Two types of gold-tone PT-109 campaign items from the 1960 presidential race, both engraved "Kennedy 60." Includes a standard campaign pin, and the less common tie bar with spring-loaded clip on the back (marked "Jolle"). In fine condition. Accompanied by a small wooden display case.
In the early morning of August 2, 1943, Lieutenant Kennedy’s PT-109 was struck by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri in the Blackett Strait of the Solomon Islands. Following a miraculous 3.5-mile swim to shore, Kennedy and his ten surviving crew members were rescued from Olasana Island a full six days later. The young lieutenant's grace under pressure made him a national hero when the story was picked up by John Hersey and covered in The New Yorker and Reader's Digest.
Later on during JFK's run for president, in an effort to quell public concerns about what some called candidate Kennedy’s 'inexperience,' the campaign sought to publicize his heroic naval service. Utilizing the PT Boat as a recognizable symbol, these popular tie clasps and charms were produced as campaign tokens and became highly sought-after mementoes.
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