"PT-109" is a 1962 song by

Jimmy Dean Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. He became ...

about the combat service of

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

and the crew of the ''PT-109'' in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The boat was famous even before Kennedy ran for office, because Kennedy and most of the crew had survived after it was rammed and cut in two by a Japanese destroyer. After several days on a tiny uninhabited island, Kennedy and the crew were rescued by two native Solomon Islanders— Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, part of an allied Coastwatchers team led by Australian

Reg Evans Reginald Evans (27 March 1928 – 7 February 2009) was a British-born actor active in Australian radio, theatre, television and cinema from the 1960s, after having started his career in his native England. Biography Evans started drama while ...

—although the islanders are not mentioned in the song. In 1961 Dean had recorded "

Big Bad John "Big Bad John" is a country song originally performed by Jimmy Dean, who wrote and composed it. It was released in September 1961 and by the beginning of November it had gone to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It won Dean the 1962 Gr ...

," a song that would become his biggest hit ever, peaking at number one on the country and pop charts; in "PT-109", he would inject "Big Bad John" by singing the last line "Big John, Big John, Big Bad John" at the end in reference to Kennedy. Dean had five more top forty songs in 1962. "PT-109" was his biggest hit in 1962, reaching the top ten with Kennedy still in the White House — it preceded the 1963 film of the same title. The song was Dean's sixth release on the country chart; it peaked at number three and stayed on the country chart for thirteen weeks. "PT-109" also went to number eight on the pop chart and number two on the

Hot Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

chart. It was one of several military-themed singles of the 1960s — some pro-military, some anti-military. Others include " Ballad of the Green Berets," "

Sink the Bismark "Sink the Bismark" (later "Sink the Bismarck") is a march song by American country music singer Johnny Horton and songwriter Tillman Franks, based on the pursuit and eventual sinking of the German battleship ''Bismarck'' in May 1941, during ...

," " Billy and Sue," " Gonna Raise a Ruckus Tonight," " Sky Pilot," "

Navy Blue Navy blue is a very dark shade of the color blue. Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color ...

," and "

Soldier Boy Soldier Boy is the name of three superhero characters in the comic book series ''Herogasm'' and '' The Boys'', created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. The first character introduced (the second successor to the mantle, made by Vought along w ...

Chart performance

References

Jimmy Dean songs American patriotic songs Songs about John F. Kennedy Songs about the military Songs about World War II 1962 singles Columbia Records singles Songs written by Marijohn Wilkin 1962 songs Songs written by Fred Burch {{1960s-single-stub

Chart performance

See also

References