31. Arthur Reginald Evans helped save the life of a future President of the United States
Arthur Evans was performing the dangerous duty of being a coastwatcher on the island of Kolombangara in the Solomons in 1943. Evans was sharing the island with about 10,000 Japanese troops when he observed an explosion on August 2. After learning that the US Navy had lost a motor torpedo boat near where the explosion had occurred, Evans sent two natives working as his guides to search for survivors from the crew. Among the survivors the natives encountered and helped to rescue was the boat’s commander, Lieutenant Junior Grade John F. Kennedy. Evans continued in his dangerous mission throughout the Solomon Islands Campaign, and years later was greeted by Kennedy at the White House.