All naval ship's names have a history but for the USS The Sullivans it's all about family.Today our nation honors those who have served. Like those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. And no family has sacrificed more than the Sullivans.
Five brothers ... Francis, Albert, Madison, George and Joseph Sullivan all hailed from Waterloo, Iowa, and they were all stationed on the USS Juneau during World War II.
"While they were on the Juneau, the Juneau was attacked by a submarine. And it went down. Four brothers died instantly that evening," Lt. Eric Rolfs, USS The Sullivans Operations Officer, said.
The fifth died shortly after from his injuries.
"Five brothers, all in one family were gone."
The ship is filled with tokens of that fateful mission.
"When we get up in the morning, you're surrounded by the namesake and by everything that they gave."
Just like the brothers who died, the sailors of the USS The Sullivans motto is, "we stick together."
"Anything we do we try to stick together and that serves as a bond between all the shipmates on board here."
All five brothers received a purple heart posthumously.
