The other three were each given the rank of seaman second class. During his captivity he had lost significant weight and returned to New York at a meager 80 pounds. USA. Soon an outpouring of sympathy ensued. . Great Lakes, Illinois. They did insist, however, that the Navy allow them to stay together throughout their service. On Nov. 13, 1942, Waterloo's five Sullivan brothers -- George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert -- died aboard the USS Juneau when the ship was torpedoed and sunk off Guadalcanal They enjoyed Sunday dinner with their family in Waterloo, Iowa, December 7, 1941. The brothers were then buried side-by-side in the Riverview Cemetery in Tremonton, Utah. Very sincerely yours, If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. 2-3-1942 Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in the USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. The boys all left school early and sought work because of the . Mar 20, 2018. A large U.S. Navy task force left New Caledonia on November 8, 1942 to bring reinforcements and supplies to the beleaguered Marines at Guadacanal. The ship's name commemorates the five Sullivan brothers who served our country during World War II Original: Dec 7, 2011. In November 1942, all five siblings were killed in action when their light cruiser, USS Juneau, was sunk during the . Juneau was struck. Phone. Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa Read Next: The Mighty A Reliving History Aboard the USS Alabama, 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. 5-3-1942 Rating changed to Seaman second class. All five, Lieutenant Commander Truman Jones replied. Wikimedia Commons photo. (2) Francis Henry Sullivan, Coxswain, V-6, USNR; Transcript of service. During the Korean War, the USS The Sullivans carried out bombardments of strategic enemy supply lines, including railroads and tunnels. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Date of birth: February 18, 1916. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. They belonged to the Harley Club, a hangout for young men who liked to ride motorcycles, get drunk, and raise hell. Mere-Eglise. These forces were able to secure vital causeways, bridges, and locks allowing the 4th Infantry Division, and Niland brother Preston, to exit Utah beach later that day. He had survived bailing out of his plane, several days in the jungle, and nearly a year as a prisoner of the Japanese. The ship served in the U.S. Navy until she was decommissioned on 7 January 1965. View the photo gallery . Gunners Mate 2nd Class George Sullivan, wounded during the 12 November night action, managed to get over the side and pull himself onto a raft, but died of his wounds a few hours later. San Francisco, H.E. We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. Then they returned home to Waterloo and joined their brothers working at a local meatpacking plant. Veterans and school children were on hand to mark the occasion, as well as Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. Francis Henry "Frank" Sullivan. 18 Feb 1916 - 13 Nov 1942. The first, USS The Sullivans (DD-537), was commissioned on 30 September 1943. To request a memorial marker, call 1-877-907-8585. From left, Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison, and George. All in all, by the time the USS The Sullivans decommissioned in 1965, it had earned 11 battle stars. oldwolf600 has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. The five Sullivan brothers were World War II sailor brothers of Irish American descent who, serving together on the light cruiser USS Juneau, were all killed in action during and shortly after its sinking around November 13, 1942.. After America entered the war the oldest, Edward, and youngest, Frederick, known as Fritz to his friends, joined up in November 1942. The USS The Sullivans is now a floating museum and resides at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park in New York. The reverberations of the tragedy were so profound that it catalyzed the implementation of the Sole Survivor Policy in 1948. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Naval Academy During the World War II Era, United States Navy Chief Petty Officer Creed, Chief Petty Officer Recipients of the Medal of Honor, Nurses in the U.S. Navy Bibliography and Sources, The Formative Years of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, 17981871, Comparison of Military and Civilian Equivalent Grades, Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, Naval Submarine Base New London, Connecticut, African American Sailors in the U.S. Navy Chronology, Helping Others Realize Their Dreams: Captain Mery-Angela Sanabria Katson, USN, Thirty Years of Dedicated Service: Captain Kathlene Contres, USN, Lieutenant Commander Gerald R. Ford, USNR, William Graham Claytor, Jr. (1977 - 1979), Gordon R. England (2001-2003) (2003-2005), The Sullivan Brothers: U.S. Navy Policy Regarding Family Members Serving Together at Sea, H-Gram 012-1: Guadalcanal 1942The Battle of Friday the 13th. They heard the report of Pearl Harbor and immediately . A shark came and grabbed him and that was the end of him, Heyn said. A few of the boys found it necessary to help out meeting the household expenses. All five of the Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, were tragically killed in action on 13 November 1942 while serving aboard USS Juneau (CL-52). Juneau initially served in the Atlantic, but was transferred to the Pacific in August 1942. Dedicated to the Sullivan family from Iowa who lost five sons with the sinking of the USS Juneau off of the Solomon Islands during World War II. At Des Moines, Iowa, on 3 January 1942, George and Francis, accompanied by their younger brothers Joseph, Madison, and Albert, reenlisted to avenge the loss of Seaman 1st Class William V. Ball, a friend, who was killed while serving on the battleship USSArizona(BB-39) during the Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor. According to survivors reports, George, though wounded, managed to get off the Juneau and board a life raft. Deleting this Virtual Cemetery cannot be undone. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. This time, the torpedo tore the ship apart. This account has been disabled. Tom and Alletta Sullivan were not immediately notified that their sons had been killed in action. Four of the Sullivan brothers, Coxswain Francis Sullivan and Seamen 2nd Class Joseph, Madison, and Abel, failed to make it topside in time to abandon their doomed ship. 1-3-1942 Transferred to the Naval Training Station. On Nov. 13, 1942, Waterloo's five Sullivan brothers George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert died aboard the USS Juneau when the ship was torpedoed and sunk off Guadalcanal during World War II. I just tell them Staten Island adopted this ship and its crew, and has become a second home port for us. Please see our Headstones and Niche Covers page for more information. Crews recently found the wreckage of the USS Juneau more than two miles beneath the surface, near the Solomon Islands. Ready to catch the first flight to Buffalo so you can see the USS The Sullivans yourself? The Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum is in downtown Waterloo and in light of the discovery of the ship, they are offering half price admission through Friday, March 23rd to allow the public . Among the dead were the five Sullivan brothers: George, 27; Francis, or Frank, 26; Joseph, nicknamed Red, 24; Madison, or Matt, 23; and Albert, or Al, 20. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Great Lakes, Illinois. At the same time the Japanese had sent a contingent of their navy to resupply their army on the other side of the Island. 3-18-1939 Transferred to the USS Melville for temporary duty involving medical treatment. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. Its crew is credited with, among other things, shooting down eight Japanese planes, bombarding Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and rescuing a number of Allied aviators whose aircraft were shot down over the ocean. 5 cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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All five were lost with the ship on 13 November 1942 following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Crews recently found the wreckage of the USS Juneau more than two miles beneath the surface, near the Solomon Islands. There was no moon that night and there was instant chaos as searchlights suddenly illuminated the two adversaries at close range to one another. On Nov. 13, 1942, the USS Juneau light cruiser was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine. I have heard a lot of comments from Sailors on other ships asking how we rate this. Capital District, The brothers were: Elmer LeRoy Borgstrom, 30 (born April 30, 1914, died June 22, 1944), U.S. Army Clyde Eugene Borgstrom, 28 (born February 15, 1916, died March 17, 1944), U.S. Marine Corps Rolon Day Borgstrom, 19 (born May 5, 1925 . At the same time the Japanese had sent a contingent of their navy to resupply their army on the other side of the Island. It is this spirit which in the end must triumph. Juneau DD-537. Tragically, they all perished when Juneau was sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. Only 10 of the nearly 700 crew members survived the attack. Transcript of service. The ship, whose official motto is We Stick Together, played a prominent role in the Pacific Theater during the latter phases of WWII. The brothers were then buried side-by-side in the Riverview Cemetery in Tremonton, Utah. Virginia, The five brothers on board the light cruiser Juneau (left), Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa. There was a problem getting your location. A brass band from the New York City Police Department and a gospel choir provided music during the ceremony. Francis Henry "Frank" Sullivan Cenotaph. Biography . Bob Neymeyer is an historian at the Grout . You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. At 11am we The Big Show, America's premiere farm radio show with Bob Quinn and Andy Petersen. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE BORGSTROM BROTHERS?! Five of the 13 U.S. ships had been sunk or were heavily damaged. The five brothers, George Thomas, age 27; Frank Henry, age 25; Joseph Eugene, age 23; Madison Abel, age 22; and Albert Leo, age 19 were together on that Sunday when news of Pearl Harbor came over the radio. Within 30 minutes the engagement was essentially over. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 5-11-1937 Enlisted in the U.S. Navy as Apprentice Seaman, to serve for four (4) years at the Navy Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa and transferred to the Naval Training Station, San Diego, California, for recruit training. However, the official records kept by the Naval History and Heritage Command state that George survived in the lifeboat for only a few hours and died as a result of wounds he sustained in the torpedo attack. Sawyer Sweeten's parents are allegedly at war over the young actor's funeral and burial plans.. In addition to the policy, the legacy of the five Sullivan brothers is also enshrined in the US Navys USS The Sullivans Fletcher-class destroyer. As one of your sons wrote, `We will make a team together that can't be beat.' We will definitely be back.. The fifth, George Thomas, despite being wounded the night before, made it onto a raft where he survived for five days before succumbing either to wounds and exhaustion or a shark attack. According to World War II magazine, Tom was involved in the moonshine industry and occasionally enlisted his sons to help him pick up and deliver illegal alcohol. Alben and Gunda Borgstrom were the parents of ten children, seven of whom were boys. One of the survivors of the Juneau wrote to Tom and Alleta, but they still clung to the hope that their sons, or at least one of them, survived. 4-22-1939 Transferred to the USS Hovey. The Juneau had just barely survived, having received a torpedo hit on its port side which left a gaping hole and an almost severed keel. Growing up, the five boys were inseparable, referred to as The Fighting Sullivans, and according to family spokesperson, Kelly Sullivan-Loughren, a name that suited these spirited boys. Stratton sat down with the researchers as they launched their remotely operated underwater vehicle into the vessel. Thomas Sullivan, a first generation American, was a train conductor while his wife, Alleta, was a homemaker. Katheriine with her son, James Thomas Jim, then 22 months old. Indeed, the story of the Sullivans is one worth sharing and preserving. Mere-Eglise with the rest of the 505th as part of Mission Boston. Though the movie Saving Private Ryan depicts an epic odyssey of urban warfare in search of a missing James Ryan, the real-life Niland was found with relative ease. Pope Pius XII sent a silver religious medal and rosary with his message of regret. The five brothers, the sons of Thomas (1883-1965) and Alleta Sullivan (1895-1972) of Waterloo, Iowa, were, George . Screenshot from YouTube/Naval History & Heritage Command. On Nov. 13 1942 Waterloo's five Sullivan brothers George Francis Joseph Madison and Albert died aboard the USS Juneau when the ship was torpedoed and sunk off Guadalcanal during World War II. Not so fast. SULLIVAN, George Thomas, Gunner's Mate Second Class, V-6, USNR Fritz was unaware of the fate of his brothers. The Sullivan brothers, Joe, Frank, Al, Matt and George, are pictured above aboard the light cruiser USS Juneau. A native Arlington, The USS Juneau was hit by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Guadalcanal November, 13 1942. The Sullivan Brothers sacrifice reminds us all to support our country, honor our veterans, learn from our past and always keep our chins up.They all five got a memorial grave stone. Researchers aboard Paul G. Allen's R/V Petrel have discovered the World War II shipwreck USS Juneau, known for five brothers who were among its many fallen s. The guided-missile destroyer was commissioned at the same pier April 19, 1997. We, who remain to carry on the fight, must maintain the spirit in the knowledge that such sacrifice is not in vain. When a strong German counter-attack came from the south, Robert Niland and the rest of D Companys 3rd platoon were left to guard the northern approaches to the town in a small village called Neuville. Remembering Iowa's five Sullivan brothers, who died together in 1942 aboard the USS Juneau. Arlington County, 10-15-1937 Transferred to the USS Hovey for duty. A native. Photo courtesy of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. Bob Neymeyer is an historian at the Grout Museum, which runs the Sullivan Brothers' Iowa Veterans Museum in Waterloo. Today's Hours: 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM Contact Dealer . He wore a mustache and a large black hat." 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