Description:

John F. Kennedy
Brookline, MA, May 29, 1965
JFK PT-109: Katsumori Yamashiro Signed FDC & Sketch, "I was Capt... and accidentally rammed the PT109"
Envelope/First Day Cover
Signed First Day Cover and Sketch, Brookline, Massachusetts, dated May 29, 1965, honoring John F. Kennedy's birthday and signed by his PT-109 crew mate Edgar Maurer along with an inscription, sketch and autograph by Captain Katsumori Yamashiro, the Commander of the flagship Amagiri which fatefully rammed JFK'S PT-109. To the left of the inscription, Yamashiro adds a diagram of the two vessels colliding. Some toning, else fine. The first day cover measures 3.875" x 6.5."

Yamashiro pieces are extremely scarce, and rarely come up for auction.

The inscription reads, in full:

"The tribute to John F. Kennedy and the PT109 crew should not be marred by an outrageous lie. The PT109 was sunk by accident and not purpose. The autograph Edgar Mauer is that of a crewmember. I should know. I was Capt and Cmdr. Of the Amagiri when it tried to avoid and accidentally rammed the PT109. Captain Katsumori Yamashiro Cmdr. Flagship Amagiri."

Katsumori Yamashiro was the Captain of the Japanese destroyer Amagiri that famously sank Lieutenant John F. Kennedy's PT109.

On August 2, during a high-speed "Tokyo Express" night mission to deliver reinforcements to Vila, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri collided with and sank the U.S. torpedo boat PT-109, commanded by Lieutenant Junior Grade John F. Kennedy, who would later become President of the United States. It is generally believed that the crew of Amagiri was unaware of PT-109's presence, as the small boat was difficult to spot in the darkness due to its size and lack of lights. However, in his book PT 109: John F. Kennedy in WWII, Robert J. Donovan, after interviewing several crew members, concluded that the ramming was deliberate. He even spoke with the helmsman who claimed he was ordered to steer directly toward PT-109. Amagiri also engaged other PT boats in the Blackett Strait, south of Kolombangara. Lieutenant Commander Kohei Hanami, who was in command of Amagiri at the time, later attended President Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. Yamashiro directly contradicts Hanami's account in his note on this incredibly unique piece.

The incident gained widespread attention, becoming the subject of several books, a movie, and a hit song by Jimmy Dean that described how "the Jap destroyer in the night, cut the 109 in two." This made Amagiri perhaps the only Japanese ship to be mentioned in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 3.875" x 6.5"
  • Medium: Envelope/First Day Cover

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October 30, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
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