On August 1, 1943, fifteen patrol torpedo boats were ordered on a mission to intercept five enemy destroyers in the Solomon's. The Japanese were scheduled to make a run that night from Bougainville to Vila to offload soldiers and supplies. As the destroyers approached, the PT boats made an unsuccessful attack that scored not one single hit from the thirty torpedoes fired. With their ordinance expended the boats were recalled to Rendova, leaving three of their number to continue patrolling the area in case the enemy returned.
On the moonless night of August 2nd, one of the boats was idling on one engine to avoid detection. They suddenly realized they were in the path of an oncoming Japanese destroyer. It was one of the enemy ships returning from Vila and the crew had failed to hear it approaching over their idling engine. The men had no chance to get out of the way before being run down by the destroyer, cutting their boat in half and leaving the PT-109 burning. Two of the men were killed and two others were badly injured as they struggled in the shark infested waters. The other two PT boats turned away and high tailed it for home without ever checking for survivors among their hapless comrades. The boat’s heroic skipper and later President of the United States, John F. Kennedy led his men through the treacherous waters to a nearby island called "Plum Pudding Island" (aka Bird Island) where they were eventually discovered by natives. PT-157, known as "Old Pickle Puss," was dispatched to pick up Kennedy and his men.
Two corpsmen (formerly known as Pharmacist Mates), Fred Thomas Ratchford Sr. and William J. Lawrence were aboard to provide medical treatment to the survivors. Fred was born on November 18, 1919 to William T. and Minnie McCasland Ratchford in Searcy County, Alabama. He enlisted in the US Navy on May 19, 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Following the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the Navy desperately needed their submarines and patrol boats to carry the fight to the enemy until their fleet could be restored to strength. Fred was assigned to Patrol Boat Squadron #9 on November 23, 1942 on the island of Rendova. On August 8, 1943, Fred set out with his crew on PT-157 and the accompanying PT-171 to pick up the located survivors of PT-109. He and his fellow corpsman set about treating their injuries before running the gauntlet back to their base through the enemy infested waters. Fred survived the war and returned home to his family.
He would retire as a Chief Warrant Officer and return to Pensacola. He would pass away on August 29, 1985 and was buried in Barrancas Cemetery. His son, Fred Thomas "Tommie" Ratchford Jr. would grow up to be a gifted lead singer for the biggest bands in Pensacola in the 1960's and 70's. Bands such as Xenos, Soul-7, Laymen, the George Emmanuel Trio and the Six-T's. In addition to his musical talent, he graduated from Escambia High School in 1967 to become a locally renowned and feared defense attorney. Sadly, he would pass away from COPD on June 3, 2018. But, President Kennedy never forgot the men that rescued him and even invited them to his inauguration in Washington, D.C. after winning the presidency.
WWII US Navy Corpsman Fred Thomas Ratchford Sr.
CWO Fred Thomas Ratchford Sr. Buried Barrancas National Cemetery
Lt. John F. Kennedy (on right) and his crew of PT-109 prior to 1943 sinking
Pharmacist's Mate Fred Ratchford's WWII PT-157