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Buku Gasa and Eroni Kumana

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    Born in Western Province, Solomon Islands
    Buku Gasa (July 27, 1923-November 23, 2005)
    Eroni Kumana (1925-August 2, 2014)
    Scouts serving under Australian coastwatcher Arthur Evans
    Found John F. Kennedy and the surviving crew members of PT-109 (August 8, 1943)

Why they might be annoying:

    While searching for the PT-109 crew, they disobeyed orders by stopping to investigate a Japanese wreck, from which they took food and fuel.
    They initially mistook the crewmen for Japanese. (Gasa: 'All white people looked the same to me.')
    They spoke little English, making communication with the PT-109 crew difficult.
    They were invited to Kennedy's Presidential inauguration, but were prevented from attending by British officials.

Why they might not be annoying:

    They took great risks, as natives caught working for the Allies were tortured and executed by the Japanese.
    Because the PT-109 crew lacked writing utensils, Gasa suggested they carve a message on the husk of a coconut.
    They rowed a dugout canoe 40 miles through hostile waters to deliver the message to the nearest Allied base.
    In gratitude, the Kennedy family contributed $5,000 to cost of building each of their houses.
    They received busts of JFK from nephew Max Kennedy when Max accompanied Robert Ballard's expedition to find the wreck of the PT-109 (2002).
    Kumana's house was destroyed in the 2007 tsunami, but he survived the storm.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 8.33% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 29 Votes: 55.17% Annoying