Naval Today said:
The guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) departed Naval Station Norfolk Sept. 21 to participate in Exercise Joint Warrior off the coast of Scotland.
Besides The Sullivans, other U.S. Navy units participating in the exercise include the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), the fleet replenishment oiler USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12), and U.S. maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 11.
Also participating are maritime, land and air units from nine countries including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Exercise Joint Warrior, course-designed and led by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS) in the United Kingdom, is intended to improve interoperability between allied and partner navies and prepares participants for a role in a joint maritime environment during deployments.
As one of the largest concentrations of allied and partner forces in one integrated training event, Joint Warrior addresses the full spectrum of maritime and joint warfare mission areas.
The Sullivans is named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers, who were killed when the ship they were assigned to, USS Juneau (CL-52), was sunk on November 13, 1942 and is homeported in Mayport, Florida.
The history associated with this name is important to the US Navy.
On January 3, 1942, less than a month after Pearl Harbor, the five Sullivan brothers (George, 27, Frank, 25, Joe, 23, Matt, 22, and Al, 19) enlisted in the US Navy with a stipulation that they be allowed to serve together. The Navy had a policy at the time separating siblings, but in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor it was waived for these brothers. They were all assigned to the light cruiser, USS Juneau (CL-52).
On November 13, 1942, ten months later, during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, the Juneau was struck by a torpedo and had to withdraw. Later that same day, it was struck again by a torpedo from another Japanese submarine. The ship quickly sank and rescue efforts were cut short because of fears of the overwhelming Japanese presence in the area. The US Navy was forced to withdraw leaving hundreds of men still in the water..
Three of the brothers were killed in the attack. A fourth brother, Al, drowned in the water that first day. the fifth (and last) brother, George, drowned in the water after four or five days at sea. Eight days after the attack, only ten survivors of the USS Juneau were found alive.
In April 1943, six months after their death, a brand new Fletcher class destroyer was launched and christened USS Sullivans, DD-537. She was not struck from US Navy service until 1974, when she became a Museum Ship, which you can visit to this day in Buffalo, New York
Twenty-one years later, a brand new AEGIS Destroyer was launched, she was Christened the USS The Sullivans, DDG-68. She serves to this day and is the ship mentioned above.
Of the 73 years since the Sullivan brothers died, for 52 of those years, there has been a USS The Sullivans. I expect this tradition will go on long after my own life time. It is one of those worthy traditions, like the USS Enterprise, or the USS Constitution, which will live on through the years.
