Help Save U.S.S. The Sullivans (DD-537)
In spring 2022, one of the four remaining Fletcher-class destroyers, The Sullivans, began taking on water and eventually settled to the bottom at its berth in Buffalo, New York.
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park has launched fundraising campaign to save the ship, which is currently closed to tours.
Repairing a World War II destroyer that is berthed between a light cruiser and a public quay is a tricky and expensive undertaking. It may take years to repair eight decades of wear and tear. Drydocking is impossible, and of course Buffalo’s famous weather is an added complication.
The Sullivans’ official navy history outlines the story of the ship’s unusual name and the five brothers who died off Guadalcanal in November 1942. The destroyer was built in San Francisco and commissioned on 30 September 1943, five months after Abbot.
In the 1960s, The Sullivans and Abbot served together in the same Philadelphia-based reserve destroyer squadron, training reservists and future officers. In the top at right, The Sullivans is seen from Abbot during exercises; the photos were taken by FA Frank Laffredo in 1961-62. Their joint reserve mission ended with decommissioning in 1965.
The bottom three photos were taken in July 2022, after The Sullivans was raised.
The Navy struck The Sullivans from the Naval Register on the same day as Abbot after nearly a decade berthed together in storage at Philadelphia. The Sullivans and the Cleveland-class light cruiser Little Rock were chosen to be saved as floating museums, and were towed to Lake Erie. Abbot was sold to a ship breaker in Baltimore.
The Sullivans was awarded 11 battle stars: nine for World War II and two for the Korean War. The other three remaining Fletchers are in Boston; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Athens, Greece.
As of summer 2022, donations are being sought to help restore The Sullivans. Please click on the link below for more information.
