Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Kennedy, c. 1942 | |
| Born | Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr. July 25, 1915 Hull, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | August 12, 1944 (aged 29) Over Blythburgh, East Suffolk, England |
| 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 |
| Parents | |
| 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. (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 while serving as a land-based patrol bomber pilot, and posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
Kennedy's father had aspirations for 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 as the first stepping stone on the path to the presidency.[1] Kennedy's death while participating in Operation Aphrodite in 1944 caused his father to transfer his aspirations to his next-oldest son, John F. Kennedy,[1] who followed the path first planned for his older brother by advancing from the House to the U.S. Senate and then to the presidency.[1]
- ^ a b c MacIntyre, Ben (August 2, 2014). "How Joseph Kennedy's death changed US history". The Australian. Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia.