>> he is in charge of pt 109, which is a small patrol torpedo boat in the pacific theater. >> the pt boat is a new type of threat to carry torpedoes to strike the enemy below the bow. >> jack has a terrible, terrible back. and to serve in a pt boat is only going to exacerbate every problem that he's got. >> jack kennedy's pt boat was on patrol on a moonless, dark night. >> so they don't see this giant japanese ship coming straight at them. it basically slices jfk's boat in half.