Sullivan brothers
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The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who all died during the same incident in World War II, the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52), the vessel on which they all served.
The Sullivans were natives of Waterloo, Iowa. They were:
- George Thomas Sullivan, 27, Gunner's Mate Second Class
- Francis "Frank" Henry Sullivan, 25, Coxswain
- Joseph "Red" Eugene Sullivan, 23, Seaman Second Class
- Madison "Matt" Abel Sullivan, 22, Seaman Second Class
- Albert "Al" Leo Sullivan, 19, Seaman Second Class
They enlisted on January 3, 1942 with the stipulation that they serve together. The Navy had a policy of separating siblings, but this was not strictly enforced. George and Frank had served in the Navy before but their brothers had not.
The Juneau fought in a number of naval engagements during the months-long Battle of Guadalcanal. On November 13, 1942, the Juneau was struck by a torpedo and had to withdraw. Later that morning, the Juneau was struck again, this time from a torpedo from Japanese submarine I-26. The ship quickly sunk and rescue efforts were not forthcoming due to fears about the Japanese naval presence. Eight days later ten survivors were retrieved from the water. The survivors reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt died instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days.
The brothers were survived by their parents Thomas and Alleta and their sister Genevieve. Al was survived by his wife Katherine and their young son James.
Legacy
The Navy named two destroyers The Sullivans to honor the brothers: The Sullivans (DDG-68) and The Sullivans (DD-537).
Their story was filmed as the 1944 movie The Fighting Sullivans and inspired, at least in part, the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan.
One of the biggest hits by the band Caroline's Spine was "Sullivan", a song about the grief of the mother of the Sullivan brothers.
External links
- Naval Historical Center (http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq72-1.htm)
- Des Moines Register: Famous Iowans (http://desmoinesregister.com/extras/iowans/sullivan.html)