USS The Sullivans Veteran Visits the SBIVM

Posted by Pat Kinney on Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Monday's Veterans Day observance at the Grout Museum District's Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum was attended by U.S. Navy veteran Robert Bielak of Merrillville, Ind., near Chicago. He served on the now decommissioned destroyer USS the Sullivans, DD-537, from 1956-60. It was the first of two ships named for the five Waterloo brothers who died together during World War II.

He and a group of family members presented museum artifacts to registrar Nick Erickson with a large heavy brass casting of the ship's seal. It was fixed to the side of the ship during his service, and he kept it from falling into the sea during a heavy storm when it became detached from its mounting. He saved the casting and brought it home to Indiana after his discharge from the service.

Mr. Bielak, a retired auto worker and maintenance person at his church, said he had always wanted to visit the museum and thought Veterans Day was a good day to come. He and extended family traveled several hours from Merrilville and Missouri to Waterloo to the museum and attended the program.



Museum staff also video recorded an oral history interview with Mr. Bielak on his service. He and his family also were able to meet with Kelly Sullivan, granddaughter and grandniece of the five brothers. She stopped at the museum at the end of her day teaching at Lincoln Elementary School in Cedar Falls.

Kelly Sullivan is the official Navy sponsor of the brothers' second namesake ship, the USS The Sullivans DDG-68, which is still on active duty. She likes to meet with visiting "Sully sailors" whenever possible and arranged their reunion here in 2022.

Grout staff also arranged for Mr. Bielak to speak to staff at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park in Buffalo, N.Y. where his old decomissioned ship is moored.

The trip was a birthday present of sorts, as Mr. Bielak turned 85 Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day.

Wednesday, Nov. 13 is the 82nd anniversary of the sinking of Sullivan brothers' ship, the USS Juneau, following the naval Battle of Guadalcanal in World War II. All five brothers and all but 14 of the crew of nearly 700 perished. It is believed to be the greatest combat-related loss of life by one family at one time in U.S. military history.