With some Irish luck, a shipwreck is found: What it means to find USS Juneau 76 years on

The wreck of USS Juneau, a Second World War navy ship, has been found — and with it, some closure for the Sullivan family.

Seventy-six years ago, that ship was struck and sunk by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Guadalcanal. Aboard Juneau were five brothers commonly know as "The Sullivans."

The brothers didn't expect to serve together — naval policy forbade siblings on the same ship.

But George Sullivan, the oldest of the five, made a case to the navy.

"Being the strong, Irish guys they were, he said, 'We'll make a team that can't be beat,'" Kelly Sullivan, granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, one of the five brothers, told As It Happens host Carol Off.

The sunken ship was found on March 17, St. Patrick's Day, off the coast of the Solomon Islands by a team of researchers assembled by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen.

"Finding the USS Juneau on St. Patrick's Day is an unexpected coincidence to the Sullivan brothers and all the service members who were lost 76 years ago," Robert Kraft, director of sub-sea operations for Paul Allen, said in a press release.

Journey to Juneau

Hearing the news about Juneau's discovery was emotional for Kelly Sullivan.

"I had just returned from The Sullivans' ship, so it was quite serendipitous," she said, referring to a navy vessel named after the brothers.

When it was announced in 1942 that the Sullivan brothers were serving together, the navy seized the opportunity for positive public relations.

They ended up using the brothers as a recruiting tool, Sullivan said,

"They were five good-looking, Irish-Catholic guys from the Midwest," she said. "They were on newspapers all across the United States."

That profile ended tragically, however.

USS Juneau was hit by a torpedo early in the morning on Nov. 13, 1942, but didn't sink. The crew set course for Espiritu Santo, an island that's now part of Vanuatu, for repairs.

Later that day, Juneau was struck again. The impact was significant and, according to Sullivan, sailors on surrounding boats didn't think there would be survivors and continued on.

"The survivors of the Juneau were out there for over a week before someone rescued them," she said.

The five brothers were not among them.

'Luck of the Irish'

The loss affected the family greatly, she said — especially her father.

But from that darkness came another family: the brothers' navy comrades.

"We would go to Sullivan Association reunions ... and these Juneau guys would come," Sullivan said.

There, she said she spent time with the "heroes" that survived the torpedo at the Battle of Guadalcanal.

"To meet these incredible people and to hear their stories, it's truly a blessing," she said.

"I consider them my navy family."

When Sullivan heard that Juneau had been found, she said her first thought wasn't of her grandfather and great-uncles.

"The first thing I thought of was all the other Juneau families," she said.

The grandson of USS Juneau's captain, both named Knut Swenson, sent Sullivan a text message when he heard the news.

It was a natural instinct to share and "pray" with the others, she said. 

"There's this bond that we all have — this tragic bond — but yet we're all connected," she said.

Finding Juneau on St. Patrick's Day made the discovery even more bittersweet, she said.

Sullivan was onboard USS The Sullivans that day, but her history with the ship goes back further, she said.

"When I christened USS The Sullivans, I added a little part where I said, 'May the luck of the Irish always be with you and your crew.'"

Written by Jason Vermes. Interview produced by Julian Uzielli.