The Five Sullivan Brothers

The Five Sullivan Brothers~ The Sullivan brothers, George, Francis, Eugene, Madison, and Albert, were the sons of Thomas and Aleta Sullivan of Waterloo. The brothers ranged from age 20 to 29 when they enlisted in the U.S. Navy after learning of the death of a good friend at Pearl Harbor. At their request, the five were assigned to the same ship, the cruiser Juneau. This was against Navy policy, but the Sullivan’s request was granted. …

…landing was so smooth that and German resistance was light they moved 3-4 miles in one day. When the landing occurred the Germans were unprepared to react offensively. Within a week, however, as Allied troops consolidated their positions and prepared to break out of the beachhead, the Germans gathered troops to eliminate what Adolf Hitler called the “Anzio abscess.” The next four months would see some of the most savage fighting of World War II.