Tropical Text Message: PT-109 and JFK

0:23 I would be okay if you never did that again Into the microphone. You can do it, did that again Into the microphone. You can do it elsewhere, just not into the microphone and we're off. Oh hey there. Oh, hey, there, How's it going, kate. Good, I was just told I can't whistle anymore. I didn't say you couldn't whistle, just not into the microphone. Hey, we're the history buffoons and I'm kate the whistler I'm bradley the non the non whistler no, the annoyed, it's like an old-timey like you read me in a book brad the Annoyed.

1:03 I've been the terrible and Bradley the Annoyed. Yeah, exactly, both had a Never mind. How's it going today? It's going well, excellent, yeah, it was actually a pretty good week for me on the massage end of things. Oh, that's good. Yeah, saw some good people, did some good work, I think. Well, if anyone needs to think it, it's at least you. Yeah, because it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks at that point, I guess not. Unless they don't come back. Well, I don't know. From what you tell me, you seem to get people to sign up quite often.

1:46 I mean often. You know what I mean by that. Yeah, but they seem to be. You have a lot of repeat clients. I love my clients. They're all so great, for sure, yeah. Weed out the bad ones, keep the good ones. I'm not going to say I've never done that, and moving on. So, I'd like to report that my job is good. Okay, so I did not come up with a question for today's episode. So, you're going to talk about the drinks that we have, and I'm going to come up with a question for you. Okay, well, let me reach. So we are doing something a little different. I hope I don't regret this, but we are going to drink a Cutwater, tiki Rum, Mai Tai, and the whole reason why we're drinking this is because it's got flavors of coconut in it, which I was told I requested.

2:38 There's coconut in the story. Yes, there is a coconut. I do like coconut. It's not that I'm not a fan. Just don't know if I'm gonna enjoy this beverage well, it is a seltzer right that's what I don't think. This is a seltzer tiki rum my type. Oh, it's a 12.5. Yeah it's got holy shnikes. It's got some. Holy shnikes, it's got some balls to it. It's made with a real two plus shots of real rum, yep, but it's gluten-free Fucking thank. God For my celiac friends. Okay, an Island Escape real rum featuring a blend of our award-winning rums with notes of pineapple, coconut and citrus, garnished with a pineapple wedge to tap into tiki.

3:26 I didn't buy pineapple for this, but it was made in San Diego that's what it said. I guess, it doesn't matter, let's open this up. Can I tell? you a quick story. Can I open it up? I was expecting you to while I told you a quick story. Can I open it up? I was expecting you to while I told you this. Okay, great, I guess I don't have to. No, tell me. I was working at a grocery store a long time ago and a lady came up to me and asked me where the glutton free aisle was. I said it was right next to sloth. Okay, cheers. So okay, this is what the bottle or the can looks like.

4:10 Okay, so cut water. Tiki rum, mai Tai with coconut oh, I can smell it. I can. It's not very coconutty. That's tasty. It's not bad. For a canned mixed beverage. I was going into it thinking it was a seltzer. That was same part of my problem. It's not a seltzer, it's definitely not a seltzer, thank god, because I just I don't like seltzers I'm not a seltzer person. Okay, that wasn't bad. No, not at all. I like tonic, I don't like seltzer, but anyways so I still don't have a question for you you were supposed to come up with that while I was talking about it, and then you commandeered my conversation with the camera. You are distracting. What yeah?

4:50 Never yeah. First time. Yeah, no, what you said, yeah first. Sucker. Okay. What. Has your dad ever bailed you out of anything Like a bad grade or not making a team? or failing something. Did he ever bail you out on anything? not in that aspect? Is there another aspect that he would have bailed you out? yeah, jail, I'm just kidding, but it worked, didn't it? Um my, my last marriage. He bailed you out of your last marriage. Yeah, Basically. Yeah yeah, he helped me get through that monetarily.

5:31 Yeah yeah, my parents bailed me out. My my parents helped bail me out um over over COVID um in order for us to, they helped us buy a house. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So we're going to talk about Jackie boy. Jackie boy. Jackie boy. Do tell about Jackie boy Jack, he is the rip the rookie skipper. Jack the rookie skipper. Jackie boy the rookie skipper. Why is it so close to Jack the ripper? It was unplanned. Unintentional was unplanned, unintentional, unintentional, okay, okay, let's talk about jackie boy. Jackie boy was born may 29th 1917 near boston mass, boston, massachusetts I don't know how they speak not like.

6:16 It's not like that my apologies um he was? He was one of nine fucking kids that is a lot of kids and, yeah, that's probably how they got the nine. They were fucking. Nine kids, hell of no, no thanks. I mean two was I jokingly tell Vesper that I was good with one and I love my daughter. But nine holy balls, that's a lot, that is way too many yeah. Yeah. So Jackie boy had some major back problems as a kid. He had scoliosis that sounds terrible. He had football injuries et cetera, and he wanted to join the US in the war.

6:56 Okay, so in the World War IIs, mm-hmm. Okay. So he was able to join the US Navy through the help of Captain Alan Kirk, who is the director of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Okay. And he had been the naval attaché in London. What's an attaché? Assistant. Is that really what it is? I don't know. You're making shit up, is that really? what it is. I don't know, you're making shit up. He was the naval attache in London when Jackie Boy's father was the ambassador. So they were born in London, or that's just where they were stationed. His father was an ambassador in London, but he was born and raised in the United States.

7:40 But his father was just an ambassador. Where was he born? in the United States, boston. Oh, that's right. Yeah, I'm sorry, I mixed that up in my brain. That's okay, it happens. Yeah, you do it a lot, so we're talking a lot of a bit of nepotism here. There's some nepotism. So he was a nepo baby. Jackie boy was a 4F. So he couldn't he wasn't allowed to be in, so he's like Steve Rogers, yeah, steve Rogers. From. Captain. America. The first Avenger. He was denied entry into the US Navy until his father got involved. Oh, dear, seems like. And it's because of his back injuries and his scoliosis. Well, I mean, can you blame him for not accepting him for that?

8:22 Yeah, so so in 1942, Jack wanted to command a fast, flashy PT boat. So he would have been 25 at this point. Yes, he's young. A PT boat is a patrol torpedo boat, correct, but his back was an absolute mess and the Navy wasn't exactly thrilled that he was going to be commanding, but daddy pulled some more strings. Well, you know Is that he was going to be commanding, but Daddy pulled some more strings. Well, you know Is that an idiom to pull strings? I believe it is. Yeah, Hold please, Sip, sip. This is way better than I thought it would be Same, and the fact that it's 12 and a half is holy balls. Holy balls. I even have a backup a fresh coast from three sheeps.

9:05 I have a backup. Uh, Sierra Nevada, rad little thing. Yeah, I'm excited for that. Okay, so Papa edited, fabricated, lied, bluffed, hoodwinked Jack's medical work records bamboozled, bamboozled I love that word. Um jack passed training in chicago and rhode island and then he got his first pt boat, commanded the first pt boat pt 101 well, it sounds like a course in college. Yes, um, and that was in late 1942 okay but it was stuck in the panama canal, which really didn't have any action, and that that's where Jackie Boy wanted to be.

9:45 He wanted to be in the action. Oh, okay, I thought you meant he wanted to be where there is none. Gotcha Jack called in some more favors. Oh Jesus. Christ, this time from a senator. And voila, he was shipped to the South Pacific, where things would get a little bit more exciting and potentially fatal. Did he come across the Sullivan brothers? Six months ago or before. It was either six months before or six months after. I looked it up and I don't remember. High quality podcasting right there. I know, but they were six months apart. Okay, Okay. So Jack finally gets into the action in April 1943. Right. Heading to the Solomon Islands to command PT Boat 109.

10:28 Oh Okay. It was a fast wooden boat, wooden Wooden, with a crew of 12. That's not very many. It's a widow. So 12, including Jack Jacky boy. Yeah, no, I think yes, he's number 12. Okay, yeah. So, jackie boy? Yeah, no, I think yes, he's number 12. Okay, yeah. So what the heck is it? Is it deep? I think she's having a seizure. Folks, we might have to pause for some medical assistance. Holy shit, what was that? Wow, what exactly is a PT boat? I think I did have a stroke, oh my God, I think I had have a stroke. Oh my God, I think I had one. Watching that, I think I might have to put a trigger warning on this video.

11:11 Holy land. Okay, pt boat, speedboat with an attitude, a wooden speedboat with an attitude. Pt stands for patrol torpedo. They are about 80 feet long, made of wood and can hit about 40 plus miles an hour. All right. So if PT stands for patrol torpedo, what does boat stand for? Boat? Okay, carry on. Every time I think of a wood boat, I think of Indiana Jones, where they get chopped up and this random wooden boat explodes between two others. How did a wooden boat explode? But anyways. I mean, it is not fire retardant. I was told you didn't like that word.

11:51 I couldn't pass that up, anyways. Anyway. So they were armed with torpedoes, machine guns. Did they have tubes? And depth charges. Yes, which I've. We've gone over that yes, actually twice. Depth charges. Yeah, so it's meant to harass larger enemy ships like destroyers and cruisers? Okay, it's built for speed, sneak attacks and hit and run missions. Um, not for like comfort or durability is that part of the reason why they were wood? Because they were less detectable?

12:32 yeah, they, they actually called it the mosquito fleet I was gonna say that were you. Yes, I didn't even know that that's so cool. Were you? Because I'm like, because you said they were made to annoy. Basically, I'm like it's like a fucking mosquito. Yes, it's called a mosquito face small test and annoying as hell that's so funny. Yes, look at me, go look at you, I got something right without even knowing, huh imagine that mark calendars. First time for everything so the solomon islands were. So if, if you recall a map north of australia, yes, if you've got a map and you're in north of Australia, I do now. Is Papua New Guinea. The Solomon Islands are just to the east of Papua New Guinea, right Near Mama New Guinea. I'm just kidding, keep going.

13:13 Kiddo, New Guinea actually. Uncle New Guinea and in 1943, it looked like paradise out there oh I bet Lush jungles, white sandy beaches, crystal clear water. But no, it wasn't. It wasn't great. It was a mirage For allied troops. It was humid oh I bet it was disease ridden nightmare swarming with mosquitoes and mud. Yeah, and Japanese patrols. Oh, those are the worst kind of bugs. Yes, the islands were a key battleground in the Pacific. Oh, those are the worst kind of bugs. Yes, the islands were a key battleground in the Pacific, with constant naval squirmishes, squirmishes again, air raids Not skirmishes. And jungle fighting. I'm just going to keep going.

13:54 Please tell me you did that on purpose. Skirmishes. You didn't do that on purpose, did you? Okay, so the Solomon Islands were a gold mine? Oh, so they had gold in them. Hills, oh Jesus. If Japanese controlled them, they could threaten Australia, which was one of our key allies. They could disrupt allied shipping routes between the US and the South Pacific and it could build air raids to launch more attacks deeper into Allied territory. Right. If we want, if the Allies want the Solomon Islands, it would let the US push Japan back towards the home islands. Yeah. Secure island hopping towards Japan Ooh.

14:36 I like island hopping. And protect Australia and New. Zealand. Okay. Okay, so we fought for the Solomons, because whomever held them control the Pacific chessboard right. Yeah. And Jack, you boy. He ended up smack dab in the middle of it. I'm so glad you caught that. In a boat made of plywood. This is second episode in a row you had smack dab, Smack dabble by August. Jack and his crew are patrolling the pitch black waters to stop Japanese ships. Okay, okay. The PT-109 missions were usually at night, okay, in near total darkness, trying to ambush these Japanese ships Right and sneaking through narrow straits.

15:22 Okay. Okay, the big problem is with these pt boats. The torpedoes were garbage oh really, how come I don't know that seems like a misstep okay so early world war two torpedoes ran too deep right missed entirely or straight up, just failed to detonate like it was just just a poor design, yeah that would suck. I can see, especially depending on what they were launched from, how they could go too deep yeah which makes sense. Obviously, if they don't detonate, that's a huge fucking problem, because that's just kind of floats down in the water, um.

16:06 But yeah, so how on a, on a p? I don't know if you came across this at all on a pt boat then how did they have like traditional torpedo tubes that they shot them out of? I mean, how did they do that on a wooden boat? I don't know if they had torpedo tubes torpedo tubes that keeps coming back I'll have a picture of a pt boat but I didn't go into like the design of the boat for this story. Yeah, I mean it would have been helpful, but that's okay, I'm kidding I'll get her next time. oh, we're learning folks. So PT-1 and I was one of 15 small fast PT boats sent out to mess with the Tokyo Express, the nickname the US gave the Japanese regular nighttime supply runs to troops rather than farther up the island, so that's what they called it the Tokyo Express.

17:02 You got there up the island. So that's what they called it, the torpedo or, excuse me, the tokyo express you got. so the goal was to ambush the convoy, blow up some ships, maybe delay the the japanese resupply missions okay but when the pt boats actually ran into the tokyo express, three japanese destroyers loaded with supplies and an escort, things didn't quite go as planned. Sure, the us boats, the 15 of them, yeah launched 30 torpedoes and hit nada, oh my god they didn't hit a single thing, not even a scratch they're in quite a cold streak, like in baseball uh, they need to shave their mustache off all uh ortiz tell people who ortiz, is he's our?

17:48 oh, I think he mostly plays shortstop now right, joey ortiz yeah, joey ortiz, right, yeah, now I'm second guessing myself. He plays for the burrs yeah, shortstop for the burrs. He's he, he looks, he's a good looking guy I'm kind of I'm kind of glad he got rid of the mustache when he doesn't have the mustache, but he's a good looking guy. I'm kind of glad he got rid of the mustache. When he doesn't have the mustache he's a better looking guy, because that was a little goofy. Apparently he shaved his mustache because he wasn't doing well, and it was all a superstition thing. Yeah, I went to the game on Wednesday and his picture up on the board still has the mustache. It's kind of funny, but anyways. Okay. So once the 15 boats torpedoes were spent, some of the boats were sent home.

18:29 Okay, I suppose I mean, what use are they? Yeah, if they don't have any more A few of them, like the PT-109. Yeah, jackie, boys. Yeah. Stuck around in the dark hoping for another shot. Okay, Okay, so August 1st through the 2nd 1943. Okay, the PT-109 is creeping along. Oh, super slow. I was like yeah that was a little fast, super slow, to avoid detection, right, oh, all right. The research I found this from said it's basically ghost boating. It's like silent running, like in a submarine.

19:11 Silent running. You've never heard that term before. Uh-uh, is that? an idiom. They're rigged for no, it's a thing. They're rigged for silent running. They say it in Star Trek too. I don't know Star Trek very well. I'll say you did, it's okay. It was Star Trek 4, 6. The Undiscovered Country Good movie. I watched the first one and wish I hadn't. The very first like original one. Uh-huh, that one's terrible. I know. If you're going to watch the original series, watch the even numbers. That's what I've been. I think you told me that. Actually, I think I've seen wrath of khan and then I've I watched the reboot, but anyway, anywho. So right after 2 am, a massive shadow looms over the pt boat.

19:59 2 am okay august 2nd. Yeah. The Japanese destroyer Amagiri comes barreling through the darkness and bam. Ran into it yeah. The Amagiri slams into PT-109 at full speed oh shit and cuts it in half in like 10 seconds. Well, yeah. Get this. The destroyer's so big it didn't even realize it hit a boat I'm sure it didn't. It was like literally hitting a mosquito yeah, the japanese captain was probably like did we just hit a log? And jackie boy's like um hey, that was me where's the other half of my ship? So the destroyer smashed into pt 109 near the front torpedo tube.

20:44 Hey, there's a tube. So there is one. There is a tube. I wrote it on a tube. Because I mean, I know there's ways of launching torpedoes without a tube. I don't know what those are off the top of my head, but besides, oh dear, that was loud. Pretty sure I had that silenced, but okay. Brandon says rock on. Brandon, yeah, Brandon, yes you gave us the rock on symbol. Thanks. Brandon. Okay. So the destroyer smashed into PT-109 near the front of the torpedo tube on the right side, tearing off a huge chunk of the boat. I bet. The impact flung Jackie Boy around the cockpit like a freaking rag doll and most of the crew got tossed then into the water.

21:30 Sure, below deck engineer Patrick McMahon, who comes in a little bit later, somehow survives the explosion, but he was badly burned by ignition fuel, like 70% of his body. Oh shit, yeah, all right. So worried that the boat was about to explode, explode. Explode, that is so great. Jack told the guy still on the wreck to abandon ship Right. So the destroyers wake, so the waves that the ship makes afterwards. I had to look that up, you had to look up what a wake was yeah, I mean, I've heard it plenty of times and I thought I knew what it was, but I had to confirm, and I did right before we pressed record and did.

22:16 Did you know that? Well, you're correct. Yeah, okay, yeah yeah um but the destroyer's wake helped spread out the burning fuel. Sure Makes sense. And when the flame started to die down, Jack called the crew back to the floating hunk of boat. Okay, okay. So from there, he and his crewmates tried to figure out where the rest of the men were. And there's 12. Yes. I feel like I could put the claps in there. There it is, um. So from there he and his crewmates tried to figure out where the rest of the men were. Some did manage to swim back on their own, Okay, but Jack personally swam out to rescue McMahon who was 70% of his body was burned and he towed him by his life vest with a strap in his teeth, oh god and swam back on his own, so he's like pulling him by a strap that's impressive by the skin of his teeth.

23:16 That's an idiom. I know it's on the list. You already gave it to me look at me go so from. There um. So he regrouped on the wreckage, he did a head count. Two men were gone, probably killed on impact. I would imagine, yeah, I mean the fact that no one would have been killed on impact would have been fucking impressive. Yeah, with a fucking destroyer, was it? yeah, it was a destroyer. Yeah, that went With this little plywood boat. Yeah, exactly. No, I'm surprised they only lost two people, to be honest. So the rest were beat up, burned, sick from fuel flames, running on adrenaline, desperation I get tongue twisters.

24:04 Okay, no, but there were no signs of rescue. There was a big enough explosion that other pt boats were like they assumed it was gone yeah, they're like there's no survivors with that one right, which was not true. Well, you know, but also they didn't want to like you can't fault them for thinking that, though no, the explosion and everything you're. You're probably like, well, they're fucked, let's uh move along and save our own skin, kind of thing and they can't like light off a flare because they're in japanese territory essentially because you're giving your your position away then. So yeah, yeah so 12 hours adrift, by morning of august 2nd, pt 109 was still floating, but barely so we're, so this must have happened august 1st into august 2nd.

24:52 Okay, my bad gotcha, um, but it finally rolled over and capsized okay, okay the crew knew they had the move. Obviously they have nothing to hold on to. Yeah, after weighing their options idiom, weighing their options I know they decided to swim for a tiny islet about 3.5 miles away. No food, no water, no idea what they'd find, just hope, and Jack's busted up back leading the way. Okay, so Jack finds this island is a deserted island and it's called Plum Pudding Island and it is on the map I looked.

25:33 It is called Plum Pudding. Plum Pudding Island. Who the fuck named an island, plum Pudding Island? island. But despite jack's injuries, he again takes mcmahon's strap, towed him for five hours, oh my god, as the crew kicks and paddles alongside towards the island. So they're all swimming this 3.5 miles and he's towing this guy by his teeth. That's impressive like I am not a strong swimmer by any stretch of the imagination. I didn't learn how to swim until I was, I think, 11, actually by this guy we went to school with. He was my oldest brother's friend. He taught us at Pewaukee Lake, but I am a weak fucking swimmer.

26:18 I am too. I could not tow somebody five minutes, let alone five fucking miles. I mean holy shit, that's impressive, yeah, especially with a fucked up back. I mean, I got a fucked up back, but that's from age, not from scoliosis or whatever. Yeah, so holy shit yeah, so the men called plum pudding island bird island because of the guano that coated all the bushes. Bat guano, yeah, no, bird guano is that the same thing? yeah, is that what you call? I mean bird droppings. I guess I've never heard scrap, scrap, scrap, scrap, kitty cat poop, poop. What is happening right now? the island was about 100 meters wide.

27:00 Nope, 100 yards wide. 300 feet, 100 yards wide, so like a football field, uh-huh holy shit, teeny tiny. That is a tiny fucking island it was teeny, tiny, cheers exhausted. Jackie boy had to be helped up to the beach by the man he had towed. Oh, I bet he's like thanks for telling me. Let me help you well, I mean, he's asking for very little at this point from what he just did. And he collapsed and completely exhausted. Well, can you blame him? No, I mean, he's got a shitty back. He just swam five fucking miles with this dude with a strap in his mouth, towing this guy, and that was a great face 12.5%.

27:41 Cheers to that. I got through mine. Now I'm on a seven percenter. Anywho, that would be. Yeah, he's gonna be fucking exhausted, especially just you're waiting out in water. For how long? Until you even got? To the 12 hours before you started swimming and five miles and swimming, that's not like it's a five-minute fucking swim either. So, yeah, he's going to fucking collapse. So he spotted Jackie. Boy spotted a Japanese barge cruising uncomfortably close and Jack made the decision that he would swim out to Ferguson Passage. Now, this passageway was about two and a half to three and a half miles wide.

28:23 Nope. How did they know? How did they know the way? okay, um, this is all after the fact the names are all after the fact. I'm joking but it was about two and a half to three and a half miles away from the island that they got to so he had to swim back another three he swam a lot. Holy shit, no kidding so um this, the so the route that American PT boats took this straight, this passageway, and so Jackie boy was hoping to go out there and wave down an American ship. He's like the fucking Michael Phelps of World War II. Yes, jesus Christ, yes. So there's a couple little islands here that jack is um near, so he swam from island to island cleaning to reefs um until he reached the ferguson passage.

29:09 Wow okay, that's impressive there he treaded water for over an hour hoping to spot an american pt boat, but there was no dice, okay, and it was likely that they were fighting somewhere else. So he swam, swam back, and that swim nearly killed him Right. There were strong currents tossing him around like a cork in a blender. I've never heard that. I don't think that's an idiom either. I made it up. I think you did. I made it up Cork in a blender. And it was spinning him out into the blackett strait, which? So if the island is here, the ferguson passage is here, the straight is here and it goes in between islands.

29:49 Okay, um so, um, then it kept like dragging him back from the straight into the ferguson passage and and the island was to the left and there was just, the straits were just, or, excuse me, the, the currents were just super strong and it just, it nearly killed him. Exhausted, he stopped at leo rarva. Oh, there's a new arrival for bradley on netflix can you stop reading my notifications? jesus christ, can you hit the mute button on there? I don't know, can I? No, nope, all right, hold please, jesus Christ.

30:36 Okay, so he stopped at Leorava Island. Yeah, leorava Island. Yeah. Just southeast of Bird Island where he crashed and slept off the near drowning. I can really feel this alcohol. I can tell you can feel this alcohol. He eventually made it back to Bird Island and collapsed again, vomiting seawater before passing out. Wasn't this P island. Bird island is plum pudding island yeah, what they call it. They call the bird island because they didn't know, right, yeah why would they? Yeah who again? Who names an island? Plum pudding, fucking island so jackie boy made his crewman george ross yeah promised to try that same route the next night so to try to find an american was gonna do the same thing, yes, yes okay makes sense.

31:29 I mean if they know that american boats patrol there, whatever, go through across. Whatever you want to say, I mean, yeah, stick to the plan, kind of thing. So okay, makes sense so ross did give it a shot, but, like Jack, he saw zero PT boats, just a lot of ocean and a lot of disappointment. Okay, right, so by now the crew's morale is pretty low. Some men are praying, others are bickering. They're what Bickering. There it is. It sounded like you said brickering, brickering. I thought you said bickering, but I just wanted to confirm. But Jack refused to give up and he's like I'm going to think this out.

32:10 Did he call Daddy? Yeah. Just kidding. I mean, I see why you got that I mean that's where he got that. I see why you got that Dad, daddy, help me. so, dad, so there's a larger island nearby called olasana. Olasana, okay, and he's like well, maybe there's, there's food and less chance of enemy patrols there. Right, the island isn't the biggest around, like based on the map. Because, like, I was super confused when I'm looking at the map because I like a visual of like where everything takes place there is a really large island nearby, but they choose not to go to the larger island because this old asana that they saw was closer to the ferguson passage, which is where the us boats were.

33:25 Oh yeah, that makes sense, because at least they don't have to swim as far out, kind of thing. Yes, exactly, that makes sense so jack moves his crew. They swam against a strong current and once again jackie boy told, told mcmahon by his laugh, laugh, laugh, that's fucking a life that's life vest. Fucking A Life vest. That's just insane that he keeps doing this. Seriously, it's like how I know it. I could not fucking do that. I mean think of the strain on his teeth. Hopefully he had a good dentist. So Olasana Island turned out to be a little bit of a let down of course so much different between the fresh coast and the Mai Tai.

34:17 Holy crap, but it's delicious that was again a lot better than I anticipated same we got a four pack and I'm pretty sure we're gonna well we'll drink that off. This is um again. I've never had this particular san nevada, so I'm pretty excited about it. It's pretty fucking good. Good, yeah, it's. It's a west coast hazy, so a little, a little different than normal, but I like it awesome. I like my fresh coast, but I've had that before on this channel, but that's also why you're feeling a little different than Modelo's. for a change, I was. It was good. So, olisana? Yeah, there were some coconuts here, oh my God the coconuts are in the story. But eating too many of them made them, some guys, kind of sick.

35:05 Well, because it's like a lubricant for the system, if you will in a way. Yeah, yeah, no fresh water on this island. Oh, that's also a bad thing. Yeah, and even worse. Everyone was a little bit too spooked to be um they're too spooked to be square they're too spooked to potentially be um I believe in you. Words are hard they were too spooked by japanese patrols right to explore beyond. No like a like a small junk patch of jungle on this island they're like yeah, we're not gonna they don't. They don't want to give their position away. They don't, obviously, because they're literally trapped on this fucking island. They don't know what's around them. They can't contact anybody from our side there could be japanese um right axes on the on the island as patrol.

35:53 They have no idea. They have no idea. So no, I get it. They don't want to give their position away, so they're kind of keeping to a small, tight-knit area. At least it's not like the Thunder Punch, it's blowing up everywhere. They just filled it so full they're like we're going to give you your money's worth. We had some extra ones. I did take care of them, all of them. There was two. I had to catch up. You've had a lot more Thunder Punch in your life than I have. Not much to be honest. Definitely more than two cans. By the time I was able to drink at 21,. I was moving out of Nebraska at 22. Yeah, I know.

36:33 So let that math sink in. She drank before she was 21. No, I said 20. I was actually 20, probably when I I was. I was a pretty good kid was that before 21? Okay was my statement correct on the night of august 4th it brought cold rain and just jack decided they'd try to move again the next day were they trying to go to a different island or on the same island? Another island closer to the Ferguson Strait, God how many fucking islands are there around this? There's a lot. Is there really there's? actually quite a few. Oh wow, yeah, I would say 15 plus. Holy shit really.

37:14 Yeah there's a lot of islands, quite a cluster, the ones that they are on. There's three different ones that they have, and Jackie Boy probably has a fourth one, maybe a fifth one. And why did he go with jackie boy? Oh, I'll tell you later. Okay, good, because I'm really fucking curious as to why that is his, his name, nickname are you sure it's his nickname or his actual? Name. I mean, I have three last names, so whatever maybe it's spelled b-o-y-E, it's not. I know. So Jack decided they'd move again, this time to the final island in the chain. Okay, so we've got Plum Pudding, then we've got Olasana and then we've got Also aka Bird.

37:59 Yes, and then we got Nauru Island. Nauru N-A-R-U. And that is the island that overlooks the Ferguson Passage where all the potential American PT boats come through. Nauru is the closest they can get to the Ferguson Passage. Yes, Okay gotcha. So he and George Ross, his other crewmate, made landfall a little afternoon on August 5th To me it just really seems weird that they're swimming and they made landfall a little afternoon on August 5th. To me it just really seems weird that they're swimming and they made landfall. I feel like you have to be in a boat or a ship to do that, okay. I get you Okay, so they're creeping, and so I creep, they're creeping into the bush, and then they keep their heads low. They're worried about running into enemy patrols.

38:40 You know groundhog style. I kind of thought it was like a periscope. I mean, it's a little more fitting for what we're talking about. but either way, but instead of trouble they found a wrecked Japanese boat on a reef. Did they get to duel with people? Well, better yet. Oh shit, Was there food? There was a small box labeled in Japanese sitting on the beach. Did they know how to read Japanese? They cracked it open, oh shit, without reading it. Why wouldn't? There could have been a plague in there. Japanese candy oh fucking A. What kind of candy? I don't know, bradley, jesus Christ. Superstar.

39:20 Japanese candy. Oh my, that is a welcome sight. I don't care how hungry you are. It doesn't matter. It doesn't fucking matter. It could be molasses cookies frosted. It could be candy. Molasses cookies with frosting from festival is chef's kiss. Did you say festival Festival there it is Chef's kiss. I might have to edit Festival there it is Chef's kiss. I might have to edit some of that. Not a paid endorsement, no, they're fucking delicious, anyways. Japanese candy. Okay, so they were only drinking coconuts and vomiting seawater at this point.

40:05 So they're like Japanese candy. Let's do it. If they're drinking coconuts, weren't they getting water from that? That would be fresh water. It's like coconut water. It's not true water. I understand, but that's better than seawater, it's not enough. It's also not enough. It's still better than seawater Well yeah, they're not drinking seawater. They're vomiting seawater because they accidentally swallow it when they're swimming. Why are you having so many strokes today? Do we need to call the physician? Like I said, 12.5% and it's empty. Why are you bringing up the past? It's already done. No, it doesn't sound empty, jesus. That's already done.

40:46 No, it doesn't sound empty, jesus, that's a short. Did you spill too, good Lord? Oh my gosh, do you know what a what are you? doing I'm cleaning myself. Oh my God, there's a time and a place, kate. Okay, do you know what the pirate's favorite letter is? The C. You told me this one before. Yes, it's not R, it's the. C R. You might think so, but it's really the C Anyways. Okay. I got to stop telling you jokes, so you don't ruin it, okay.

41:30 On-a-roo. On-a-roo, na-roo, on-a-roo Okay, I got it. Space, yeah, on-a-roo. Spaces are important Japanese candy. Yes, Spaces are important Japanese candy. Just up the beach they discovered a tin of drinking water and a one-man canoe tucked into the bushes. How do they know it was one man? You couldn't fit two people in there. Are you sure? I mean, if they're freaking tiny maybe. They're Japanese. What kind of question is that A valid one. Are you sure? I'm pretty positive. Hmm, after a After, after grabbing a drink of that precious 12.5%.

42:16 Precious water. Yes. Jack and Ross are headed back to the beach when they spotted two islanders near the wrecked Japanese boat. Yes, I said it Two islanders, pacific Islanders yes, my buddy, al, is a Pacific Islander Heritage. Oh, yeah, yeah, where at Shout out. Al Solomon Islands, pacific Islands, I don't fucking know Marshall. Island, bird Island, al. Solomon Islands, pacific Islands, I don't fucking know. Marshall Islands. Bird Island Plum Pudding. Maybe. Maybe Al's descendants are from Plum Pudding Al. Let me know. Yeah, Inquiring minds want to know. So these two men were just digging out canoes through enemy waters, they were barefoot, they were dodging patrol boats Right Doing casual war hero stuff and jack called out and he's like the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the can you say that one more time?

43:14 Holy shit jack called out and the islanders were like is he friend or is he foe? We don't know. Well, how would they? Let's be real, we're going to bail. Everyone looks sketchy. We're just going to bolt right Full paddle, full paddle, full paddle. Is it like full throttle? Okay, that night Jack took the canoe, the one-man canoe, and made yet another solo attempt through the. Ferguson Passage looking for an American PT boat. Still no luck, of course. So he decided to head back to Olisana Island, so not Nauru, where Ross is, where the Islanders were.

44:00 It's just him and Ross with the Islanders. And the rest are still back at Anaru. No, anaru. I know it is confusing because there's a lot of islands. All the crew is back on Olisana. Okay, ross and Jackie Boy went to Anaru, and that's where they found the two Islanders who bolted. Okay, okay, okay, I got it. Jackie Boy then went into the Ferguson Passage, didn't see anything. Went to Nauru and that's where they found the two islanders who bolted. Okay, okay, okay, I got it, jackie Boy, then went into the Ferguson Passage, didn't see anything. Then he went back to Olasana, where the crew is. So did he just leave Ross on. He did. Why. It was all like Planned it was all well and good yeah. That still seems kind of like a dicky thing to do.

44:41 But on the way he went to Nuru he grabbed the can, he grabbed the water stash and he brought all of that to the crew Did he bring the candy. And Olasana yes. What kind of candy was it? I don't know, so much island hopping. So when Drac got back to Olasana, surprise these two islanders were there. How'd they get there without their one-man canoe? How did the two islanders get there? So there was a canoe on the island that Jackie Boy had Stole. Yes. He stole it. The islanders had their own.

45:23 So it wasn't their canoe. Correct. So the Islanders bolted, which makes sense because Jackie Boy stole a one-person canoe. There was two of them. Yes, couldn't be theirs, so they had their own Sheer numbers. So the two Islanders went to Olisana because they were looking for coconuts. They wanted food, and Jackie Boy was like I'm going to pick up all this candy and this fresh fruit and I'm going to move from Nauru to Olisana. And that's where they all met again. Turns out, the two islanders were cool Byuku Byuku, byuku Gasa. Byuku Gasauku Gasa age 20 oh, pretty young and Aroni Kumanana, ku Kum Kuman Kumana Kumana, there we go don't these sound like very Hawaiian-ish names?

46:16 they kind of do. I mean, I'm not like trying to be like weird about it yeah, they kind of do they remind me of Byuku Gasa and trying to be like weird about it. Yeah, they kind of do. They remind me of biuku gaza gaza and erone kumana, who is age 18 so 2018. They were native scouts working for the allies. No shit, yes. So kumana himself recalled years later, at um the moment, that he met the survivors, the crew. Yeah, he said, quote some of them cried, some of them came and shook our hands. When Jack saw us, he ran and embraced us. How did they learn that they were allies, though Did they speak English?

46:58 Not, I mean maybe a little bit. Okay, but not a whole lot Enough to communicate something. Yeah, something. Because they were obviously able to communicate. Yes, yes, but it wasn't a lot of English. I can tell you that. Believe you me. So the two fled Nauru quickly from Jack and Ross and stopped at Olasana because they were worn out and thirsty and they stopped for coconuts and that's when they ran into the rest of the crew. Gotcha. So they're like hey, these people aren't japanese, they're very tired, very sunburned and very american very white yeah, very white, very white, but sunburned, yeah. So the next morning, on august 6th, jack returned to naru with gaza, gaza and Kumana, and bummed into Ross who happened to be swimming back to Olisana Holy fuck, I know he was like I'm sick of like staying here by myself.

47:54 I don't want to wait no more, I'm going to go back. Holy shit. So they like picked him up and they're like hold on, dude, dude, we got you. Because holy fuck so much swimming. Yes, there's a lot of swimming, oh my God. So Jack didn't know how to get a message out. Sure, but Gaza had an idea. Okay, okay, he's the 20-year-old. Scratch it into a green Can Coconut. Oh, why a green one? I don't know, because that? Why a green one? I don't know, because that's what's available. There was no brown ones available. Why? Why the questions hey?

48:35 I'm here to ask well, what do they say on? Like new, we asked the tough questions. Fucking local news commercials are the worst Fucking dumb. Okay, anyways. So Jack decided yes, green coconut. Green coconut. First tropical text message ever. Tropical text message and do you have exactly what it said? Yes, okay, thank God. It says Nauru ISL, so Nauru Island Can't hear. Commander Native knows. Native knows. Yeah, let me just say it from start to finish here. Okay.

49:16 Nauru ISL Commander Native knows, post it. He can pilot 11 alive. Needs small boat jack. That's what it said. Why didn't it? Say jackie boy so naru island, where we are. We're on the island of naru got that commander, this is for a commanding officer, someone in charge, this, this is for you. Sure, native knows post-it. The island excuse me, the islanders know our exact location. That's what that means those two do. but are they exactly islanders? He can pilot.

49:58 Who can? That was the message. He can pilot, meaning islanders can guide a rescue boat here. Okay 11 alive. There are 11 survivals total With Jackie. Boy, number 12. Need small boat. I thought two died, 12 were on this island. Because you got the two other guys that showed up. Yeah, yeah neat small boat, send some, aka send something small to pick us up. Big ships can't get through the reefs because these islands are actually full of reefs around them. They're super close, super yeah, if you look on google maps oh, I'm good right now you can see like how much shallow the waters are up to a point, the depth in the water and then Jack sign, Jack okay that was his message.

50:59 I feel like he should have been dad send help. I need your help, daddy. Okay, so then Gassa and Kumana paddled 35 miles 35? , holy fuck Across shark-infested Japanese patrolled waters in a dugout canoe with nothing but guts, paddles and coconut mail. How many knots were they going? Bradley Kate. Okay, we're talking about 35 miles in a wooden canoe during wartime. That's fucking insane. And they're working for the Allies.

51:39 I don't want to go 3.5 miles, let alone 35 miles in a canoe Holy balls. Although I would, let alone 35 miles in a canoe Holy balls. Although I would like to take Xavier in a canoe, that'd be fun. So the Japanese were notorious for using the locals as target practice, because that was rude. That was rude, and if they had been caught with such a message on the coconut, it could have been a death sentence, essentially. Right. So, still desperate for rescue, jaguar insisted on taking Ross back into the Ferguson Passage in their rickety two-man canoe. But rough seas kind of did them in. The canoe got swamped and the two were beaten up by the waves. And they barely made it back to Nauru Island, which is the one closest to the straight the passage bail, bail out of the canoe, or did they make it back with the canoe?

52:31 they made it back with the canoe, but they bailed with the canoe, sure no, I get it so the next morning, august 7th, august 7th yes, eight islanders showed up on Nauru just after Jackie Boy and Ross woke up. Okay friendly or foe friendly, friendly, friendly. They came with food and a message from Lieutenant A Reginald Evans. Reginald Evans okay an allied coast watcher that was hidden nearby who had received the coconut message. So how close nearby was he he was in a very large island, but still small comparatively so let me get this straight though they carve all this into a coconut and they just go here water no, they.

53:25 They sent it off with gaza and kumanu. Oh, and gaza and kumanu. I didn't put that together for some reason oh, okay, okay okay I guess now that you bring that up. Yes, you did say that on my apologies, because it's like message in a bottle. Where's it gonna end up? yeah, that's what I was just gonna say message in a bottle, but it's like they took it straight to some like an allied base where they knew so, because those two knew the area better than, obviously, the survivors of the pt boat. Take this with you. Yes, find what you can. Yes, ally. Yes so thank you for helping us. Okay, yes, yes, yes, I got you.

54:05 So the message was received by Lieutenant Reginald Evans. Right. He was an allied coast watcher nearby in a larger island Right Off the Blackett Strait. Blackett Strait. Okay. And he coordinated a rescue. So after a quick stop on Olasana, so like the middle. So there was a Plum Island, Olasana, and then Nauru, so Olasana is the middle one where the crew is. Let's not cut down Plum Pudding Island. You called it Plum. Let's get its full name. It deserves to be shouted from the rooftops Plum Pudding. So after a quick stop at lasagna to deliver crew for the rest, or deliver food to the rest of the crew.

54:45 Yes, the islanders hid jackie boy under the pile, a pile of palms why, like a covert all op and paddled him across the blackett straight to gamu island gamu now yes I looked up gamu island, okay, and the only reference I could find was that it was in anime. Like Japanese anime yeah. So it is not. It doesn't have. There's no island in the Solomon Islands called Gamu uh Gomu Island. Okay. But upon further research, it's just like this little, tiny blip of an island that's not even named on google earth.

55:28 Gotcha, it's not even named, okay so maybe it was uh just given that name once new as gamu island, or either way, yeah, that's fine so, after six days after PT-109 was sunk, jack finally set foot on GAMU to meet with Lieutenant Evans. Okay. Okay, the rescue still had to be arranged, but at least the worst is over essentially it was in process. Basically, yeah, okay, yeah. So Lieutenant Evans had already reported the survival of the PT-109 crew to his commander, who planned to send a rescue team directly to Olisana Island.

56:11 Right. But Jack wanted to be picked up first and help guide their way to Olisana. He wanted to be part of the rescue mission, or did he just want to be picked up first I'm just saying I'm kidding to be part of the rescue mission, or did he just want to be picked up first? I'm just saying I'm kidding. So late on the night of august 7th, pt-157 and pt-171 arrived at the rendezvous point. They were supposed to exchange a signal for gunshots. Jackie boy's revolver only had three bullets left, so he literally had to borrow a rifle from evans. I mean jesus christ, that's give me another one, give me another one shit. I said four, I need another gun.

56:53 Stat so he got this um rifle from evans for the fourth shot, but he wasn't expecting the kickback and he like fell into like, fell into the ocean. He fell into the ocean. He fell into the ocean. He was fucking annoyed and irritated, can? you blame him. Holy shit, that's funny. But he finally boarded the PT-157 to approach Olasana in the early hours of August 8th. Okay, okay so. Pt-109, early hours of august 8th. They're all asleep. Jack started yelling to wake them up yeah and they didn't exactly thrill the rescue team because they're like no shit, jack, shut the fuck up.

57:40 There's Japanese around. Stop yelling. I just thought, oh, I'm tired man, don't wake us up. So luckily, the rescue went off Without a hitch. By 5.30am the men were safely back At the US base On Rendova Island, which is approximately 37 miles southeast Of where they were At Olisana Island. Wow, okay, so it's an even bigger island. Like I said, many a lot, a lot of islands, obviously some small, some bigger, of course, island chain if you yes, yes, exactly, okay, did you have a question? No, without a hitch idiom yes all right, let's do it good job, not right now, but yeah, let's do it so what happened to jackie boy after the rescue?

58:27 I'm curious to find out, because you're you promised I would know why his name is jackie boy he didn't go home he didn't cash in. He got patched up, grabbed a fresh boat and went back out on patrol good for him, him Back and all. And that was just who Jack was. He just wanted to be, he was the American man. He wanted to be something for his country and even though he had some issues that technically should have held him back, he's like fuck that man no, he's a hero well, I mean, yeah, he was a little battered, a little bruised he was scoliosis kind of held together with stubbornness and seawater and band-aids either way, yeah but he was like I'm still kicking.

59:11 I got this, bro, let's keep fighting yeah yeah, yeah, and that's exactly what happened, um, but his body actually gave out before his will did, oh dear. He was sent back to the us, where his back pain became a lifelong battle well, I mean, seemed to be already lifelong, but yeah, okay and his story of the coconut carving crew saving island hopping. You know, marathon Swimming epic Started to take on a line of its own Life of its own, not a line of its own. How many fucking miles did he? swim, jesus Christ. That's just impressive.

59:53 Seriously, I mean, I applaud you, jackie boy. I could not even fucking fathom, holy shit. So a journalist from the Reader's Digest? Not the Reader's. John Hershey wrote it up. Was he from Pennsylvania? I don't know. I know Hershey chocolate. Jack was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his courage and leadership and a purple heart for his injuries and leadership that a boy, Jackie boy, and a Purple Heart for his injuries. Well. I mean his back was already injured, Additional injuries. Jesus Christ, Calm down. But he was also somewhat a little self-deprecating because people called him a hero Right and people would ask him how did you become a war hero?

1:00:39 And his response would always be quote it was involuntary, they sank my boat end. Quote he's not brilliant, he's not wrong, it was involuntary, they sank my boat. He didn't. I mean I'm not saying he didn't want to become a hero, he was doing what he was supposed to do and that's what he's saying there, which is pretty fantastic, because there's a lot of people that'd be like yes. I did this. Look at me and my heroism Right, but he just was doing what he was supposed to do and he adapted to what happened to him, and so on. And Jackie Boy never bragged about it but his crew bragged about him. Which is awesome.

1:01:19 Yes, and that shows you a sign of actually a good leader, right leadership when no one is fucking watching. Yeah that's who jackie boy was he did what he was supposed to do, even though, again, he was not supposed to fucking be there. And, yes, he got help from daddy he. He proved that he should have been there. Yes, by his actions. So who was Jackie Boy? He was the captain of PT-109. Score John F Kennedy. Yeah. You knew that I knew it. You fucker, you fucker, are you fucking kidding me?

1:02:01 Nope. That's so fucking rude. I thought I had you the whole time. No, so it took me a minute. How? What gave it away? I knew he was marooned or whatever you want to fucking call it. I had no idea he was marooned. You never knew that about him. No, want to fucking call it. I had no idea he was marooned. You never knew that about him. No, recently I read the kennedy men or something yeah, because we did. We had mentioned that. Oh so fucking rude. We did the uh. Fake it next time, will you we did the rosemary kennedy lobotomy a while back and you wanted you had mentioned how you wanted to basically listen, to read up on whatever you want to call it.

1:02:45 Uh, more, more of them, because some of them were, well, quite douchey oh my gosh, his father is douchey joe, right joe is so douchey. Um, but no that, john, jackie boy, I'm so upset that you knew. It took me a minute. I thought I did well, no, you did very good, and the more you went on about it, I'm like World War II, jackie. I'm like, yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what this is. Son of a bitch. It's a great story, nonetheless. But great job knowing yeah, because I wouldn't have.

1:03:26 I did not know this was a thing until I read that book, so you never heard that he was basically stranded before Never Okay. Yeah, so good on you. That's fantastic, but yes, jackie Boy is future president John F Kennedy. Yep, he was the Fantastic, but yes, jackie Boy is president, future president John F Kennedy. He was the 35th president of the United States, once paddled under a canoe. On a canoe, under palm ate, half-rotten coconuts carved an SOS message into a green coconut husk to save his men. I never knew he had scoliosis before he actually men. I never knew he had scoliosis before he actually. Yes, so he had scoliosis. He also had addison's disease, but when he was playing football in like high school, I believe it was, he was either high school or college he injured his back even more so it what's the word I'm looking for?

1:04:19 it expanded his injury it escalated, so that coconut is it in a museum? yes, it was cased in resin oh really and the underside of it is cased in wood, so it's like wood with resin over the coconut, and it sat on his oval office desk did it really? The entire time he was president? oh, that's cool. Yeah, he should have been president for four more years until some ci operative or whatever conspiracy you want to go with shot him so yep, yep yeah it's honestly probably one of the wildest how I got here stories. Oh my god yeah, because I mean, obviously, after that he went into politics and you know he wasn't just I'm going to go for president.

1:05:03 He was things prior to that. He was conditioned to do that by his father. Well, joe, he wanted his children to have a political career, obviously, and he steered him in that direction. I guess you would say but no, steered him in that direction. I guess we'll say but um, no, he I mean again, I am not well versed on all the presidents of the united states of america, but I think he was a pretty good president from what I remember and what I've read and I'm not again, I'm not extensive on his, what, everything he did, but you know, it's really too bad. It would have been nice to see what he could have done with another four years but supposedly a lot of people didn't like that, so so byuku gaza and aroni kumana yeah they were actually invited to jfk's inauguration, oh really.

1:05:54 But some fucking british official was like you don't speak enough english, oh fuck you, fuck you To go British. What the? fuck. So they didn't get to go. Why did a British official get to fucking determine that I don't know what the fuck, what's his name? I know you didn't know Jackass In 2002. Yes. Max Kennedy, son of Robert Kennedy and nephew of JFK, traveled to the Solomon Islands and met both Gaza and Kumana. They were still alive. They were still alive. What year was this? Nearly 60 years later.

1:06:36 Oh, so early 2000. It was 2002 when they went 2002. Shit. When Gaza and Kumanaana saw max, they broke down into tears. It's they're very open islanders. They're very like emotional and they broke down into tears and they all just had like no speeches, they were just hugs and emotion. That's so cool, I know, and almost a little bit like closure for these men. Right. But Byuku Gaza passed away on November 23rd 2005. At the age of 82, just one day after the 42nd anniversary of JFK's assassination, I was going to say that's very close, so okay.

1:07:20 And Aronu Kumana died on August 2nd 2014 at the age of 93 at his home in Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Before I forget, there's nothing to do with this story. Can I end the story? I'm sorry. That is the story of Jackie Boy and JFK and the PT one on nine. Okay, now you can go. Congratulations, jackie boy. You did good, good things, good things, yeah, I don't remember so being this a world war two story. Yes. I can't resist sometimes.

1:08:00 No, and that's fine, I like them. I just don't want every story to be world war ii, that's all I'm saying I know I went. I mentioned earlier that I went to the brewers game on wednesday yes there was. They like to bring up a military person and honor them yeah world war ii guy. Yeah, he just celebrated his 100th birthday, not that long before. Amazing, so he would have been, if I remember right, because well, 100 years ago, 25 he was 18. I don't remember his ah, damn it, I don't remember his rank anymore, but um, but yeah, so they honored a world war ii guy at the brewers game on Wednesday. That's awesome.

1:08:40 Yeah. So we actually read a book. I listened to a book. You listened to the book, yeah it was super fucking good. Yeah, and it's a World War II novel. They characterized it as a narrative nonfiction novel. So it's real, but real, but as read, as a story kind of fashion. It's so good, so I do want to give a shout out to this. It's called tailspin and it is by John Armbruster. Yeah. And um, on Goodreads it's a 4.7 out of five and on Amazon it's a 4.8 out of five. And the cool. Thing is Great, great book.

1:09:22 It was a great book, it was a good listen, honestly. Well, you had told me about it. You had already started it. Like, hey, I started this book, you might like it too. So I started it and I'm like, with what I do for work, I am able to listen to podcasts and books and stuff all the time. So she told me about it. I started it on a Monday and she's like, how are you liking the book? I'm like, oh, really good, where are you at Chapter 14. Like, holy shit, I'm only on seven. So like I blew past her on it, but I get to listen to it more often than she can with what she? Does. But one of the cool things I mean I'm born and raised.

1:10:02 Kate lives here now but the cool thing is is the author's from Wisconsin. The the person he wrote it after is from Wisconsin. There's other people that he met throughout this journey that are from Wisconsin that are mentioned. So it was. It was really well written. It was really cool. Um, I rather enjoyed that book. That was one of the better books I've. I've listened to read whatever you want to call it in the in the recent past. It was really, really, really good. And um me coming up with this um story about JFK and being marooned on this Island came from the book the Kennedy men 1901 to 1963. So it's literally about Joe Joe Jr, jfk Ted.

1:10:42 Was it a little bit of Robert? Robert, it's about all of them. I don't think I actually finished it because it started getting boring. No offense, but I first heard about this story through that book, so it was by. I closed it down before I even said lawrence lemur l-e-a-m-e-r lawrence lemur that was the book well, yeah, I. I like the story good. I'm sorry that I did guess it was it's okay. I guarantee you some of our listeners will not know until the end. Well, good old Jackie boy, Jackie boy Spelled B-O-Y-E.

1:11:25 Boy, what's up? Boy, I just came up with that. I was like, how can I just not make it just Jack? Yeah, that was weak I was going to say. But no, that book Tailspin, give it a listen, Read if you are so inclined. Oh my gosh it's so great it was written very well for a first-time author. Yeah, he goes over that in the book. He's a history teacher in high school in rural Wisconsin and he really did not get out of the park with that book he did fantastic. Hey look, another idiom not get out of the park with that boat. He did fantastic hey look another idiom not get out of the park. Hey, hi-yo, it's very baseball related.

1:12:05 Yeah, go Brewers. You too. Yeah, so, anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the episode. Yeah, well, I suppose. All right, buffoons, that's it for today's episode. Buckle up, because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you. Next time Feeling hungry for more buffoonery, or maybe you have a burning question or a wild historical theory for us to explore. Hit us up on social media. We're History Buffoons Podcast on YouTube X, instagram and Facebook. You can also email us at historybuffoonspodcast at gmailcom. We are Bradley and Kate. Music by Corey Akers. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and turn those notifications on to stay in the loop.

1:12:47 Until next time, stay curious and don't forget to rate and review us. Remember, the buffoonery never stops. I'm going to go to bed.