![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/d\/db\/Sullivanbrothers.jpg\")
During the Battle of Guadalcanal on the 13th<\/sup> of November 1942, the USS Juneau was sunk by Japanese submarine I-26. 687 sailors died during the sinking of the Juneau and only 10 survived. A group of the men that died were the 5 Sullivan brothers. They enlisted intending to serve together. They were brothers that formed a stronger force together than separate and wanted to provide that force to the U.S. military. The loss of the Sullivan brothers became the biggest loss that one family had ever seen. After hearing of the sinking of the USS Juneau, President Franklin D. Roosevelt immediately changed the next Fletcher-class ship to be produced to be named The Sullivans in honor of the Brothers. This was the first ship ever to be named after more than one person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During the launch of the USS The Sullivans (DD-537) on April 4th<\/sup>, 1943 it was christened by Alleta Sullivans, the brother\u2019s mother. After sea trials the USS The Sullivans entered the United States military service when it was commissioned on the 10th<\/sup> of September 1943. After being commissioned the new destroyer went right into service in the Pacific theatre of WW2. It was assigned to Destroyer Squadron 52 with 8 other 2,100-ton Fletcher class destroyers and attached to task group 58.2. The destroyers\u2019 job was to screen for the third and fifth fleets’ fast carriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sullivans had an important part in World War 2, taking part in intense combat, rescuing downed aviators, and earning nine battle stars for her service. The first task for the USS Sullivans once joined with task group 58.2 in the Marshall Islands was to screen for Essex (CV-9), Intrepid (CV-11), and Cabot (CVL-22) as they performed areal strikes on Roi for two days. To screen the destroyer was sent as a picket in front of the fleet, as a line of defense from an enemy attack before they reach the rest of the fleet. After the aerial attack on Roi and Numar islands, the U.S. Navy supported its troops landing and fighting during the Battle of Kwajalein. After refueling and resupplying, the task group soon moved on to a Japanese base in Truk. Once again, the Destroyer Squadron screened for the carriers whose planes launched an attack. The ships again didn\u2019t receive any initial direct threat due to the shear surprise of the attack. The commander for the USS The Sullivans wrote, \u201cNo enemy opposition of any kind was encountered.\u201d Although no initial threat was present against Truk, Japanese bombers soon appear out of the sky. During the counterattack, carrier USS Intrepid was struck by a torpedo. The USS The Sullivans was soon right by her side along with two other destroyers. They were able to supply the damaged carrier with repair equipment and escort the carrier back to port. The overall attack on Truk was seen as successful. The USS The Sullivans receiver her first battle star for her actions in the Marshall Islands operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Later in the war during the attack on Formosa, the Japanese performed a large aerial attack on the American task force. Due to evasive maneuvering the USS The Sullivans was able to evade all enemy threats while being able to shoot down 6 Japanese planes. The next day the USS Houston and USS Canberra were critically hit by \u201cBetty\u201d torpedo bombers. The Sullivans was then assigned to escort the damaged cruiser back to port to be repaired. During the journey back they encountered a determined Japanese areal force. Their goal was to finish off the damaged cruisers at any cost. Due to the numerous anti-aircraft weapons on the USS Sullivans, it was able to shoot down multiple enemy planes. After beating back the Japanese force, the USS Houston was in critical condition. The Sullivans rescued 118 USS Houston men and kept them on board until they were transferred to USS Boston. The USS Sullivans then transferred salvage gear to Houston and helped with the ship\u2019s many wounded. For this part in the battle as well as the rescue and salvage attempt the ship received its sixth battle star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nIWO Jima operation wasn\u2019t as harsh on the navy as it was for American soldiers attempting\nto take the island. The navy\u2019s main goal was to deflect any threats to the\nships and to bombard and raid the island. The Sullivans was sent to screen for\nthe carriers as they launched their planes to attack the island. The Sullivans\nwas also able to provide covering bombardment for the troops. Due to a\nsuccessful job protecting the fifth fleet raids against Honshu and the Nansei\nShoto during the IWO Jima operation, the USS The Sullivans received another battle\nstar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nUSS Sullivans was also present during the Invasion of Okinawa. Due to its class\nthe USS The Sullivans, once again, screened for the carriers as they launched\nair strikes. The destroyer got into a fierce fire fight with enemy forces when\nthey attacked the US Ships. After the USS Halsey Powell was hit by a Japanese\nplane, the USS Sullivans immediately approached it to provide support. While\ntransferring her medical officer and a pharmacist\u2019s mate to Halsey Powell<\/em>, another\nkamikaze came out of the sky. The Sullivans scrambled and opened fire to evade\na connection with the Japanese plane. After fighting off numerous planes, The\nSullivans was able to help Halsey Powell to safety and get repaired. The ship\nrendezvoused off Okinawa and guarded the carriers supporting the landings on\nthe island. While operating on radar picket duty on the 15th, the ship came\nunder enemy air attack, but downed one plane and emerged unscathed. The\nAmerican ship\u2019s anti- aircraft guns were constantly firing at the Japanese planes.\nThe Japanese launch everything they had in a last-ditch effort to destroy\nanything they could from landing ships to carriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With\nthe return of peace, the navy necessity for a large navy was reduced and many\nwarships, including the USS The Sullivans, were mothballed and decommissioned. The\nSullivans remained dock in the San Diego port until the beginning of the Korean\nwar. In 1951 she was recommissioned and went back into service. She joined the\n77th<\/sup> task force which was an aircraft carrier strike force. The\ndestroyer once again fulfilled the necessary role of screening for the vital\ncarriers. The Destroyer was also tasked with bombarding the coast and\ndestroying supply lines. The Sullivans\ndid an extraordinary job in destroying railroad cars, tracks, and other prime\nsources. The Ship received two more battle stars during its Korean War efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After\nreturning home after the Korean War, it wasn\u2019t decommissioned right away and\nsent to rot. Instead, the USS The Sullivans was kept in service and used to\npatrol the Atlantic Ocean. It stayed ready for anything that was thrown its\nway. During the deployment to the Caribbean the warship helped to rescue five\nof eleven survivors from a U.S. Air Force KC-97 Stratofreighter that crashed\ninto the ocean of the coast of Florida. The USS The Sullivans was also there to\nhelp rescue Commander Alan Shepard’s Mercury space capsule, Freedom 7. The\nFreedom 7 was the first human spacecraft to enter orbit and return safely. In 1962\nthe ship was sent to Guantanamo Bay to serve as a model destroyer. Sailors or\nstudents at the time could get hands on experience on a destroyer and learn the\nfundamentals of hoe its run. During the\nCuban Missile crisis, The Sullivans was right there to blockade Cuba from the\nSoviet Union. The Sullivans was also apart of the search for the nuclear\nsubmarine the USS Thrasher that was lost off the coast of Boston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The USS The Sullivans was decommissioned and mothballed again on January 7th<\/sup>, 1965. The ship sat at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for the next 12 years. Then in 1977, it was decided that the USS The Sullivans and USS Little Rock would be donated to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in Buffalo New York. These ships would be joined at the park by submarine USS Croaker in 1988. The USS The Sullivans now serves a different purpose than what it was designed for; to act as a memorial for those lost during the war and to preserve the history of that time. The ship is open for public tours where civilians are able to get a glimpse of what life was like on the USS The Sullivans. Every year there is a reunion for veterans that served on the ship, to gather and remember a different time as well as share stories with new friends. The motto of the ship, \u201cWe Stick Together,\u201d can still be seen as various veterans from different times can come together and share their memories. The U.S. navy ship was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Primary Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondary Source<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n The USS Sullivans was a long-range, large destroyer used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, and surface action. The Fletcher class including The Sullivans are regarded as the backbone of the navy and know to be the best destroyer in the…<\/p>\nCombat Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Post War Service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![Wikipedia<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCombat Action<\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe Sullivans had an important part in World War 2, taking part in intense combat, rescuing downed aviators, and earning nine battle stars for her service. The first task for the USS Sullivans once joined with task group 58.2 in the Marshall Islands was to screen for Essex (CV-9), Intrepid (CV-11), and Cabot (CVL-22) as they performed areal strikes on Roi for two days. To screen the destroyer was sent as a picket in front of the fleet, as a line of defense from an enemy attack before they reach the rest of the fleet. After the aerial attack on Roi and Numar islands, the U.S. Navy supported its troops landing and fighting during the Battle of Kwajalein. After refueling and resupplying, the task group soon moved on to a Japanese base in Truk. Once again, the Destroyer Squadron screened for the carriers whose planes launched an attack. The ships again didn\u2019t receive any initial direct threat due to the shear surprise of the attack. The commander for the USS The Sullivans wrote, \u201cNo enemy opposition of any kind was encountered.\u201d Although no initial threat was present against Truk, Japanese bombers soon appear out of the sky. During the counterattack, carrier USS Intrepid was struck by a torpedo. The USS The Sullivans was soon right by her side along with two other destroyers. They were able to supply the damaged carrier with repair equipment and escort the carrier back to port. The overall attack on Truk was seen as successful. The USS The Sullivans receiver her first battle star for her actions in the Marshall Islands operation. <\/p>\n\n\n\nLater in the war during the attack on Formosa, the Japanese performed a large aerial attack on the American task force. Due to evasive maneuvering the USS The Sullivans was able to evade all enemy threats while being able to shoot down 6 Japanese planes. The next day the USS Houston and USS Canberra were critically hit by \u201cBetty\u201d torpedo bombers. The Sullivans was then assigned to escort the damaged cruiser back to port to be repaired. During the journey back they encountered a determined Japanese areal force. Their goal was to finish off the damaged cruisers at any cost. Due to the numerous anti-aircraft weapons on the USS Sullivans, it was able to shoot down multiple enemy planes. After beating back the Japanese force, the USS Houston was in critical condition. The Sullivans rescued 118 USS Houston men and kept them on board until they were transferred to USS Boston. The USS Sullivans then transferred salvage gear to Houston and helped with the ship\u2019s many wounded. For this part in the battle as well as the rescue and salvage attempt the ship received its sixth battle star.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe\nIWO Jima operation wasn\u2019t as harsh on the navy as it was for American soldiers attempting\nto take the island. The navy\u2019s main goal was to deflect any threats to the\nships and to bombard and raid the island. The Sullivans was sent to screen for\nthe carriers as they launched their planes to attack the island. The Sullivans\nwas also able to provide covering bombardment for the troops. Due to a\nsuccessful job protecting the fifth fleet raids against Honshu and the Nansei\nShoto during the IWO Jima operation, the USS The Sullivans received another battle\nstar.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe\nUSS Sullivans was also present during the Invasion of Okinawa. Due to its class\nthe USS The Sullivans, once again, screened for the carriers as they launched\nair strikes. The destroyer got into a fierce fire fight with enemy forces when\nthey attacked the US Ships. After the USS Halsey Powell was hit by a Japanese\nplane, the USS Sullivans immediately approached it to provide support. While\ntransferring her medical officer and a pharmacist\u2019s mate to Halsey Powell<\/em>, another\nkamikaze came out of the sky. The Sullivans scrambled and opened fire to evade\na connection with the Japanese plane. After fighting off numerous planes, The\nSullivans was able to help Halsey Powell to safety and get repaired. The ship\nrendezvoused off Okinawa and guarded the carriers supporting the landings on\nthe island. While operating on radar picket duty on the 15th, the ship came\nunder enemy air attack, but downed one plane and emerged unscathed. The\nAmerican ship\u2019s anti- aircraft guns were constantly firing at the Japanese planes.\nThe Japanese launch everything they had in a last-ditch effort to destroy\nanything they could from landing ships to carriers. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWith\nthe return of peace, the navy necessity for a large navy was reduced and many\nwarships, including the USS The Sullivans, were mothballed and decommissioned. The\nSullivans remained dock in the San Diego port until the beginning of the Korean\nwar. In 1951 she was recommissioned and went back into service. She joined the\n77th<\/sup> task force which was an aircraft carrier strike force. The\ndestroyer once again fulfilled the necessary role of screening for the vital\ncarriers. The Destroyer was also tasked with bombarding the coast and\ndestroying supply lines. The Sullivans\ndid an extraordinary job in destroying railroad cars, tracks, and other prime\nsources. The Ship received two more battle stars during its Korean War efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPost War Service<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter\nreturning home after the Korean War, it wasn\u2019t decommissioned right away and\nsent to rot. Instead, the USS The Sullivans was kept in service and used to\npatrol the Atlantic Ocean. It stayed ready for anything that was thrown its\nway. During the deployment to the Caribbean the warship helped to rescue five\nof eleven survivors from a U.S. Air Force KC-97 Stratofreighter that crashed\ninto the ocean of the coast of Florida. The USS The Sullivans was also there to\nhelp rescue Commander Alan Shepard’s Mercury space capsule, Freedom 7. The\nFreedom 7 was the first human spacecraft to enter orbit and return safely. In 1962\nthe ship was sent to Guantanamo Bay to serve as a model destroyer. Sailors or\nstudents at the time could get hands on experience on a destroyer and learn the\nfundamentals of hoe its run. During the\nCuban Missile crisis, The Sullivans was right there to blockade Cuba from the\nSoviet Union. The Sullivans was also apart of the search for the nuclear\nsubmarine the USS Thrasher that was lost off the coast of Boston. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe USS The Sullivans was decommissioned and mothballed again on January 7th<\/sup>, 1965. The ship sat at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for the next 12 years. Then in 1977, it was decided that the USS The Sullivans and USS Little Rock would be donated to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in Buffalo New York. These ships would be joined at the park by submarine USS Croaker in 1988. The USS The Sullivans now serves a different purpose than what it was designed for; to act as a memorial for those lost during the war and to preserve the history of that time. The ship is open for public tours where civilians are able to get a glimpse of what life was like on the USS The Sullivans. Every year there is a reunion for veterans that served on the ship, to gather and remember a different time as well as share stories with new friends. The motto of the ship, \u201cWe Stick Together,\u201d can still be seen as various veterans from different times can come together and share their memories. The U.S. navy ship was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\nPrimary Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nNew York NHL The Sullivans<\/a>. (n.d.). National Archives Catalog<\/i>, 1984<\/li>San Francisco Maritime National Park Association “Standard organization book for (2100-ton destroyers)<\/a><\/em>.” (1943). <\/li>San Francisco Maritime National Park Association. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. (1943). Operating instructions for five inch 38 caliber gun crews<\/a><\/em>. Washington, D.C.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\nSecondary Source<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\nDestroyer History Foundation<\/em> \u201cFletcher-Class Destroyers in World War II.<\/a>\u201d Destroyer History Foundation<\/em>, Bolton Landing, NY, 2019<\/li>Friedman, Norman, U.S. Destroyers, an illustrated design history, 1982, United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, MD.<\/li>LCdr. Fred Edwards, Destroyer Type Desk, Bureau of Ships, 1942, quoted in Holland, Rear Admiral W. J., Jr., USN (Ret), ed.; The Navy, 2000, Naval Historical Foundation, Washington.<\/li>World of Warships Official Channel \u201cNaval Legends: USS The Sullivans | World of Warships.\u201d<\/a> YouTube<\/em>, YouTube May 20 2015<\/li>\u201cOf Men and Ships: The Loss of the Sullivans.\u201d Alabama Seaport<\/em>, Apr. 2003, pp. 24\u201329.<\/li>Pike, John. “DD-537 The Sullivans<\/a><\/em>“, Global Security. Military, 2016<\/li><\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The USS Sullivans was a long-range, large destroyer used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-aircraft warfare, and surface action. The Fletcher class including The Sullivans are regarded as the backbone of the navy and know to be the best destroyer in the…<\/p>\nContinue readingUSS The Sullivans (DD-537)<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":368,"featured_media":11766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[128,157,533,112],"class_list":["post-9511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-naval","tag-destroyer","tag-korean-war","tag-naval","tag-wwii","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/368"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9511"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9511\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11920,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9511\/revisions\/11920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11766"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ss.sites.mtu.edu\/mhugl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"http:\/\/www.navsource.org\/archives\/05\/pix2\/0553767.jpg\"){kind=link}