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To this day the United States Navy does not allow siblings on the same ship. It's not a written rule but the practice has been followed since the sinking of USS Juneau. This was not an isolated incident either, The American Bergstrom brothers LeRoy, Clyde, Rolon, and Rulan were all killed in 1944. The American Rogers brothers Edward, Jack and Charles were killed on the battleship USS New Orleans during the Battle of Tassaforonga. And it even happened in Germany, the three Von Blücher brothers, Wolfgang, Leberecht, and Hans-Joachim, all from the Fallschrimjäger, were killed within a few hours at the Battle of Crete.
I served on a ship with two brothers
This comment caused me to due some digging, and during peacetime I guess siblings can serve together. Didn't know this, but I suppose it makes sense.
It does make sense. But also - if my brother and I were serving. I would want to be close to him.
There's close and then there's navy bunk close.
What a damn tragedy for the family and the nation.
The band Caroline Spine has a tune about their story.
Came here to post this. It was how I learned about the brothers.
Same here. In 1999, my teenage mind was blown away that a story like that could be told in a rock song.
“The Sullivan Act”
May Their Soul Find Eternal Peace
Every time this picture or another one like it gets posted a lot of the mythology about the Navy regulations appears as well. It's actually much more complicated than "and then the navy made a rule..."
https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/disasters-and-phenomena/the-sullivan-brothers-and-the-assignment-of-family-members/sullivan-brothers-policy-family-members.html
Most relevant for accuracy:
"Reference to a 'Sullivan Act' in connection with family members serving in the same ship/unit is a popular misconception. The Sullivan Law of 29 May 1911 is a New York State Law dealing with firearms. Although proposed after the death of the five Sullivan Brothers, no 'Sullivan Act' was ever enacted by Congress related to family members serving together. Similarly, no President has ever issued any executive order forbidding assignment of family members to the same ship/unit."
Brings Saving Private Ryan to mind, and the myth that only sons can't be drafted.
Good movie, too. “The Sullivans”
And in their honor, the U.S. Navy has named not one, but two ships after them:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_The_Sullivans_(DD-537)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_The_Sullivans_(DDG-68)
đź’”
What I see is possibly a Navy “personal piece” for wartime props…. Sadly, not the outcome anyone wanted