Sullivan brothers

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The brothers on board Juneau; from left to right: Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan
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The brothers on board Juneau; from left to right: Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan

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 "Joe" 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, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the Juneau was struck by a torpedo and had to withdraw. Later that day, as it was leaving the Solomon Islands' area, the Juneau was struck again, this time from a torpedo from Japanese submarine I-26. The ship quickly sank 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.

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[edit] Legacy

  • As a direct result of the Sullivans' deaths, the US War Department adopted the Sole Survivor Policy.
  • Their story was filmed as the 1944 movie The Fighting Sullivans and inspired, at least in part, the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan. That movie is also inspired in part by the story of the Niland Brothers, where one of those brothers was sent home under the Sole Survivor Policy.
  • 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.
  • The brothers' hometown of Waterloo, Iowa has a convention center named "The Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center", renamed a street, and has a public park in their honor. The park is the location of their childhood home.

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