It wasn’t until recently that an old war buddy told Robert Kennedy how close he was to becoming a casualty of World War II.

As a member of the First Raider Battalion of the Marines, Kennedy saw his share of war zones.

On July 5, 1943, the First Raiders landed on New Georgia Island, north of the famous battle sight Guadalcanal.

Kennedy became the last Raider wounded in the invasion. While he was on patrol, the enemy shot Kennedy in both arms.

“I don’t know how I succeeded to get shot in both arms. I was really fortunate to live through that,” he said.

His battalion was far away from any support, so by the time he made it back to camp, he had lost a considerable amount of blood.

His corporal asked the doctors about Kennedy’s status, and the doctors said he would die because of the loss of blood and the amount of shock.

The corporal called for a helicopter to take Kennedy to Florida, where he received emergency medical care that saved his life.

“I spent 18 months in the hospital and retired from the Marine Corp as a first lieutenant,” he said.

Kennedy never knew about the doctor’s dire prediction until a recent phone call.

The end to Kennedy’s military service differs quite a bit from the way it began.

His best friend at the time, Frank Kemp, threatened to punch Kennedy in the face if he didn’t join him in the Raider Battalion.

“He was a quarterback for Yale, so I was pretty sure he could beat me up,” jokes Kennedy. “He dragged me by the heels.”

Kennedy left his position as a military assistant?a position he received because he knew how to type?to join the front lines.

But Kennedy didn’t join the Marines with the thought of being some officer’s secretary.

He tried to enlist on Dec. 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor, “because I was pissed off,” he said.

The Marines told him to get his degree first and then join the war effort?he did, returning to Stanford to get his bachelor’s degree.

After training and his stint as an assistant, Kennedy joined the First Raider Battalion, which produced more generals during World War II than any other battalion.

The First Raiders participated in a score of military actions that led to a 70 percent casualty rating. Most died in combat, but dysentery and malaria also claimed some of the troops.

After leaving the military, Kennedy returned to Stanford to get his master’s of business administration. He then went to work for a Los Angeles floor-covering business.

At 81, Kennedy says he is “pretty healthy,” though his arms hurt him.

A bullet went through his right elbow, freezing his arm in a 45-degree position. His left arm is “just weak.” The bullet went through his forearm.

“I am just glad to be alive,” he said.