A Tribute to the Mothers of the Greatest Generation
We often lament how young men today fall considerably short of the greatest generation. But have you ever asked yourself how or why they turned out that way? Could it have something to do with their parents, who sent them to war? I would say yes, and since it’s Mother’s Day, I’ll focus on their mothers’ role.
As I read stories of WW2 heroes such as the Doolittle Raiders, their mothers are often mentioned in passing. I recently watched a documentary on the five Sullivan brothers, all of whom perished when a Japanese submarine torpedoed their ship, the USS Juneau.
The five brothers were extremely close, doing everything together. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, they volunteered for the Navy. Their sister’s fiancé, Bill Ball, was aboard the USS Arizona and killed during the attack, further motivating them to serve.
When they went to the recruiting office in January 1942, they asked to serve together. The Navy initially denied their request but then relented, allowing them to serve together on the USS Juneau. By the way, they weren’t the only sets of siblings serving on the USS Juneau. Gradually, it dawned on them that serving together was unwise. They planned to separate at the next port. Sadly, they never made it.
Communication was very slow back then. Plus, the Navy sometimes withheld the loss of ships and personnel from the public to keep the enemy from accurately assessing our military strength and gaining a strategic advantage. Consequently, their parents first learned of their death from a neighbor whose son was also serving in the Navy. He had written his mother a letter. He assumed she knew when he spoke of all of them dying together. Their mother, Alita, wrote a letter to the Bureau of Naval Personnel asking them about the rumors. In it, she spoke of how proud she was of her boys.
It was hard to give 5 sons to the Navy but I am proud of my boys that they can serve and help protect their country.
Yes, it was hard, but she was willing to let her sons go to defend our freedom.
Their loss made headlines because never before had that many siblings perished at once. It shocked the nation. It hit their hometown, Waterloo, Iowa, especially hard. How did their parents react? They grieved and continued to do so for the rest of their lives. How could they not?
However, they did not let their grief make them bitter or resentful. The very day they learned of the loss, their father, Tom Sullivan, was a conductor on the Illinois Central Railroad and went to work as usual. Why? His train was carrying war freight to the troops.
Their mother had been selected to christen the USS Tawasa stationed in Portland. In her letter, she told the Navy she would honor that commitment no matter what.
I am to christen the USS Tawasa on February 12th. If anything has happened to my five sons, I will still christen the ship as it was their wish that I do so.
When FDR learned of their loss, he wrote a condolence letter in which he also commended her for unselfishness and perseverance.
"Last March, you, Mrs. Sullivan, were designated to sponsor a ship of the Navy in recognition of your patriotism and that of your sons. I am to understand that you are, now, even more determined to carry on as sponsorer. This evidence of unselfishness and courage serves as a real inspiration for me, as I am sure it will for all Americans. Such acts of fate and fortitude in the face of tragedy convince me of the indomitable spirit and will of our people.”
In his second letter to Alita, FDR told her that a new destroyer just out of dry dock would be named in honor of her sons. Originally, it was going to be called the USS Putnam. That was canceled. Instead, it became the USS The Sullivans (DD-537). He asked her to christen it and become its sponsor. She readily agreed. Whoever christens a ship, usually a woman, becomes its sponsor for the life of the ship. Alita took her sponsorship seriously, becoming like a mother to the crew, praying for them and writing them frequently. Many visited her home.
She and her husband also went on a war bond tour to raise money for the troops and encourage young people to enlist. Their only daughter, Genevieve, joined the Waves. The Navy wisely assigned her to a recruiting office. She too participated in the war bond efforts.
Their family legacy continues to this day. The youngest son, Albert, was the only married brother. He had one son, Jimmy, who would join the Navy when he was only 17. His mother signed a waiver allowing him to join before he was 18.
Jimmy’s daughter, Kelly, who would be Albert’s granddaughter, tours the country telling their story. She doesn’t do it, however, just to keep the memory of her father and his brothers alive. She does it to remind people to honor and thank our veterans for their service. We are free because they sacrificed.
You are probably thinking, “Isn’t this really more of a Veterans Day message.”? True. In fact, Veterans Day is when Kelly usually retells their story. However, where did she and the five brothers learn about sacrifice and courage?
The boys learned those values from their parents, Tom and Alita Sullivan. Yes, their parents willingly gave of themselves to provide and raise their boys. The boys saw this. Consequently, when men were needed after the Pearl Harbor attack, they willingly enlisted. Why? They had been taught by their parents to love their country and to stand up for truth and freedom no matter how much it cost.
While many of us would say the Sullivan family made the greater sacrifice, Kelly would disagree.
“In war, everyone sacrifices.” Kelly Sullivan Loughren
She goes on to say that their sacrifice was no greater than the family that lost just one child. She is right. We can’t measure one family’s sacrifice with another. That’s why God tells us not to compare ourselves.
For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
How did she gain that perspective? From her grandmother and great-grandmother. Neither her grandmother nor great great-grandmother pitied themselves or thought their sacrifice was greater than others. They knew that all families make sacrifices during wartime and taught that to their children and grandchildren.
When Kelly christened the USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), she thought of her great-grandmother. She followed in Alita’s footsteps, adopting the men who serve on it as her family.
I think of Alita not just because of Mother’s Day but because I see so much coddling of our children, especially our young men. Nor is it just the woke crowd that does this. Shielding our children from hardship seemly permeates our society. That’s led to doing away with achievement awards, letting everyone make the team, lest someone feel left out awards and handing out participation awards. Worst yet, we don’t encourage them to stand up for the truth. The mothers of the greatest generation didn’t do that. Even the mothers who raised the baby boomers didn’t do that.
“But wait a minute, we live in a more ungodly world.”
We forget that the greatest generation lived in an ungodly world as well. Some would contend that today’s world is far more ungodly. Perhaps. However, it would be more accurate to say they faced a different kind of ungodliness.
They faced two superpowers that both believed themselves to be the superior race. Yes, the Nazis aka the National Socialists weren’t the only one who believed their people were superior to all others, including other supposedly white European ethnicities. Even though we see the Polish people as white, the German National Socialists saw them as subhumans. The Japanese thought that as well. Both committed genocide on an unimaginable scale.
I’m not downplaying what our children face today. It is scary today because teachers and medical professionals use our children or medical experiments not dissimilar from Joseph Mengele’s inhumane experiments on the Jewish people at Auschwitz.
Again, we would be unwise to make a comparison between our world and theirs. All generations face ungodliness in some form or another.
“But aren’t mothers supposed to protect their children?” Yes, and I would add that’s a good thing. We must do our part to limit their exposure to the ungodliness of this world. However, when we pity them and see them as victims, we do them a disservice. We must teach them to stand up to evil just as the mothers of the greatest generation did.
The historical written record rarely mentions them, but the mothers of the greatest generation helped make that generation great. Thankfully, God does not forget that role. Somehow, however, I suspect that mothers such as Alita Sullivan are okay with a mere “honorable” mention. I suspect that, like most mothers, they would rather their children receive the accolades.
That said, we should remember them. For without them, the greatest generation might not have happened. So this Mother’s Day, let’s remember their role and honor them. Where would we be without them? And while we’re at it, let’s honor our own mothers. After all, where would we be without them?