Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy, c. 1942
Born
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.

(1915-07-25)July 25, 1915
Hull, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedAugust 12, 1944(1944-08-12) (aged 29)
Over Blythburgh, East Suffolk, England
Cause of deathNaval airplane explosion during Operation Aphrodite
Resting placeRemains never recovered
EducationHarvard University (BA)
London School of Economics
OccupationNaval aviator
Political partyDemocratic
Parents
RelativesSee Kennedy family
Memorial – Wall of the MissingCambridge American Cemetery and Memorial
Cambridge, England
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Navy
Years of service1941–1944
RankLieutenant
UnitPatrol Squadron 203
Bombing Squadron 110, Special Air Unit 1
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsNavy Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal
Signature

Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. (July 25, 1915 – August 12, 1944) was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the Kennedy family and the eldest of the nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy.

During World War II, Kennedy was killed in action as a bomber pilot. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Kennedy's father wanted him to become president of the United States. Kennedy was a delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention and planned to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after his military service.[1] Kennedy's death caused his father to want his next-oldest son, John F. Kennedy, to run for president.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 MacIntyre, Ben (August 2, 2014). "How Joseph Kennedy's death changed US history". The Australian. Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia.