PT 109 was one of the 80 foot ELCO boats. She was under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy in the Solomon Islands when sunk after being rammed by a Japanese destroyer. On her last patrol, the 109 carried only one of the depth charges shown on the model, the portside mount having been lost or damaged in a collision with a dock. In addition, Kennedy and the men had scrounged a 37 mm antitank gun and mounted it on the foredeck by removing its wheels and lashing it to two 6 x 6 timbers. The 109 was most probably painted a green color by the crew. The boats operated in a jungle setting and the various green colors concocted by the crew better camoulflaged the boats when moored.

ELCO 80s were 80 feet long, with a beam of 20' 8" and a draft of 5' 3". Powered by three Packard engines of 1350 h.p. each, they were rated for a top speed of 43 knots, although in the Pacific theatre, with shortages of supplies and aviation gasoline and spotty maintenance, such speeds were rarely obtained.