The Sullivan brothers’ tragic loss on the USS Juneau at Guadalcanal and the sacrifices of an American family.
The Sullivan brothers—George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Al—were five siblings from Waterloo, Iowa. When the United States entered World War II, they, like thousands of young Americans, signed up to fight for their country. Inseparable, they enlisted in the Navy on January 3, 1942, with the stipulation that they all served together.
At the time, the policy preventing siblings from serving together was loosely enforced. The Sullivans were assigned to the USS Juneau, an Atlanta-class light cruiser, where they faced fierce combat in the Pacific theater of the war.
What happened next would devastate their family and force the military to rethink its policy on siblings in service.
Plot Points
Brothers Serving Together
On January 3, 1942, the Sullivan brothers enlisted in the US Navy. Driven by patriotic furor, the brothers also had more personal reasons–their sister Genevieve’s boyfriend, Bill Ball, lost his life aboard the USS Arizona at Pear Harbor. George and Frank, who had served in the Navy, also had friends killed in the Japanese attack.
The five Sullivan brothers enlisted with a single condition: they wanted to serve together. Despite a mid-1942 Navy policy aimed at separating siblings to prevent large family losses, the Sullivans were assigned to USS Juneau, an Atlanta-class light cruiser.
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
In the early hours of November 13, 1942, Juneau, a part of a larger task force, engaged a Japanese fleet off Guadalcanal. The chaotic night battle unfolded at close range, with poor weather and confused communications contributing to the chaos. During the fight, Juneau was torpedoed on her port side by the Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze, causing severe damage and a dangerous list to port. Juneau was able to withdraw from the battle alongside the heavily battered cruisers San Francisco and Helena.
This was not the Sullivan brother’s first clash with the Japanese Navy. Juneau had seen battle just weeks prior at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Despite participating in two major engagements, all five brothers remained unharmed.
Before noon on November 13, Juneau was limping toward Espiritu Santo for repairs, maintaining a speed of 13 knots on just one working screw. Down 12 feet by the bow and listing, she was managing to hold position off San Francisco’s starboard quarter.
Seeming to have survived the worst of the battle, the Sullivan brothers and the rest of the crew began talking about a return to Pearl Harbor, or maybe even the States.
The Sinking of USS Juneau
A few minutes after 11:00, the Japanese submarine, I-26, fired two torpedoes. Intended for San Francisco, they missed their mark, but one struck Juneau near her ammunition magazines. The resulting explosion ripped the cruiser in half, and she sank in less than a minute.
Captain Gilbert C. Hoover of Helena believed no one could have survived such a violent blast and, fearing further submarine attacks, ordered the task force to continue without searching for survivors. A nearby B-17 bomber was instructed to report the sinking and request a rescue mission, but due to delays and confusion, the report was not processed for days.
Around 100 sailors survived the sinking of the Juneau but were left stranded in open water. Without supplies or medical care, they faced hunger, dehydration, and repeated shark attacks. When they were finally rescued eight days later, only ten survivors remained.
The Loss of the Sullivan Brothers
None of the Sullivan brothers were among the rescued. According to the survivors, Frank, Joe, and Matt died in the explosion. Al drowned the following day. George survived for four or five days before succumbing to delirium as a result of drinking seawater, although some claim he was “driven insane with grief” at the loss of his brothers. He climbed over the side of his raft and fell into the water, never to be seen or heard again.
The Nation Mourns the Lost Sullivan Brothers
The Navy initially withheld news of Juneau’s sinking–national security restricted reporting the loss of ships. But when the Sullivan brothers’ parents, Thomas and Alleta, stopped receiving letters, they knew something was wrong. Alleta Sullivan wrote to the Bureau of Naval Personnel in January 1943 for answers about her sons. This letter was personally answered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 13, 1943, who acknowledged that the Sullivans were missing in action
Unfortunately, Thomas and Alleta learned of the Sullivan brothers’ fate on January 12. That morning, as Thomas was preparing for work, three men in uniform approached his door.
“I have some news for you about your boys,” one officer said.
“Which one?” asked Tom.
“I’m sorry,” the officer replied. “All five.”
The “Fighting Sullivan Brothers” became national heroes.
The Legacy of The Sullivans
The Sullivan brothers’ sacrifice became a symbol of national unity and loss. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a letter of condolence, and Pope Pius XII sent a religious medal and rosary. The brothers’ story inspired the 1944 movie The Fighting Sullivans and inspired, at least in part, the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan.
The Navy named the destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537) in their honor. Their loss also influenced military policy, leading to the “Sole Survivor Policy,” which prevents siblings from serving together in combat zones.
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