For probably just about anybody interested in American military history, the story of the Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, remains one of the most heartbreaking sagas of sacrifice. All five brothers, George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert, died on November 13, 1942, aboard the USS Juneau (CL-52) during World War II. This represented the greatest loss of a single family in the history of United States wartime casualties.
Originally on course for the Atlantic, the USS Juneau was reassigned to the Pacific in August 1942. The cruiser took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in late October, and then, during the battle off Guadalcanal on November 12, was violently damaged by a torpedo and limped away until the next morning. The Japanese submarine I-26 took full advantage of Juneau’s vulnerability and released a torpedo, which struck the ship’s magazines, and subsequently exploded, creating such an explosive event that the ship sank in only 42 seconds.
Only four of the brothers, namely, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert, did not survive the sinking of the ship. George got into a raft but, dying from his injuries, passed away hours later. Barely ten of the one-hundred-and-forty-odd crew survived.
The drawback in the Sullivan brothers’ decision was that they had first enlisted in the U.S. Navy enlisted in Navy aboard the destroyer USS Hovey (DD-208) on May 11, 1937, and served until June 1941. After the Pear Harbor attack and the loss of their good friend, William V. Ball, who had also served with them aboard the USS Arizona (BB-39), both brothers reenlisted on January 3, 1942, resolute in the desire to serve all their service together. Both then trained at the Naval Training School, Great Lakes, Illinois, and were posted to the USS Juneau on February 3, 1942, where both served.
Their legacy lives on through the names of two ships. First, USS The Sullivans (DD-537), commissioned September 30, 1943; sponsor, their mother, Aleta. This ship saw continual use until January 7, 1965, when it was decommissioned and today sits on display at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in New York. A second ship, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), was commissioned on April 19, 1997, and is one of only two guided missile destroyers forward homeported at the Naval Station in Mayport, Florida. Its motto is “We Stick Together”.
Then, the finding of the wreckage of the ship USS Juneau on March 17, 2018, by a team led by the co-founder of Microsoft, Paul Allen, thrust the story of the Sullivan brothers back into the limelight. It lies on the ocean floor in the South Pacific, a clear reminder of the Sullivan brothers’ sacrifice.
The story of the Sullivans also ties into the events of September 11, 2001. Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Matthew Coyle serves aboard the USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and takes some of his inspiration for his service from the bravery of his own family on that fateful day. His uncles, Jim and John Coyle, both served with the FDNY, and his father, Thomas Coyle, was a police officer. Their heroics during attacks, saving civilian and wounded lives at the cost of their own, keep Matthew inspired while serving in the Navy.
The legacy of the Sullivans and the valor of the Coyle family are clear reminders, vignettes that show up every time unselfish service is highlighted, and that family that is brave will be bold forever.