Page A12 November 2022 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A “DUNCAN STUART TODD KNEWWHAT WE NEEDED.THEY MADE IT SIMPLE IN HAVINGTHE TOTAL PACKAGE.” -THEWOOD MORTUARY PREPARATION ROOM Design + Equipment 720 - 583 - 1 886 info@duncanstuarttodd.com www.duncanstuarttodd.com SINCE 1991 know that the entire nation shares in your sorrow. I offer you the condolences and gratitude of our country. We who remain to carry on the fight must maintain spirit, in the knowledge that such sacrifice is not in vain.” Another family of brothers, the four Roger brothers, also attended the commissioning of the USS Juneau with the Sullivans. Two of the brothers, Joseph and Jimmy Rogers joined the Juneau and also perished in its sinking. Two ships were christened in honor of the Sullivans, USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). The Sullivans were also awarded posthumous Purple Hearts. Tom and Alleta Sullivan dealt with their grief by touring war producing plants and were active war bond sellers. In February 1944, Alleta wrote an article in The American magazine with advice for mothers who lost sons in the war. Both the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center and the Sullivan BrothersIowa Veterans Museum were named for their sons, along with a street and a public park. The surviving Sullivan child, Genevieve, enlisted in the WAVES. She became a recruiter and made her brothers’ favorite cookies, chocolate walnut drop, as a public tribute to them. The Naval Bureau had released a policy in July 1942, before the Sullivans perished: “The Bureau considers that it is to the individual family interest that brothers not be put on the same ship in war time, as the loss of such a ship may result in the loss of two or more members of the family, which might be avoided if brothers are separated.” After their loss, it was enforced. A movie, The Fighting Sullivans, was made in 1944 by 20th Century Fox to tell their story. The remains of the Juneau were discovered on March 17, 2018, by Microsoft’s Paul Allen’s research group. The five brothers have memorial markers at Arlington National Cemetery. There is no other family that suffered such a loss to a war effort. We are indebted to the ultimate sacrifice by George Thomas Sullivan, 27, Francis Henry “Frank” Sullivan, 26, Joseph Eugene “Red” Sullivan 24, Madison Abel “Matt” Sullivan, 23 and Albert Leo “Al” Sullivan, 20. “All we can do now is hope. Maybe they’ll show up somewhere, someday soon. But if they are gone, it will be some comfort to know they went together, as they wanted, and gave their lives for their country and victory.” –Alleta Sullivan, mother of the five Sullivan brothers Observations “When we go in, we want to go together. If the worst comes to the worst, why we will all go down together.” –the late George Sullivan December 7, 1941, was a devastating day for the country when Japanese forces attacked the Naval base at Pearl Harbor. Many families were glued to their radio to hear the horrifying details from Hawaii. Five brothers, sons of Thomas and Alleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, were listening intently as the news told them we were at war. George reminded his brothers of what they had said about serving together if there was war. Brothers George and Francis had already had four years of service in the Navy. The other three brothers, Joseph, Madison, and Albert readily agreed to join. They told the recruiting officers that they insisted on serving together. It was against regulations, but it was overlooked after the Sullivans wrote to the Department of the Navy. Tom and Alleta Sullivan agreed to their sons’ request, with obvious fear. They respected their call to service in the defense of our country against the forces that threatened it. The Sullivan brothers were assigned to the USS Juneau, a brand-new anti-aircraft cruiser. The brothers attended its christening at the Brooklyn Naval Yard on February 14, 1942. The Juneau (CL-52) was 541 feet in length and 6,000 tons, carrying 26 officers and 597 sailors. It was known to be a fast ship, carrying 16 five-inch anti-aircraft guns, 16 1.1-inch (28 mm) anti-aircraft guns, eight 20mm anti-aircraft guns and eight torpedo tubes. The Juneau fought in the battle of Santa Cruz in the Solomon Islands, against Japanese ships heading to Guadalcanal. They escorted other allied ships to Guadalcanal, where they also saw action. The Juneau and other ships shot down 20 Japanese aircraft on October 26. On October 27, another 18 Japanese aircraft were shot down. On November 8, a Japanese fleet was approaching, and the Juneau was in the opposing American convoy. Japanese ships were ferociously attacking and crippled the Atlanta and the San Francisco, killing two admirals. On November 12, the convoy of ships was attacked by 30 Japanese aircraft, and all but one was shot down. In the early hours of November 13, the Juneau was hit by a torpedo in the port side, damaged but still afloat, it was followBy Steven Palmer ing the crippled San Francisco. Later that day, the Japanese submarine I-26 fired a torpedo at either the San Francisco or the Juneau, hitting the Juneau in the same spot and doing massive damage. It is believed the boilers were hit, ammunition exploded, and a fiveinch turret exploded into the air. The ship broke in two and sank within 20 seconds. Though a B-17 spotted 100-200 possible survivors, the other ships in the convoy continued on and no rescue was sent for eight days. By that time only ten crew members had survived. The Sullivan brothers were not among them. Of the five Sullivans, only George made it to a life raft, but even he did not survive long enough to be rescued. Several versions of his death were told. The most consistent was that he drank seawater, became delirious, fell from the raft, and was consumed by the sharks after four or five days. Meanwhile, in Waterloo, Tom and Alleta Sullivan had not heard anything from their sons in months, but Alleta had heard stories that her sons had been killed – one from a Juneau survivor. In January 1943, Alleta wrote to the Bureau of Naval Personnel: “I am writing you in regard to a rumor going around that my five sons were killed in action in November. A mother from here came and told me she got a letter from her son, and he heard my five sons were killed. “It is all over town now, and I am so worried…The last I heard from them was Nov. 8th… “If it is so, please let me know the truth. I am to christen the U.S.S. TAWASA, Feb. 12th, at Portland, Oregon. If anything has happened to my five sons, I will still christen the ship as it was their wish that I do so. I hated to bother you, but it has worried me so that I wanted to know if it was true. So please tell me. It was hard to give five sons all at once to the Navy, but I am proud of my boys that they can serve and help protect their country.” On January 12, 1943, Tom Sullivan was getting ready for work when a car pulled up with a lieutenant commander, a doctor, and a petty officer. The officials were sent to tell Tom and Alleta Sullivan personally that they had endured the biggest loss for a family in World War II. Also at home were Katherine Sullivan, wife of the only married son, Albert, and their 22-month-old son, as well as the sixth Sullivan child, their sister Genevieve. President Franklin Roosevelt answered Alleta’s letter personally, the day after the notification was delivered: “The knowledge that your five gallant sons are missing in action against the enemy inspires me to write you this personal message. I realize full well there is little I can say to assuage your grief. “As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I want you to “We Stick Together” WWII’s Greatest Sacrifice Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. He has been licensed on both coasts, he owned theWestcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains active in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral service issues. Hemay be reachedbymail at POBox 352, Cottonwood, AZ 86326, by phone at (928)634-9566, by fax at (928)634-5156, by e-mail at steve@westcottfuneralhome.comor throughhiswebsite at www.westcottfuneralhome.com or on Facebook. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columnsonline at NACG to Hold Symposium in June Life Forest® to Provide Suicide Prevention Resources to Families LUBBOCK,TX—The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) will present the 26th National Symposium on Children’s Grief on June 14 – 16, 2023, in Pittsburgh, PA. The NACG Symposium is the longest-running and most comprehensive Childhood Bereavement Symposium offered in the United States. The Symposium offers a diverse and broad representation throughout the sessions. Innovative ideas and practices that help to support attendees cover topics ranging from marketing and fundraising to grief counseling, to accessing grants, working with teens and supporting a community after mass violence. Since 2004, the NACG has powered up childhood bereavement professionals through support, education, and connection. With over 1,700 members, they are changing communities of support for children who are grieving across the United States. No child should have to grieve alone. The NACG is the only professional membership organization specifically addressing issues about childhood bereavement. Learn more at www.nacg.org. HILLSBOROUGH,NH— Life Forest is proud to announce their first event to benefit NAMI NH’s Connect Suicide Prevention Program was held on October 7th. The community gathered in the dark at Life Forest’sMidnightMarket featuring over 20 Artisan vendors to help illuminate the importance of Suicide Prevention. Attendees were provided with information and resources and had the opportunity to donate to NAMI NH’s Connect Suicide Prevention Program. The Connect Program, developed by NAMI NH, trains professionals and community members to prevent and respond effectively to suicide across the lifespan. Life Forest is a conservation burial ground located amongst a natural forest where trees are planted to memorialize loved ones and allows burial with pets. The burial ground is surrounded by 80 acres of conservation land where families and friends of loved ones can hike numerous trails and swim in nearby creeks. Life Forest fosters a community of healing, hosting free acoustical concerts, shared memorial gardens, and educational opportunities for those in the environmental science and deathcare industries. Because the trees act as burial monuments, the memorial trees are protected under cemetery law and legally recorded with burial plot GPS data to the Life Forest Deed. FormoreinformationonThe Connect Program visit www. theconnectprogram.org. To learn more about Life Forest visit www.thelifeforest.com. Like @Nomis.Publications Like us on www.vischerfuneralsupplies.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzg4MQ==