The Sullivans (1944)
Cast: Five brother played by Edward Ryan, John Campbell, James Cardwell, John Alvin and George Offerman, Jr. Others in the cast: Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, Ward Bond, Bobby Driscoll, Addison Richards.
Director: Lloyd Bacon.
I saw this film on television when I was just a kid and thought it was just wonderful. The story is fictionalized but the basic facts are true.
Historical Background:
The Sullivans were five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa who went into the US Navy and served on the same vessel, the USS Juneau commanded by Captain Swensen. The Juneau served at the battles for Guadalcanal.
September 5, 1942 -- the carrier Wasp was struck and sinking. The Juneau rushes to the carrier's aide, taking on many of the survivors.
Concerned about casualties, the US Navy issues a directive advising family members in the same units to split up rather than risk losing all the family members in battle. The four Rogers brothers split up. The Sullivans intended to split up, but when they got back to port.
Japanese Admiral Yamamoto calls for a night action against the US Navy. US Admiral Halsey throws everything he has into the battle.
November 13 -- in Iron Bottom Sound, the US fleet is taken by surprise. Fighting is at point black range. Ten minutes into the battle the Juneau is hit by a torpedo, buckling the deck and knocking out power. There were nineteen dead and many injured, including George Sullivan. His brothers were below deck. The USS Juneau withdraws to the open sea.
In the battle, the Japanese sank seven American ships, the Americans sank five Japanese ships. Strategically, the Americans prevailed, preventing further Japanese action against the now American airfield on Guadalcanal.
George Sullivan returns to his work station. The ship was in bad shape and could have been sunk even by rough water. Five warships of the original thirteen reunite and head for port on the island of Espiritu Santo.
A Japanese torpedo from the I-26 submarine destroys the Juneau. (The submarine had previously sunk the carrier Wasp.) The torpedo smashes into the area where the munitions were stored. It catapults many of the men into the water. Sailor Holmgren was one of the survivors. There were only three rafts of men left. Some 600 officers and crew went down with the ship.
The commander of the group of vessels was Gilbert C. Hoover. He thinks that no one could have survived. Does he stay or tow the vessels to safety; he decides to leave the Juneau.
The survivors were shocked. They wondered why no one came to their aide. A B-17 bomber flies over. Send a blinker message to the bomber. But the airman can't call for help.
Four hours later the ships arrive at Espiritu Santo. They tell the intelligence service about the men still out at sea. But they take no action on the message because it was set aside in the confusion of two more battles having been fought at sea.
George Sullivan is on the raft. He searches for his brothers continually calling out for them. But they all went down with the Juneau.
There were 60 survivors on the three rafts and they were quickly dying. Admiral Halsey on Caledonia receives word about the survivors. He was furious and sent a ship to search for them but they could not find the men. He reassigns the negligent intelligence officer. He relives Hoover of his command. He says Hoover should have transmitted word more quickly. There was no need not to break radio silence because the Japanese already knew there were ships in the area. Officially the case is closed.
George succumbs to exposure and delirium. He said he was going to take a bath and dove into the water. He dies from a shark attack.
After six to eight days in the water the remaining survivors are finally rescued, but only ten remain alive.
January 1943 -- the Sullivan family learns from a neighbor of a rumor spreading around town that the boys were dead. She writes to the Navy asking if the rumor is true. The Navy only says the boys are missing in action and says nothing about the sinking of the Juneau, probably because of the still ongoing battle for Guadalcanal.
The first reliable information comes from a Juneau survivor in a letter to the family. The US Navy later confirms the death of the five brothers. President Roosevelt writes a letter to the Sullivan family sending condolences for the loss of theie sons.
The mother tells the nation's mothers "to keep your chin up." The Sullivans go on a national tour helping to sell war bonds. They christen a destroyer renamed "the Sullivans."
Family members are not prohibited, but are discouraged, from serving in the same military units.
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