WWII ship USS The Sullivans to reopen after sinking

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By Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Less than one month after it began sinking into Lake Erie, a historic ship is preparing to reopen to host visitors.

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Officials with the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park told WGRZ that they are planning on reopening Memorial Day weekend, allowing people to walk the deck of USS The Sullivans.

Staff at the military park first noticed the ship was taking on water April 13, and by the next afternoon, the vessel was largely underwater.

WWII ship USS The Sullivans to reopen after sinking File photo: The USS Sullivans lists in the Buffalo River on April 14, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. The Sullivans is a retired Fletcher class destroyer and was named in honor of five brothers (George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert) who lost their lives while on the USS Juneau when it was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the naval battle of Guadalcanal on November 13,1942. (Photo by John Normile/Getty Images) (John Normile/Getty Images)

“We are very happy to report today that the effort to save The Sullivans is on course, and the ship is righted and floating,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced during a news conference, The Buffalo News reported.

Over the last three weeks, crews have pumped more than 500,000 gallons of water out of the ship, as well as removed more than 9,500 gallons of oil and water mix, WIVB reported. During the repairs, crews plugged 53 holes, the station reported.

Photos posted to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park’s Facebook page show the progress made on the ship, with the vessel appearing upright in photos posted Wednesday.

Crews are still working to control the oil that spilled from the ship. U.S. Coast Guard Captain Lexia Littlejohn told The Buffalo News that the Coast Guard will be working with the naval park, the City of Buffalo and the State of New York to manage and mitigate the contamination.

USS The Sullivans is a decommissioned Fletcher-class destroyer used in World War II, according to the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park’s website. The ship was named for five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, and is the only ship in the Navy to be named for more than one person. The Sullivans were all killed when a Japanese submarine torpedoed their ship, the USS Juneau, during the Battle of Guadalcanal on Nov. 13, 1942, The Des Moines Register reported.

The Sullivan brothers The five Sullivan brothers (from left to right) Joseph, Francis, Albert, Madison, and George, are shown in this Jan. 12, 1942 photo. The sons of Thomas and Alleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, died after their ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine on Nov.13, 1942. The brothers had enlisted in the Navy on the condition they be allowed to serve together. In April 1997, the U.S. Navy commissioned a destroyer warship the USS The Sullivans at a Staten Island, N.Y. pier. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)