning to surviving "by the skin of one's teeth." After their boat was torn apart by a Japanese destroyer, Skipper John F. Kennedy towed his wounded crewmate to safety with a tether in his mouth. | American Experience | PBS

38K views · 741 reactions | #OTD in 1943, LTJG John F. Kennedy's PT 109 was rammed by Japanese destroyer Amagiri. JFK was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his courage in leading the 10 crewmen who survived the collision to safety. The incident was depicted in the 1963 film "PT 109" starrring Cliff Robertson as JFK. #MovieMonday | U.S. Naval Institute | Facebook

In the spring of 1943, John F. Kennedy took command of a 56-ton attack boat, PT-109. While on a routine mission that August, a Japanese destroyer emerged out of the darkness, racing at 40 knots, and split Kennedy's boat in half. Explore more at pbs.org/presidents. | American Experience | PBS

Do you know the story of how a coconut helped save President Kennedy and his PT-109 crew after a devastating crash? Learn about it in this week’s #DYKJack! | JFK Library Foundation