HONIARA – Solomon Islanders are mourning the death of Eroni Kumana, one of two men credited with saving the life of President John F Kennedy during World War II.
Mr Kumana died at his home in Western Province on Saturday aged 93.
For many years his place in history was not widely recognised.
On August 1, 1943, he and Biuku Gasa were patrolling the waters of Solomon Islands near Gizo when they came across Lieutenant John F. Kennedy and other US sailors, who had swum to Olasana Island after their boat collided with a Japanese destroyer.
Mr Kennedy carved a message in the husk of a coconut and the two Solomon Islanders, at great risk, rowed through Japan-patrolled waters to deliver the message to the nearest Allied base.
Mr Kennedy and his men were then rescued.
American Danny Kennedy is one of those who has tried to make Mr Kumana’s story more well known.
He’s been running a dive shop in Gizo since the 1980s, not far from where Kennedy was rescued.
He made a point of putting Mr Kumana in touch with visiting American tourists and journalists when they visited Solomon Islands.
“We always tried to give them as much exposure because we were trying to help them and their village and their community have some sort of sustainable livelihood,” Mr Kennedy told Radio Australia.
