Memorial In Honor of the 5 Sullivan Brothers KIA

Wreck of the USS Juneau CL52, famous for the deaths of the 5 Sullivan brothers, discovered in Pacific. As reported by: Fox News 03-20-2018

The wreck of the USS Juneau, which was sunk by a Japanese torpedo and lost 687 sailors in 1942, has been discovered by billionaire Paul Allen’s crew. Five brothers from the Sullivan family were famously lost on the USS Juneau. Their story, which attracted widespread attention, was depicted in the 1944 movie “The Fighting Sullivans.” Two USS Navy ships have been named “The Sullivans” in memory of the brothers. The brothers wanted to serve on the same ship, despite naval policies preventing siblings from serving together. The USS Juneau was found on St. Patrick’s Day resting on the seafloor near the Solomon Islands. An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from the research vessel Petrel first identified the wreck using sonar on March 17. The following day, a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) was deployed from Petrel to verify the wreckage, capturing video footage of the Juneau. “We certainly didn’t plan to find the Juneau on St. Patrick’s Day. The variables of these searches are just too great,” said Robert Kraft, director of subsea operations for Paul Allen, in a statement. “But finding the USS Juneau on Saint Patrick’s Day is an unexpected coincidence to the Sullivan brothers and all the service members who were lost 76 years ago.” Juneau was sunk on Nov. 13 1942 during the Battle of Guadalcanal. When a second torpedo hit her port side, an explosion cut the ship in half, killing most of the crew. The light cruiser sank in just 30 seconds. Around 115 of Juneau’s crew are believed to have survived the sinking, including, possibly, two of the Sullivan brothers. However, with U.S. forces concerned about the risk of further Japanese attacks, rescue efforts did not take place until eight days later. Only 10 men were rescued from the water. The first ship named after the brothers, USS The Sullivans (DD-537), was commissioned in 1943 and is now a museum ship in Buffalo. The second ship to bear the family name (DDG-68) is in active service as a guided missile destroyer. “As the fifth commanding officer of USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), a ship named after five brothers, I am excited to hear that Allen and his team were able to locate the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL 52) that sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal,” said Vice Adm. Rich Brown, commander, Naval Surface Forces, in a statement. “The story of the USS Juneau crew and Sullivan brothers epitomize the service and sacrifice of our nation’s greatest generation.”

Light Cruiser USS Juneau (CL 52)
Photos taken by remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV)
USS Juneau Gun Turret	USS Juneau Propeller
The 5 Sullivan Brothers ~ Left-to-Right ~ Joseph Eugene, Francis Henry, Albert Leo, Madison Abel and George Thomas.
The Sullivan Brothers ~ Iowa Veterans Museum	The Sullivan Brothers
Replys
USS Haynsworth DD700 Reunion ~ 2015 Niagara Falls, NY Visiting 'USS The Sullivans DD-537' at the Buffalo Naval Marina
Below 2 photos submitted by Charlie Delahanty (RM2 61-63)
Charlie and Sharon Delahanty	Jim Horn ~ 2015 Reunion sponsor