Continuation of an Earlier Trip

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Back in 2021 I stopped in Waterloo, Iowa and visited the Sullivan Brothers Museum. Today’s stop at the Buffalo Naval Park in western New York was a continuation, of sorts, of that trip. The Sullivans were five brothers who enlisted in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, requesting that they receive a waiver of the rule prohibiting multiple family members from being stationed in the same duty station. The rule was in place for the reason that the Sullivans sadly demonstrated: all five brothers were killed when the USS Juneau was torpedoed. In honor of the brothers, the USS The Sullivans (DD-537) was commissioned in 1943. It was the first Naval vessel to be named for more than one person. The ship saw action in WW2 and Korea, and also did a lot of good (Apollo program) and difficult (Cuban Missile Blockade) assignments before being decommissioned in 1965. The photo is the Sullivans in the Buffalo Naval Park. In 2022 the ship that had survived two wars and multiple cruises faced a crisis when it sank in the harbor it’s moored in. One of the tour guides said that the primary problem is dealing with the severe water damage on the lower decks. Because of that, the Sullivans’ top two decks are the only portions currently available for touring. (The tour guide said it’ll be at least 2025 before the Sullivans can get to dry dock for repairs. ) Still, it was a joy to do an abbreviated tour of the boat. The Buffalo Naval Park is also home to the USS Little Rock and the submarine USS Croaker. Those two have plenty to see, including something I’d never seen on a ship tour before: admiral’s quarters! There was plenty for an old sailor to see and enjoy in the park…and, honestly, plenty to make me thankful that women weren’t allowed on ships when I was in!