Joseph Eugene Sullivan 1918-1942

Sullivan, Joseph Eugene S2 was born on August 28, 1918 and died November 13, 1942
American Military Figure. Son of Thomas and Aleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, he was serving as a Seaman Second Class, United States Naval Reserve, on board the USS Juneau when it was sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Also serving on the Juneau and also lost in the sinking were his four brothers Frank, George, Leo and Matt. They are buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (ABMC) in Manila, Philippines. There is no know grave, names is listed on the Tablets of the Missing.

Francis Henry "Frank" Sullivan 1916-1942

Sullivan, Francis Henry “Frank” A Coxswain, was born on February 18, 1916 and died on November 13, 1942
American Military Figure. Son of Thomas and Aleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, he was serving as a Coxswain, United States Naval Reserve, on board the USS Juneau when it was sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Also serving on the Juneau and also lost in the sinking were his four brothers Joseph, George, Leo and Matt. They are buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (ABMC) in Manila, Philippines. There is no know grave, names is listed on the Tablets of the Missing.

George Thomas Sullivan 1914-1942

 

Sullivan, George Thomas, GM2 was born on December 14, 1914 and died on November 13, 1942
American Military Figure. Son of Thomas and Aleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, he was serving as a Gunner's Mate Second Class, United States Naval Reserve, on board the USS Juneau when it was sunk during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Also serving on the Juneau and also lost in the sinking were his four brothers Frank, Joseph Leo and Matt. They are buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (ABMC) in Manila, Philippines. There is no know grave, names is listed on the Tablets of the Missing.

Five Brothers Who Died Together on November 13, 1942

This is such a sad story. My Uncle William Marsh who died in World War II, is buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Manila Philippines. I recently learned about cluster genealogy and decided to see if I could find any of William's military buddies that died in 1945. I did not find any of his friends, but I did find these five brothers who all died on November 13, 1942.

At first the Navy Department did not release any information on the loss of the Juneau or any of the other ships lost at Guadalcanal for security reasons, but when mail from all five brothers stopped arriving at the family home in Iowa, their parents began making inquiries. Finally, on January 12, 1943, a team from the Navy Department consisting of a doctor, a Lieutenant Commander, and a Chief Petty Officer officially notified Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. The Lieutenant Commander is reported to have said to Mr. Sullivan, "I have some news for you about your boys." Mr. Sullivan said, "Which one?" The officer said, "I'm sorry -- all five."

The story of "The Fighting Sullivan Brothers" became a national cause -- President Roosevelt and Pope Pius XII sent personal letters of condolence, the Iowa State House and Senate adopted formal resolutions honoring the brothers, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan made a number of appearances at war bond rallies and other speaking engagements in support of the war effort, a Fletcher-class destroyer was named USS The Sullivan’s (DD-537), and in 1944 a Hollywood film, The Sullivan’s, was made about their story, featuring Thomas Mitchell as Mr. Sullivan. Even though it was official Navy policy that brothers not serve aboard the same ship, the policy was often ignored; after the sinking of the Juneau the War Department adopted a stricter "Sole Survivor" policy.

NARA Publications and Other Items for Genealogy Research

1. There are several National Archives publications that researchers should examine before using some of the records described herein.  These are: Using Records in the National Archives for Genealogical Research (General Information Leaflet [GIL] No. 5, 1990); Military Service Records in the National Archives of the United States (GIL No. 7, 1985); Information About the National Archives for Prospective Researchers (GIL No. 30, 1990); and Genealogical Records in the National Archives (rev. 1985). Many of the microfilm publications are available in the Regional Archives System throughout the United States. To identify the facility nearest you, see the list in the back of Prologue or refer to The Regional Archives System of the National Archives (GIL No. 22, 1991). Titles of microfilm publications containing relevant War of 1812 - era indexes and records can be found in National Archives Microfilm Resources for Research: A Comprehensive Catalog (1990) and, more specifically, Genealogical and Biographical Research: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications (1983) and Military Service Records: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications (1985).

2. A good genealogical overview of the period is George K. Schweitzer, War of 1812 Genealogy (1988). Recent historical works relating to the war in general are John K. Mahon, The War of 1812 (1972); J.C.A. Stagg, Mr. Madison's War: Politics, Diplomacy, and Warfare in the Early Republic, 1783 - 1830 (1983); and Donald R. Hickey, The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (1989). In addition, many states have published rosters of their troops called to duty during the War of 1812. Many of these volumes are out of print, but they can be consulted in the appropriate state archives. The National Archives has some of these publications, but the best source is probably the Local History and Genealogy Room of the Library of Congress.

3. See Laws of the United States Governing the Granting of Army and Navy Pensions (1923).

4. Copies of compiled military service records can be obtained through the mail by completing NATF Form 86. Copies of pensions and bounty land warrant application files can be obtained using NATF Form 85.  Each record must be requested on a separate form. Forms and information about other records can be obtained by contacting Old Military and Civil Records (NWCTB), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.

5.  Related State Department records are on "War of 1812 Papers" in the Department of State, 1789 - 1815 (M588, 7 rolls).

NARA - Other Naval Records from the War of 1812

Record Group 45 also contains a large series of records relating to naval and other American prisoners of war captured and incarcerated by the British in England, Nova Scotia, or on cartel POW ships. The lists show the names, dates of capture, ship from which taken, and the location of the prisoner (Subject File, 1775 - 1910, series RA). Additional records relating to POWs are the registers of U.S. prisoners in Halifax, Barbados, and Jamaica, which consist of three volumes listing name, date, and place of capture; and a register of U.S. prisoners of war at Quebec that shows name, ship from which taken, place of birth, and date of discharge. An interesting series of records (Subject File, RN) shows the names of British aliens or other noncitizens reporting to U.S. marshals under federal law. These are apparently copies that were sent to the State Department and include such information as name of alien, residence, names of wife and children, place of birth, age, and occupation. Two other series of records in Record Group 45, a register of aliens in New York (1813) and a register of suspected aliens along the Atlantic Coast (1813), supplement the larger series. Records of the Judge Advocate General (Navy) (Record Group 125) may provide sources of information concerning naval or Marine Corps personnel summoned before courts of inquiry or other disciplinary courts-martial for this period. Name indexes as well as the proceedings of such courts can be found on Records of General Courts-Martial and Courts of Inquiry of the Navy Department, 1799 - 1867 (M273, 198 rolls).

NARA - Naval and Marine Corps Records War of 1812

Records of naval officers' service are more numerous than those for enlisted personnel. The names of naval officers are printed in a useful work by R. W. Callahan, List of Officers of the Navy of the U.S. and the Marine Corps From 1775 to 1900 (1901). The basic National Archives record showing naval and Marine Corps officer service in the War of 1812 can be found in Abstracts Of Service Records of Naval Officers ("Records of Officers"), 1798 - 1893 (M330, 19 rolls, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group 24). Of the fifteen volumes filmed in this series, volumes D and E show officers' records of service for the War of 1812. The entries are arranged chronologically and indicate the dates of acceptance, resignation, appointment, assignment, transfer, promotion, and ships on which the officer served. Other records containing additional information about navy and Marine Corps officers can be found in Records of the Naval Records Collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library (Record Group 45). There are several series of records for the War of 1812 period that show letters of resignation (three volumes), letters indicating receipt of commissions and enclosing oaths of allegiance "acceptances" (five volumes), and letters from midshipmen accepting commissions and enclosing oaths of allegiance (one volume). There are no such compiled summaries to show service for naval enlisted men for this period. If the ship on which a seaman served is known, the muster and payrolls for that vessel can be examined to determine the dates of enlistment and service. If the ship is not known, then the research becomes laborious because the muster and payrolls of all ships operating at that time must be searched, and the names on the rolls are not necessarily arranged alphabetically. The best sources, however, for ascertaining naval service are the pension and bounty land application files. If a seaman applied for one of these benefits, the ship's name and dates of service will be indicated on the application, making the search for pertinent muster rolls less time-consuming.

Records of the U.S. Marine Corps (Record Group 127) include comprehensive card indexes listing all officers and enlisted men who served before 1900. The information is slim, but they do show the dates of appointment and enlistment. There are, however, service records for enlisted Marine Corps personnel for the period 1798 - 1895. These papers are arranged by year of enlistment, there under by initial letter of surname, and consist of enlistment and other papers that might establish date of service, age, place of birth, and occupation. The size rolls (similar to muster rolls) for the period 1798 - 1906 supply much the same information as the army enlistment registers, but one must know the approximate date of service to use them. The record group also contains card indexes showing names of Marine Corps casualties for the War of 1812 period.