Solomon Islanders are mourning the death of Eroni Kumana, one of two men credited with saving the life of future president John F Kennedy during World War II.

Eroni Kumana died at his home in Western Province on Saturday aged 93.

For many years his place in history was not widely recognised.

On August 1, 1943, he and Biuku Gasa were patrolling the waters of Solomon Islands near Gizo when they came across Lieutenant John F Kennedy and other US sailors who had swum to Olasana Island after their boat collided with a Japanese destroyer.

Kennedy carved a message in the husk of a coconut and the two Solomon Islanders, at great risk, rowed through Japan-patrolled waters to deliver the message to the nearest Allied base. Kennedy and his men were then rescued.

The coconut in which JFK carved a message carried by the two Solomon Islanders through Japanese patrolled waters ( JFK Library )

American Danny Kennedy is one of those who has tried to make Mr Kumana's story more well known.

He has been running a dive shop in Gizo since the 1980s, not far from where Kennedy was rescued. He made a point of putting Mr Kumana in touch with visiting American tourists and journalists when they visited Solomon Islands.

"We always tried to give them as much exposure because we were trying to help them and their village and their community have some sort of sustainable livelihood," Danny Kennedy told Radio Australia.

"For instance, one crew many years ago bought them a dugout canoe and an outboard engine for transportation so they could provide transportation back and forth to the markets."

Sorry, this audio has expired Solomon Islands mourns Kennedy rescuer Eroni Kumana ( Sam Bolitho )

Mr Kennedy says Mr Kumana remained in good spirits to the end.

"Right up until a few weeks back, he was still very agile, still laughing, still very animated," he said.

"He was someone who when you saw him he really made you feel good. He was one of these people that just had this amazing amount of energy and presence."

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Mr Kumana enjoyed the limelight, Mr Kennedy says, and was proud of his role in saving JFK's life.

"I think up until he started getting the exposure, he didn't realise how much people appreciated what he had done," he said.

"He really appreciated the fact that he was being recognised."

Eroni Kumana and Biuku Gasa were both invited to John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961, but a British colonial officer reportedly decided that their English wasn't good enough and prevented them from leaving the Solomon Islands' capital, Honiara.

John F. Kennedy (far right) and crewmen of the PT-109 in the Solomon Islands ( JFK Library )

"Even to this day, in the Kennedy diaries, it actually describes that he was visibly distressed when he realised the two guys who had helped save him in the Solomon Islands were not there," said Danny Kennedy.

Mr Gasa died in November 2005. Danny Kennedy says the men's legacy is being preserved in the Western Province.

"Like a lot of things I think it's getting lost in time, but every time there's a big public event in the Western region, we always try to make sure that Eroni comes along so he gets recognised and made to feel good about ... his bravery as a young man," he said.

"There'll be a very large funeral and I believe that he'll be remembered ... I'm sure there'll be major tributes throughout the country."