In 1942, the five Sullivan brothers, George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Leo, defied military norms, enlisting together in the US Navy during WWII. Despite a policy against siblings serving together, they secured permission and joined USS Juneau. During the Guadalcanal Campaign in 1942, the ship was hit twice by Japanese torpedoes, ultimately sinking. Tragically, the Sullivan brothers didn’t survive. Due to errors, the sinking went unnoticed for eight days, and only ten crew members were found alive.
President Roosevelt, Pope Pius XII, and the Iowa government expressed condolences, transforming the Sullivans into national heroes. USS The Sullivans, commissioned in their honor in 1943, and a second ship ordered in 1992, perpetuate their legacy at sea. The Fighting Sullivans, a 1945 film, immortalized their story.
