1943: Japanese sink Kennedy’s PT-109 in the South Pacific (map), triggering a heroic survival struggle … 2002: Explorer Robert Ballard finds the wreck … The story continues below … NEWS: JFK's Island Rescuers Honored at Emotional Reunion In World War II, two South Pacific islanders saved the future President. Sixty years later, the unsung heroes were reunited—with each other and with a grateful Kennedy family. Related News: JFK's PT-109 Found (July 2002) Interactive Time Line Find out what happened—the PT-109 wreck and JFK's weeklong survival struggle.   More on PT-109     New Book: Collision With History—The Search for John F. Kennedy's PT-109 Behind the New Geographic Article: Photos, Field Notes, More         Related News Stories     JFK's PT-109 Found, U.S. Navy Confirms (July 2002) Has Ballard Found JFK’s PT-109? (May 2002) Retrieval of Titanic Articles Stirs Controversy (April 2002) World War II Gave Birth to "American Spirit," Says Historian Ambrose (May 2001)     PT-109 Credits >> Photo Galleries and Wallpapers JFK and PT-109 in World War II The Search for the Wreck Where Are They Now? JFK's Island Rescuers   More on World War II     Shopping     High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy (Kids Book): $17.95 Search for Kennedy's PT-109 (Video and Special Edition DVD): Starting at $19.95 Ultimate World War II (Special Edition DVD Set with Bonus D-Day DVD): $49.95       • Pearl Harbor: Experience the Attack, Read   Survivors’ Stories • Battle of Midway: Follow Ballard’s Hunt for Lost Carriers • Untold Stories of D-Day: Photos, Map, Memories, More Lesson Plans • Grades 3-5: Deep-Sea Technology • Grades 6-8: Sleuthing for a Lost Ship • Grades 9-12: Science of the Deep Sea • Grades 9-12: Scientific Method in Undersea Archaeology