November 30 , 2013 - The last surviving member of the crew that rescued future  President John F. Kennedy during World War II in the Pacific has died. This last living member of the PT-157 that rescued JFK and his crew of the now famous  PT-109 was Jack Gardo who passed away on November 27, 2013 at the age of 87.

On August 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed by a Japanese destroyer off the Solomon Islands. Two crews members of Kennedy's crew died in the collision. JFK then led the remaining crew by swimming to a nearby island. Eventually Kennedy made contact with a native islander, who then carried a coconut   JFK had etched the coordinates of their location on to American forces. Later in 1963 , Hollywood made a film about the story of PT-109  that starred Cliff Robertson as the young JFK.

On his 1960 run for the White House , PT-109 became a symbol of Kennedy's heroism that  could frequently be scene by people sporting PT-109 lapel pins on their shirts and jackets.