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USS THE SULLIVANS DDG-68

Home » Ships » DDG-68

Hull Number: DDG-68

Launch Date: 08/12/1995

Commissioned Date: 04/19/1997

Call Sign: NSUL


Class: ARLEIGH BURKE

ARLEIGH BURKE Class

Namesake: THE SULLIVANS

THE SULLIVANS

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

The five Sullivan brothers were World War II sailor brothers of Irish American descent from Waterloo, Iowa who served together on the light cruiser USS Juneau. They were all killed in action during and shortly after its sinking around November 13, 1942.

On Saturday, March 17, 2018, the wreckage of the USS Juneau was discovered off the coast of the Solomon Islands by the expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.[1]

Sullivan brothers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the fictional characters, Damien and Anthony Sullivan, see The Dead (Higson novel).
The Sullivan brothers on board the cruiser USS Juneau at her commissioning: Joe, Frank, Al, Matt, and George (14 February 1942)

The five Sullivan brothers were World War II sailor brothers of Irish American descent from Waterloo, Iowa who served together on the light cruiser USS Juneau. They were all killed in action during and shortly after its sinking around November 13, 1942.

On Saturday, March 17, 2018, the wreckage of the USS Juneau was discovered off the coast of the Solomon Islands by the expedition crew of Research Vessel Petrel, owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.[1]

Background[edit]

The five brothers, the sons of Thomas (1883–1965) and Alleta Sullivan (1895–1972) of Waterloo, Iowa, were:

  • George Thomas Sullivan, 27 (born December 14, 1914), Gunner’s Mate Second Class (George had been previously discharged in May 1941 as Gunner’s Mate Third Class.)
  • Francis Henry “Frank” Sullivan, 26 (born February 18, 1916), Coxswain (Frank had been previously discharged in May 1941 as Seaman First Class.)
  • Joseph Eugene “Joe” Sullivan, 24 (born August 28, 1918), Seaman Second Class
  • Madison Abel “Matt” Sullivan, 23 (born November 8, 1919), Seaman Second Class
  • Albert Leo “Al” Sullivan, 20 (born July 8, 1922), Seaman Second Class

The brothers left a sister, Genevieve (1917–1975). Genevieve, their only sister, served in the WAVES. She was the girlfriend of Bill Ball, whose death while serving on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor prompted her brothers to join the Navy to avenge him.[2] Al was survived by his wife Katherine Mary and son Jimmy. Joe left a fiancée named Margaret Jaros, while Matt left behind a fiancée named Beatrice Imperato.[3] Al Sullivan’s son served on board the first USS The Sullivans. His grandmother christened the first ship. The second USS The Sullivans was christened by Al’s granddaughter Kelly Ann Sullivan Loughren.[4]

The Sullivans enlisted in the US Navy 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. All five were assigned to the light cruiser USS Juneau.

The Sullivans were not the only brother sailors on board the ship. At least thirty sets of brothers served on the Juneau, including the two Rogers brothers from New Haven, Connecticut. Before the ill-fated Savo Island operation, two of the Rogers brothers were transferred to other commands. According to those who survived, had the ship returned to port safely, at least two Sullivans would have also transferred.[3]

Juneau participated in a number of naval engagements during the months-long Guadalcanal Campaign beginning in August 1942. Early in the morning of November 13, 1942, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Juneau was struck by a Japanese torpedo and forced to withdraw. Later that day, as it was leaving the Solomon Islands’ area for the Allied rear-area base at Espiritu Santo with other surviving US warships from battle, the Juneau was struck again, this time by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-26. The torpedo likely hit the thinly armored light cruiser at or near the ammunition magazines, and the ship exploded and quickly sank.

Captain Gilbert C. Hoover, commanding officer of the light cruiser USS Helena, and the senior officer present afloat (SOPA) of the battle-damaged US task force, was skeptical that anyone had survived the sinking of Juneau and believed it would be reckless to look for survivors, thereby exposing his wounded ships to a still-lurking Japanese submarine. Therefore, he ordered his ships to continue on towards Espiritu Santo. Helena signaled a nearby US B-17 bomber on patrol to notify Allied headquarters to send aircraft or ships to search for survivors.

In actual fact, approximately 100 of Juneau‘s crew had survived the torpedo attack and the sinking of their ship and were left in the water. The B-17 bomber crew, under orders not to break radio silence, did not pass the message about searching for survivors to their headquarters until they had landed several hours later. The crew’s report of the location of possible survivors was mixed in with other pending paperwork actions and went unnoticed for several days. It was not until days after the ship had been sunk that headquarters staff realized that a rescue operation had never been mounted, and belatedly ordered aircraft to begin searching the area. In the meantime, Juneau‘s survivors, many of whom were seriously wounded, were exposed to the elements, hunger, thirst, and repeated shark attacks.

Eight days after the sinking, ten survivors were found by a PBY Catalina search aircraft and retrieved from the water. The survivors reported that Frank, Joe and Matt were all killed instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days,[3] before suffering from delirium as a result of hypernatremia (though some sources describe him being “driven insane with grief” at the loss of his brothers);[additional citation(s) needed] he climbed over the side of the raft he had occupied and fell into the water. He was never seen or heard from again.

Security required that the Navy not reveal the loss of Juneau or the other ships so as not to provide information to the enemy. Letters from the Sullivan sons stopped arriving at the home and the parents grew worried, which prompted Alleta Sullivan to write to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in January 1943, citing rumors that survivors of the task force claimed that all five brothers were killed in action.[5]

This letter was answered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 13, 1943, who acknowledged that the Sullivans were missing in action, but by then the parents were already informed of their fate, having learned of their deaths on January 12.[5] That morning, the boys’ father, Tom, was preparing for work when three men in uniform – a lieutenant commander, a doctor and a chief petty officer – approached his door. “I have some news for you about your boys,” the naval officer said. “Which one?” asked Tom. “I’m sorry,” the officer replied. “All five.”[6]

The “Fighting Sullivan Brothers” became national heroes. President Roosevelt sent a letter of condolence to their parents. Pope Pius XII sent a silver religious medal and rosary with his message of regret. The Iowa Senate and House adopted a formal resolution of tribute to the Sullivan brothers.[7][full citation needed]

Tom and Alleta Sullivan made speaking appearances at war plants and shipyards on behalf of the war effort.[12] Later, Alleta participated in the launching of a destroyer, USS The Sullivans, named after her sons.[13] Thomas and Alleta Sullivan toured the country promoting war bonds and asked that none of their sons died in vain.[14] As a direct result of the Sullivans’ deaths (and the deaths of four of the Borgstrom brothers within a few months of each other two years later), the U.S. War Department adopted the Sole Survivor Policy.[15]

The Navy named two destroyers The Sullivans to honor the brothers: USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). DD-537 was the first American Navy ship ever named after more than one person. The motto for both ships was/is “We stick together.”[16]

The Sullivans Association, an organization of veterans who served on both US Navy ships named after the brothers, conducted a reunion on September 25, 2011, in Waterloo, Iowa. The attendees gathered at Sullivans Park, visited Calvary Cemetery and laid flowers at the graves of the Sullivan brothers’ parents and sister, and visited the neighborhood where the family had lived.[17]



Ship History

USS THE SULLIVANS DDG-68 Ship History

Wikipedia (as of 2024)

USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) is an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight I) Aegis guided missile destroyer. She is the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the five Sullivan brothers–George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert Sullivan, aged 20 to 27–who died when their ship, USS Juneau, was sunk by a Japanese submarine in November 1942 in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. This was the greatest military loss by any one American family during World War II.

The first ship named for the brothers was the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537), now a museum ship in Buffalo, New York.

The contract to build The Sullivans was awarded to Bath Iron Works Corporation in Bath, Maine on 8 April 1992 and her keel was laid down on 27 July 1994. She was launched on 12 August 1995 and sponsored by Kelly Ann Sullivan Loughren, granddaughter of Albert Sullivan. The ship was commissioned on 19 April 1997, with Commander Gerard D. Roncolato in command.[5][6][7] Upon her commissioning, the ship was given the motto that is thought to have been spoken by the brothers when asked to separate during World War II, “We Stick Together.”

On 26 April 1997, The Sullivans departed New York City for Norfolk, Virginia, where, after arriving on 27 April, the crew completed underway replenishment qualifications with Platte. The warship then sailed for NS Mayport, Florida, on 29 April and arrived in her new homeport on 2 May.[7]

After completing two days of gunnery trials in mid-May, The Sullivans embarked upon her shakedown deployment to the West Indies on 27 May. That cruise took her to the waters off Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where the destroyer conducted numerous sonar, gunnery, and torpedo exercises. The warship also twice entered Roosevelt Roads and stopped once at St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands for port visits. On 29 June, The Sullivans conducted test firings of Standard SM-2 ER missiles from her vertical launch system (VLS). After a brief stop at Mayport for the 4 July weekend, the warship joined other Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, cruisers, destroyers, and frigates off the Virginia Capes for a multiple-ship missile firing exercise. She returned to Mayport on 12 July for upkeep.[7]

Following three days of damage control exercises in mid-August, the crew began preparations for a post shakedown availability. She sailed for Maine on 3 September, arriving at Bath Iron Works on 5 September. The shipyard repainted the hull, altered the superstructure, and installed equipment upgrades in the engineering plant and combat systems suite. When the yard work was completed The Sullivans got underway for Mayport, arriving there on 23 November.[7]

On 8 December, the destroyer joined the aircraft carrier Enterprise off Georgia for a week of underway training. While providing plane guard services on 11 December, a T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft crashed following take-off. The Sullivans made a high-speed dash to the site. While the carrier’s rescue helicopter safely rescued the pilot, boats launched by The Sullivans picked up considerable pieces of wreckage which were helpful in determining the cause of the crash. The crew also completed helicopter deck landing qualifications before returning to port for the holidays on 12 December.[7]

In January 1998, the crew of The Sullivans began a series of exercises designed “to build the capability for long-term self-sustained training onboard.” They included engineering, combat, seamanship, and battle scenario training exercises. These local operations lasted until 18 May when the warship got underway for New York City and the annual “Fleet Week” celebrations.[7]

Following a week-long port visit, The Sullivans got underway on 26 May for Halifax, Nova Scotia, to conduct training workups for the upcoming Exercise “Unified Spirit ’98.” During the exercise she joined an amphibious task force formed around USS Nassau, two Amphibious transport docks (LPDs), and two dock landing ships (LSDs). The warship screened the “gator” ships during an exercise focusing on multi-national peace enforcement operations. Ships from Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Portugal also participated in the exercise. After this exercise, the ship visited Boston, Massachusetts, and then sailed with relatives and family for Mayport, arriving on 1 July.[7]

After a summer of conducting midshipmen training off the Florida coast, Commander Roncolato was relieved by Commander E. Scott Hebner, USN, in a change of command ceremony on 4 September 1998. The Sullivans was then assigned to Destroyer Squadron 24, a component of the John F. Kennedy Battle Group. In 1999 the ship participated in various training exercises to prepare for her maiden deployment in October to the Mediterranean Sea.

Later in 2000 she continued into the Arabian Sea, participating in exercises and boarding operations until late March. On 9 February 2000, Commander Daniel Paul Keller USN relieved Commander Heber in a change of command ceremony held at sea on station in the Persian Gulf.[7]

After port visits in the Persian Gulf, The Sullivans returned through the Mediterranean Sea to her homeport in April 2000, successfully completing her first six-month deployment. After participating in BEACHFEST at Port Canaveral, Florida, The Sullivans underwent a major maintenance overhaul to prepare for future operations.[7]

Members of al-Qaeda attempted an attack on The Sullivans while in port at Aden, Yemen on 3 January 2000 as a part of the 2000 millennium attack plots. The plan was to load a boat full of explosives and detonate it near The Sullivans; however the boat was so overladen that it sank. Later, al-Qaeda tried the same type of attack a second time, successfully bombing USS Cole on 12 October 2000.[8][9][10]

While underway and sailing for Composite Unit Training Exercise[11] 01-2 The Sullivans received word of the September 11 attacks. The Sullivans, as part of the John F. Kennedy Battle Group, took part in Operation Noble Eagle. The destroyer provided air-space security along the mid-Atlantic seaboard.[12]

In February 2002 The Sullivans deployed with the John F. Kennedy Carrier battle group to the Arabian Sea in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.[7]

On 20 March 2010 as the ship entered the harbor at Manama, Bahrain she struck a harbor buoy and sustained between $200,000 and $1 million in damage. The ship’s captain, Commander Neil Funtanilla, was subsequently relieved of his command at an admiral’s mast by Rear Admiral Phil Davidson, commander of Combined Task Force 50.[13] On 17 August 2011, The Sullivans mistakenly fired on a fishing boat rather than a towed gunnery target during a gunnery exercise off North Carolina. As a result, Commander Mark Olson was relieved of his command. None of the inert shells hit the boat and there were no injuries as a result of the incident.[14] On 7 May 2012, Commander Derick Armstrong was relieved of command after several female crew members alleged that he sexually harassed women aboard ship.[15][16] On 18 August 2013, The Sullivans provided medical assistance to an ill mariner on board the merchant vessel MV Abir Alqaray No. 4, a Saudi Arabian-flagged dhow, off the coast of Saudi Arabia.[17]

On 18 July 2015, a RIM-66 Standard missile test fired from The Sullivans exploded just after launch. No injuries were reported but a small fire occurred on deck. Malfunctions of solid-fuel missiles in the U.S. Navy are extremely rare.[18] In early November 2017, The Sullivans pulled into port in New York City, and its crew was given shore leave to celebrate Veterans’ Day in the city.[citation needed]

On 14 September 2020, it was announced that The Sullivans would be part of HMS Queen Elizabeth‘s Task Group for the GROUPEX and Joint Warrior exercises.[19] On 19 January 2021, a declaration confirmed that The Sullivans would form part of the escort for HMS Queen Elizabeth during her first active deployment as part of the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 in 2021.[20][21]

Awards