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President Kennedy's desk with coconut shell, 09 August 1962

White House, Oval Office

Date: August 09, 1962
Copyright: Public Domain
Credit: 

Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House, in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

Document Image Details
While John F. Kennedy was serving in WWII as commander of the PT109, his boat was hit by a Japanese destroyer and his crew was stranded in the Solomon Islands. Lieutenant (jg) John F. Kennedy carved this coconut shell with a message and gave it to two natives to deliver to the PT base at Rendova so he and his crew would be rescued. The message carved on the coconut shell reads "NAURO ISL…COMMANDER…NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT…HE CAN PILOT…11 ALIVE…NEED SMALL BOAT…KENNEDY".

KN-C23153   09 August 1962  Coconut shell on President Kennedy's desk. Message carved on the coconut shell reads "NAURO ISL…COMMANDER…NATIVE KNOWS POS'IT…HE CAN PILOT…11 ALIVE…NEED SMALL BOAT…KENNEDY". White House, Oval Office. Photograph by Robert Knudsen, White House, in the John F.  Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.