Submitted by Satvahana t3_zo98qb in todayilearned
In the Roosevelt-Rondon expedition, the main river was named after Theodore Roosevelt as Rio Roosevelt (now called by people as Rio Teodoro) and a tributary of the river was named after Kermit as Rio Kermit. There is also a town in Texas named after him where he had once hunted.
In the WWI, he was working as an Assistant Manager in a Bank and was posted in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was transferred to Russia around the time US decided to enter the War. Not wanting to be left behind, he volunteered in British Forces after resigning from the US Army. He saw heavy fighting in the East and after discovery of his status as an ex-President's son was sent to Mesopotamia with a light assignment. However, he continued to exalt himself by learning Arabic and establishing relations with the locals. He was awarded the Military Cross for his efforts. In 1918, he discovered that his youngest brother Quentin who was an aviator was dead and had been buried by the Germans with full honor.
Between the two wars, he had founded few businesses and undertaken an expedition in the Himalayas with his father and brother.
In the 2nd World War, he fought with distinction in the raid into Norway. He was also sent to North Africa where he saw little action. He had been injured in Norway (Battle of Narvik) and had started drinking. This led to an enlarged liver and his debilitation. He was medically discharged from the Army.
This sent him to a state of severe depression. He turned to the bottle heavily. His wife Belle sought help of his cousin; the President Roosevelt (FDR) who helped locate him by enlisting the FBI. Lt. Col. Archibald (his younger brother) sought to commit him to a sanatorium to prevent him from killing himself.
To get Kermit back to his routine, FDR provided him commission as Major in the US Army and sent him to Alaska for Intelligence work in creating militia troops of the local Eskimos and Aleuts.
On June 4, 1943, Kermit Roosevelt committed suicide by a gunshot to the head. The news of his death was reported to his mother, Edith, as a heart attack. He is buried in Ft. Richardson National Cemetry in Alaska.
"he had founded (a) few businesses." I'm pretty sure one of these was a partnership with joe kennedy during/after prohibition to import "medicinal" alcohol from britain such as gin, maybe beefeater gin, no gordon's.
kennedy was a crook and a gangster, although it is a myth that he made most of his money from bootlegging; he made most of his money by robbing banks by insider trading, real estate deals, stock swindles, and later rko, which he obtained in part by blackmailing a theater chain owner with a fake rape charge. kennedy used rooseveldt as a partner to make it more likely authorities would look the other way, which they did. source: some book i read years ago. edit: i think i had the wrong president's son, never mind.
Source - trust me bro
about 15 years ago i had 50 books on the kennedys when i was researching a possible book on lbj that i never wrote. i do not remember which book discussed kermit, and i probably dont still have it. edit shortly. oh i was going to use https://time.com/3529756/kennedy-churchill-roosevelt-investment-deal/ as a source but it wants you to sign up to read it, pass. edit: i was probably thinking of james roosevelt instead.
The two businesses that find mention are:
Roosevelt Steamship Company, & United State Lines
Edit: I am not sure how or if the connection exists. FDR and JPK's connection are known. FDR's son James helped Joseph start the liquor business after prohibition. I'll try to find about from the other branch of Roosevelt family's connections. Not certain as of now.
The relationship between Roosevelt and Kennedys does go long back, especially since Joseph and FDR knew each other from WWI times and then later, Joe Kennedy supported FDR politically and financially during his Hollywood success.
it is entirely possible i was thinking of james and not kermit. kermit is one of those names that sticks in your memory, in a way that james does not. thanks.
[deleted]
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments