Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
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Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Navy (c. 1942)
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Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.
July 25, 1915 Hull, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | August 12, 1944 (aged 29) Over Blythburgh, East Suffolk, England
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| Cause of death | Naval airplane explosion during Operation Aphrodite |
| Resting place | Remains never recovered |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) London School of Economics |
| Occupation | Naval aviator |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Parent(s) | |
| Relatives | See Kennedy family |
| Military career | |
| Memorial – Wall of the Missing | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1944 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Patrol Squadron 203 Bombing Squadron 110, Special Air Unit 1 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart Air Medal |
| Signature | |
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Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (born July 25, 1915 – died August 12, 1944) was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was the oldest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. Joseph Jr. was part of the famous Kennedy family. During World War II, he was killed in action while flying a patrol bomber. He was later given the Navy Cross award for his bravery.
Joseph Jr.'s father hoped he would become president of the United States. Joseph Jr. was a delegate at a big political meeting in 1940. He planned to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the war. This was meant to be his first step toward becoming president. Joseph Jr.'s death during a secret mission in 1944 changed his father's plans. His father then hoped for his next oldest son, John F. Kennedy, to become president. John F. Kennedy later followed this path, becoming a U.S. Representative, then a U.S. Senator, and finally president.
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Early Life and School
Joseph Kennedy Jr. was born on July 25, 1915, in Hull, Massachusetts. He went to Dexter School with his brother John. In 1933, he finished high school at Choate, a boarding school in Connecticut. After that, he went to Harvard College and graduated in 1938.
At Harvard, Joseph Jr. played football, rugby, and was on the crew team. He was also part of the student council. He then studied for a year at the London School of Economics. Later, he started studying law at Harvard Law School.
Political Dreams
From a very young age, Joseph Jr.'s father wanted him to be the first Roman Catholic U.S. president. When he was born, his grandfather, who was the mayor of Boston, told reporters that Joseph Jr. would be "the future president of the nation."
In 1940, Joseph Jr. was a delegate for Massachusetts at the Democratic National Convention. He planned to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after World War II ended.
Before World War II began, Joseph Jr. had visited Nazi Germany in 1934. He noted that Adolf Hitler was building a strong spirit among his people.
Joseph Jr. left Harvard Law School before his last year. He joined the U.S. Naval Reserve on June 24, 1941. He trained to become a naval aviator (a pilot). He earned his pilot wings and became an ensign on May 5, 1942.
He was assigned to Patrol Squadron 203 and later to Bombing Squadron 110. In September 1943, he was sent to Britain. In 1944, he became part of Bomber Squadron 110, Special Air Unit ONE. Joseph Jr. flew Consolidated B-24 Liberator patrol bombers. He flew missions to find and fight submarines in 1943 and 1944.
On July 1, 1944, Joseph Jr. became a lieutenant. He had completed 25 combat missions, which meant he could go home. But he chose to volunteer for a very dangerous mission called Operation Aphrodite.
Operation Aphrodite
Operation Aphrodite was a secret plan during World War II. It used large bombers like the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator as flying bombs. These planes were filled with explosives and guided by radio control to hit targets. They were meant for very strong targets that were hard to attack normally.
These "drone" planes were too heavy to take off safely by themselves. So, a crew of two pilots would take off and fly the plane up to 2,000 feet (610 meters). Then, they would turn on the remote control system and arm the explosives. After that, they would parachute out of the plane. The first mission happened on August 4, 1944, against targets in France. But it didn't have much success.
The U.S. Navy also took part in this plan, calling their part Operation Anvil. Joseph Jr. had become a lieutenant on July 1. On July 23, he and Lieutenant Wilford John Willy were chosen as the Navy's first Anvil flight crew. Willy was a senior officer and volunteered for the mission, taking the place of Joseph Jr.'s usual co-pilot.
On August 12, Joseph Jr. and Willy flew a BQ-8 "robot" aircraft. This was a B-24 Liberator plane converted into a bomb. It was loaded with 21,170 pounds (9,600 kg) of a powerful explosive called Torpex. Their target was a suspected V-2 rocket site in France.
Other planes flew with them. A photo-reconnaissance plane filmed the mission. As planned, Joseph Jr. and Willy stayed in the BQ-8 as it made its first remote-controlled turn. Joseph Jr. then radioed the code "Spade Flush," which were his last known words. About two minutes later, and before they could parachute out, the explosives blew up too early. The Liberator was destroyed, and Joseph Jr. and Willy were killed instantly.
Pieces of the plane landed near a village in England, causing damage but no injuries on the ground. The trailing photo plane was also damaged, and its cameraman was hurt. Drone missions were stopped for a month after this accident. The Navy believed the crew did not make a mistake. They thought a radio signal or a wiring problem might have caused the explosion.
Awards and Memorials
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. and Wilford Willy were both given several awards after their deaths. These included the Navy Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart Medal. Their names are listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in England. This memorial honors Americans who died in World War II.
A special headstone for Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. was later placed at Arlington National Cemetery. There is also a memorial to him inside the fortress of Mimoyecques in France.
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Cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery
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Memorial inside the fortress of Mimoyecques, France
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Military Awards
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. received several military awards for his service:
- Navy Cross
- Distinguished Flying Cross
- Purple Heart
- Air Medal
- American Defense Service Medal
- American Campaign Medal
- European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
His Navy Cross award praised his "extraordinary heroism" and for volunteering for a "hazardous and special operational mission." It noted his bravery and how he "willingly risked his life" for his country.
Legacy
In 1946, the Navy named a destroyer ship after Joseph Jr., called the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.. His younger brother, Robert F. Kennedy, served on this ship for a short time. This ship was part of the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. It also helped recover astronauts from space missions. The ship was taken out of service in 1973 and is now a museum in Fall River, Massachusetts.
In 1947, the Kennedy family started the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. They also helped build the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Hall at Boston College. This foundation was led by his youngest brother, Edward Kennedy, until his death in 2009. In 1957, a skating rink in Massachusetts was opened with funds from the foundation. It was named the Lieutenant Joseph Patrick Kennedy Junior Memorial Skating Rink.
In 1969, a book called The Lost Prince: Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy was written about Joseph Jr. A TV movie based on this book won an Emmy award in 1977.
See also
In Spanish: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. para niños
- Kennedy curse
- Kennedy family
- Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy, a 1977 TV movie
