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ALS signed “C. W. Nimitz, Fleet Admiral, USN,” three pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 7.5, Wood Farms letterhead, no date. Handwritten letter to "Mr. & Mrs. Sullivan," parents of the five Sullivan brothers who served together on the light cruiser USS Juneau, all of whom were killed in action in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In full: "I regret very much that I cannot be with you on June 12th to pay tribute to your five gallant sons, and to participate in the ceremony in the Capitol grounds in honor of the five Sullivan brothers who were lost at sea in the U.S.S. Juneau. I can think of no more fitting memorial to each of these men than the five purple flowering Crabapple trees which, Senator Gillette informs me, have been planted in Capitol Park as a permanent reminder of their—and your sacrifice.
The prompt response of your five sons to the call to the Colors in World War II and their presence in the crew of the USS Juneau is reminiscent of similar patriotism of the five O'Brien boys in the first naval action in our history. In April 1775, shortly after the Battle of Lexington, the citizens of Machias, Maine, raised a flagpole in celebration of that event. Lt. Moore, R.N., commanding H.M.S. Margaretta, a British sloop of war, entered the port and demanded that the flagpole be cut down under threat of destroying the town unless the order was obeyed.
An American lumber sloop, hastily manned by American patriots armed with pitch forks, axes and muskets, captured the British sloop of war. The American sloop was commanded by Jeremiah O'Brien, and there were four other O'Brien brothers in the crew. Thus was established a patriotic tradition which your sons have bravely carried on. When their country needed their help they promptly gave their services—and, unfortunately, their lives. I hope and pray that your great sorrow will be lessened by the knowledge that they gave their all in the service of their country and that their country is grateful for that service. With deepest sympathy in your great loss, and with profound respect." In fine condition.
An article written by the National Archives and Records Administration, 'A People at War,' describes the heroism of the Sullivan Brothers: 'The five Sullivan brothers (Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison) served together as shipmates aboard the cruiser U.S.S. Juneau after requesting special permission from the Secretary of the Navy. The Juneau was sunk on November 13, 1942, off the island of Guadalcanal by Japanese submarine 1-26. Of the crew of over 600 sailors, only 11 survived. The death of the five brothers caused Congress to enact a law, commonly referred to as the 'Sullivan Act', that prohibited all members of a family from serving in a combat zone at the same time. Even after hearing rumors of the death of her five sons, Mrs. Sullivan continued to support the war effort as evidenced by a letter she wrote to the Bureau of Naval Personnel. Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a personal letter to Mrs. Sullivan expressing his and the nation's sorrow. For wartime America, the Sullivan brothers became the ultimate symbol of heroic sacrifice.'
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