Reader JFK PT109 Kevu

The President walked outside with Kevu when Ross and he were leaving,
and watched him going into the West Lobby where Kevu was besieged by reporters and photographers.
"Just think of it, Dave", the President said to Powers,
"if it wasn't for Ben Kevu, you wouldn't be here in the White House today".
"You mean you wouldn't be here", Dave said.
"I meant just what I said", Kennedy said, laughing.
"If it wasn't for Ben, you wouldn't be here"....

I am His grand daughter, and I am really touched about what my grand father did for JF Kennedy and the United States as a whole. I was born to Mrs. Jennifer Lume Kevu, one of his daughters.

I could remember my mother told me the story about my grand father and JF Kennedy when I am 6 years and up. He repeated the story all the time.

I saw my grandfather's medals and his documents are still in safe keeping in the hands of my uncle who is a Minister of Religion, Rev. Fredrick Aleziru, one of his sons.

Please, how can I get in touch with the United States Government to tell them, and prove to them that we, Benjamin Kevu's grandchildren knew what our grand father did, yes he is brave and wise to save JF Kennedy and the Team as a whole. Besides that, we would like to prove to the United States Government that we are here in Solomon Islands, even though our late Grand father Benjamin Kevu and our late Grand mother Elsie Ina Kevu died...we knew the story of our grand father, Benjamin Kevu.

We love and salute our Grandfather Benjamin Kevu,
We love and salute JF Kennedy,
We love and salute the Government of United States,
We love and Salute the United States of America,
We love and Salute our blessed Nation Solomon Islands.

God bless Us all,
Ms. Lorettalyn Habotu
Granddaughter of Benjamin Kevu
Honiara, Solomon Islands

I'm so glad you've read the stories on my website about your grandfather Ben Kevu who was the leader of the six other native scouts who paddled JFK from Olasana to Gomu. After hearing from previous reader, Dani, that he's related to one of the seven paddlers in the canoe I was hoping others would read about it too and realize they're still remembered.

In 1962 Kevu was a bit of a celebrity in the United States by being invited to the USA by talk-show host Jack Paar to be on his TV show along with survivors of the PT-109 crew and then being taken -- by PT-109 survivor Barney Ross -- to visit JFK at the White House. I googled old Jack Paar shows, looking for the Kevu episode, but there is no recording.

At the Oval Office, when Ross and Kevu arrived, JFK gave Kevu a hug and spent lots of time reminiscing with him about the rescue. He showed Kevu the coconut on his desk and the painting on the wall of JFK stepping out of Kevu's canoe on Gomu meeting Australian Coastwatcher Reg Evans.

In a way, you, as Kevu's granddaughter, were bequeathed an inheritance from JFK -- through your mother -- in the form of a gold PT-109 pin that JFK gave to Kevu asking him to give one to each of his six children and to the six other native scouts in the canoe.

Also, in his usual witty way, JFK paid a very high compliment to your grandfather by jokingly saying, indirectly, that if it wasn't for Kevu he (JFK) wouldn't be where he is today, ie President of the United States. And that, in essence, is true because Kevu was a link in the chain of Solomon Island scouts who saved JFK's life and the PT-109 crew by finding them on the island, bringing them food and water and then rescuing them.

But, I'm sorry to say, I don't think there's any hope of getting further recognition from the United States government (above what you've already received from President Kennedy himself, and which is the highest honour) because the USA is still in the process of telling lies about the life and death of JFK -- including trying to distort the truth about JFK's PT-109 heroism in the Solomon Islands. It's sad, but true.

And it's also sad but true that you in the Solomon Islands and we here in North America are suffering the effects of not having a leader like JFK whose goal was peace, freedom, truth and prosperity for all the world. Without JFK, all of that was lost.

Australia fears China's military might on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, by Bernard Lagan, The Times, May 1, 2018
Honiaira: ...China is in talks to build an airport, aircraft maintenance facilities and a shopping district on the strategically important island of Guadalcanal, extending its influence far into the Pacific. Guadalcanal is one of the impoverished Solomon Islands lying 2,000 miles northeast of Australia, and was a major Second World War battleground as the Allies fought to stop the Japanese advance across the Pacific. There is concern within the Australian government about Chinese-funded infrastructure in Pacific nations that Beijing could put to military use. The Australian government paid A$100 million (55 million pounds) this year to build an undersea internet cable connecting the Solomon Islands with Sydney to stop the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from building it...

watch Senator John F Kennedy appears on the Tonight Show with Jack Paar while campaigning for President, June 16, 1960, YouTube
"...The United States is really the only guardian at the gate against the Communist advance. The responsibility is heavy on us.... The presidency is the key office.... The judgement of the president, his responsibility, his competence, his experience, his vigor really are going to decide whether we are going to live in peace, whether we are going to live in security, what our relations are going to be with the Communists, what our relations are going to be with the people around the world.... It's the president.... This is the great office.... I run for the presidency because this is the place where the action is going to take place affecting the lives of our people and every people in the next four and eight years...

Melanesian peoples first settled the Solomons some 4,000 years ago, World Atlas
It is believed that Papuan-speaking settlers arrived as early as 30,000 BC... In the 16th century the Spanish (searching for gold) were the first Europeans to build scattered settlements here. All eventually failed, and the British subsequently established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in 1893. It was then seized by the Japanese in 1942. During World War II, some of the heaviest fighting of that war occurred in the Solomons, with the bloodiest and most decisive battle fought on the island of Guadalcanal. After decades of nationalistic feelings, the Solomons achieved self-government in 1976, and independence from the UK in 1978. They remain a member of the British Commonwealth today. The major industries are agriculture, forestry and fishing.

RESCUER KEVU IN JFK OVAL OFFICE

(If it wasn't for Kevu I wouldn't be here today)
Email, Jun 15, 2018
watch PT-109 MOVIE & listen PT-109 SONG

Jackie Jura
~ an independent researcher monitoring local, national and international events ~

email: orwelltoday@gmail.com
HOME PAGE
website: www.orwelltoday.com