The Sullivan Brothers: Transcripts of service
In the aftermath of Juneau's loss, the Navy notified Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, that all five of their sons were missing in action. Two of the brothers had served previous four-year enlistments in the Navy and so, when all five brothers enlisted together on 3 January 1942, the Navy was the obvious choice. They had also insisted on serving together on the same ship. Although the accepted Navy policy was to separate family members, the brothers had persisted and their request was approved.
It was later learned, through survivors' accounts, that four of the brothers died in the initial explosion. 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.
The brothers received the Purple Heart Medal posthumously and were entitled to the American Defense Service Medal, Fleet Clasp; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four engagement stars and the World War II Victory Medal. They had also earned the Good Conduct Medal.
They were survived by their parents, Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan and Mrs. Alleta Sullivan, a sister, Genevieve Sullivan, and by Albert Leo Sullivan's wife, Katherine Mary Sullivan. Their son, James Thomas, was twenty-two months old at the time of his father's death.
The service record transcripts for the five Sullivan brothers, as written on 16 January 1943 by the Bureau of Naval Personnel follow below.
(1) Albert Leo Sullivan
(2) Francis Henry Sullivan
(3) George Thomas Sullivan
(4) Joseph Eugene Sullivan
(5) Madison Abel Sullivan
Sullivan, Albert Leo, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR; Transcript of service
| 1- 3-1942 | Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa |
| 1- 3-1942 | Transferred to the Naval Training Station. Great Lakes, Illinois. |
| 2- 3-1942 | Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. |
| 5- 3-1942 | Rating changed to Seaman second class. |
| 11-14-1942 | Reported missing in action. |
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa
Date of birth: July 8, 1922
(2) Francis Henry Sullivan, Coxswain, V-6, USNR; Transcript of service.
| 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.. |
| 9-11-1937 | Rating changed to Seaman second class. |
| 9-15-1937 | Transferred to the USS Hovey. |
| 3-25-1938 | Transferred to the U.S. Naval Hospital, Navy Yard, Mare Island, California, for treatment |
| 4- 9-1938 | Transferred to the USS Hovey. |
| 2-16-1939 | Rating changed to Seaman first class. |
| 3-18-1939 | Transferred to the USS Melville for temporary duty involving medical treatment. |
| 4-22-1939 | Transferred to the USS Hovey. |
| 5-13-1941 | Transferred to the USS Dunlap for transportation to the West Coast and further transfer to the Receiving Ship on that coast for discharge. |
| 5-20-1941 | Received at the Receiving Station, San Diego, California. |
| 5-27-1941 | Issued an honorable discharge by reason of expiration of enlistment. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Coxswain to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Transferred to the Naval Training Station. Great Lakes, Illinois. |
| 2- 3-1942 | Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in the USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. |
| 11-14-1942 | Reported missing in action. |
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa
Date of birth: February 18, 1916
SULLIVAN, George Thomas, Gunner's Mate Second Class, V-6, USNR
Transcript of service.
| 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. |
| 9-11-1937 | Rating changed to Seaman second class. |
| 9-15-1937 | Transferred to the USS Hovey. |
| 10-11-1937 | Transferred to the USS Melville for treatment. |
| 10-15-1937 | Transferred to the USS Hovey for duty. |
| 10-16-1939 | Rating changed to Seaman first class. |
| 2-16-1941 | Rating changed to Gunner's Mate third class. |
| 4-22-1941 | Transferred to the USS Santee for transportation to the West Coast and further transfer to the Receiving Ship, San Diego, California, for discharge. |
| 4-30-1941 | Received at the Receiving Ship, San Diego, California. |
| 5-16-1941 | Issued an honorable discharge by reason of expiration of enlistment. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Gunner's Mate second class to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Transferred to the Naval Training Station. Great Lakes, Illinois. |
| 2- 3-1942 | Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in the USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. |
| 11-14-1942 | Reported missing in action. |
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa
Date of birth: December 14, 1914
(4) SULLIVAN, Joseph Eugene, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR
Transcript of service.
| 1- 3-1942 | Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Transferred to the Naval Training Station. Great Lakes, Illinois. |
| 2- 3-1942 | Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in the USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. |
| 5- 3-1942 | Rating changed to Seaman second class. |
| 11-14-1942 | Reported missing in action. |
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa
Date of birth: August 28, 1918
(5) SULLIVAN, Madison Abel, Seaman Second Class, V-6, USNR
Transcript of service.
| 1- 3-1942 | Enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Class V-6, as Apprentice Seaman to serve for two (2) years at the Naval Recruiting Station, Des Moines, Iowa. |
| 1- 3-1942 | Transferred to the Naval Training Station. Great Lakes, Illinois. |
| 2- 3-1942 | Transferred to the receiving ship, New York, for duty in the USS Juneau detail and on board when commissioned. |
| 5- 3-1942 | Rating changed to Seaman second class. |
| 11-14-1942 | Reported missing in action |
Place of birth: Waterloo, Iowa
Date of birth: November 8, 1919
15 August 2000