The Sullivan brothers on board the USS Juneau (CL-52), 14 February 1942 From left to right: Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison and George Sullivan Courtesy U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command.
Billionaire Paul Allen funded the team and on St Patricks' Day those aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel found the Atlanta Class Cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) some 2.6 miles below the surface! She was sunk in WWII at the Battle of Guadalcanal killing five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa.
According to Navy History and Heritage Command, “News of the deaths of all five brothers became a rallying point for the war effort, with posters and speeches honoring their sacrifice. Extensive newspaper and radio coverage of the incident made the loss of the brothers a national story, producing ‘a wave of humility and sympathy,’ and condolences poured in on the Sullivan family in Waterloo, Iowa.”
The prop of the USS Juneau (CL-52) resting on the seafloor. Courtesy of the Paul Allen-funded Research vessel R/V Petrel.
In New York Harbor, 11 February 1942. Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.