The ship
USS The Sullivans has been the name of two ships. The first
DD 537, and more recently
DDG 68.
The first question that comes to mind for many are "who are the Sullivans?" The Sullivans are 5 brothers - George, Francis, Madison, Joseph, and Albert who were on the USS Juneau (CL 52) during WWII. The Juneau was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the battle for Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. These five brothers along with the 700 other sailors died on the ship. President Roosevelt then named one of the new Fletcher class destroyers (the DD 537) to be named after the brothers. This tragedy also changed the U.S. Navy policy on family members serving together. (for anyone who wants to do this node, the resources are at http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq72-5.htm. Please /msg me when it is done so I can link to the correct title and remove this comment)
The first incarnation of the USS The Sullivans was adorned with a shamrock for Ireland on her forward stack. When it set sail, 23 of the crew members were named Sullivan. Since then, it fought in several engagements including Korea, the Cuban blockade and was involved in the rescue efforts for the sub Thresher. It earned eleven battle stars - 9 for WWII and 2 for the Korean War. During this time the combination of the shamrock and the fact that it was never seriously damaged earned it the nickname "The Lucky Ship". It is on display in the Buffalo and Erie county Naval & Serviceman's park and designated a National Historic Landmark.
USS The Sullivans DD-537
- Class: Fletcher
- Commissioned: 1943
- Decommissioned: 1965
- Displacement: 2,050 Tons
- Rated Speed: 35 Knots
- Length: 376 feet
- Beam (width): 39 feet
- Complement: 290 enlisted, 20 officers
Today, The USS The Sullivans is a DDG-68 Destroyer (the G stands for guided missile). It was the first destroyer built to accommodate women. The DDG-68 was launched on the August 12, 1995 at Bath, Mane. This ship was sponsored by Kelly Sullivan Loughren - granddaughter of Albert Sullivan. It was commissioned on April 19, 1997. A detailed history of it can be found at http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq72-6b.htm
USS The Sullivans DDG-68
- Class: Arleigh Burke
- Commissoned: 1997
- Decommisoned: N/A
- Displacement: 8,315 Tons
- Rated Speed: 31 Knots
- Length: 505 feet
- Beam: 59 feet
- Compliment: 300 enlisted, 23 officers
Furthermore, USS The Sullivans is the name of one of the 'ships' in the Recruit Training Center at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.
It is worth mentioning that the USS The Sullivans lives on in
Star Trek - NCC 5355.
The crest of the USS The Sullivans has three parts. The middle is a shield - five swords representing the five brothers upright and interlaced honor the brothers. The swords are on a background of red field for courage and sacrifice. The border of the shield is blue has eleven stars in gold representing the battle stars of the DD-537. Blue and gold are the traditional colors of the navy representing the sea and excellence. Above the shield is a trident representing the sea and the guided missile system. A pentagonal fireball in front of this represents the battle of Guadalcanal. In the foreground of the fireball is a shamrock. The motto "We Stick Together" is on a scroll below the shield (thats the best I can make it out on the photograph - of the crest and fits with the motto).
http://www.geocities.com/dd537/
http://www.pitt.edu/~jcm11/Archives/Sullivans.html
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq72-1.htm
http://www.sullivans.navy.mil/