The Fighting Sullivans
Originally born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa, the Sullivan Brothers were five siblings born to Irish American parents who all joined the U.S. Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor. One of their sister’s close family friends, who had been dating her, was among those killed when the Arizona was sunk, motivating the brothers to seek payback.
So after joining the Navy, all five brothers: George Thomas, Francis “Frank” Henry, Joseph Eugene “Joe,” Madison Abel “Matt,” and Albert Leo were soon assigned to the Atlanta-class light cruiser, USS Juneau. Usually, the Navy did not allow siblings to serve together on the same vessel, but this rule was not strictly enforced at the time. This would prove to be a fateful decision.
The USS Juneau’s Tragic Fate
While in the Pacific, the Juneau participated in several operations during the Solomons Campaign. However, it was during the Battle of Salvo Island that the Juneau’s fate was sealed. During the battle, the light cruiser took two torpedo hits and was forced to withdraw. While en route to Espiritu Santo, the Juneau was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-26. Frank, Joe, and Matt were all killed instantly by the explosion.
Albert died the next day due to his injuries, while George passed away four days later while waiting for rescue. Some of the survivors mentioned that he had been driven insane by the loss of all his brothers, before climbing out of their raft and was never seen again.
Legacy and Sole Survivor Policy
The loss of all five brothers was a shocking event and led the Navy to enforce their rule about having siblings serve on the same ship. This also resulted in the adoption of the Sole Survivor Policy, which ensures that if one or more siblings are killed in combat, the last remaining sibling will be sent home.
The story of the Sullivan Brothers and their reasons for joining the Navy served as an inspiration for many during the war. They had initially joined to avenge the death of a family friend and made the ultimate sacrifice as a result. In 1943, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537) was launched and survived the war with nine battle stars to her credit. In 1995, the USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was also launched and is still in service today.
In Japan, an elementary school named after the brothers is situated in Yokosuka, a part of the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools.
Interestingly enough, the character of Juneau in the game “Azur Lane” has a voice line that references the Sullivan Brothers.
