On the evening of 1 November 1943, Kennedy was asked by Lt. Arthur Berndsten, the temporary base commander at Lambu Lambu, on the northeast side of Vella Lavella Island, if he would take "PT-59" to support a rescue operation around north near the base of Choiseul Island's Warrior River. Berndsten had been contacted by Krulak, the leader of Operation Blissful, who had requested rescue for his trapped Marines. Berndsten had formerly skippered "PT-171" when it helped in the rescue of Kennedy and his "109" crew the previous August.