PT 109 Trivia Quiz

Answer: on a Navy transport ship

The transport is just pulling into port. A seaman is sent to give the message to three officers to prepare to disembark, one of them being Kennedy.

Answer: Lieutanant Cluster

Cluster (Grant Williams) gives Kennedy (Cliff Robertson) his first assignment - to get the PT 109 in seaworthy shape. He also assigns several sailors to assist with the cleanup of the boat that has been sitting idle for some time.

Answer: Ensign Ross

Ensign George "Barney" Ross (Robert Culp) was without assignment after losing his own boat. Kennedy asked for and got Ross as a crew member.

Answer: James Gregory

Gregory has numerous supporting roles in dozens of movies and TV series. Some of his motion pictures are "Onionhead" (1958), "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) and "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965). In the 1970s he appeared in the popular TV sit-com "Barney Miller" playing Inspector Frank Luger.

He went into retirement in the early 1980s and passed away at age 90 in 2002. In "PT 109" his character seemed to be constantly flustered at what he perceived as incompetence in sailors and officers alike. When he saw the PT boats racing around the base harbor, he would exclaim, "Just a bunch of jockeys!".

However, when Ritchie was aboard on an inspection Kennedy gave him the opportunity to shoot down a Japanese Zero which pleased the aging Commander to no end, after which he seemed to be a little more lenient.

Answer: refueling the boats

Kennedy sees other PT boats speeding toward port and wonders why they are in such a hurry. He soon learns that because it takes so long to refuel, most other skippers like to get into port early. Ritchie informs Kennedy that because he was one of the last boats back, it will be after midnight before he finishes refueling.

Answer: Japanese destroyer

It was the Japanese destroyer Amagiri that rammed into the PT boat in the dark of night. It was traveling at a high rate of speed while the PT boat was barely idling and couldn't get out of the destroyer's way in time to avoid a collision. The small PT boat was virtually cut in half.

Answer: Plum Pudding

Also known as Kennedy Island, its official name is Kasolo Island. The survivors soon moved to another island when they didn't find drinkable water on Plum Pudding. It is part of the Solomon Islands and became a visitor attraction when Kennedy became a public figure and the book "PT 109" was published.

Answer: Barney Ross

Kennedy tried first, then exhausted, he asked Ross to try. Kennedy rested then went out again when Ross reported he saw no American vessels. All attempts were unsuccessful at finding an American ship in Ferguson Passage.

Answer: Bucky Harris

When the PT 109 was being inspected by Commander Ritchie, he discovers the risqué picture. Harris (Robert Blake) immediately apologizes to which Ritchie responds, "Don't apologize. That's the most seaworthy thing I've seen on this boat."

Answer: native islanders

After dozing, the stranded men awoke to find Japanese rifles pointed at them. On the other end of the guns were islanders. Not knowing if they were friends of the Allies, Kennedy carved a message on a coconut shell and gave it to them to take to an American Naval base.

Instead they brought it to an English speaking islander who was able to transport Kennedy by canoe to a coast watcher who radioed for a pick-up. After he and his crew were rescued, Kennedy was re-assigned to PT 53 where he discovered the coconut on the bridge.

The famous coconut was made into a paperweight and became part of the exhibit in the Kennedy Library Museum.