ROOSEVELT, Franklin. D. (1882-1945). A typed letter signed ("Franklin D. Roosevelt") to Mrs. Thomas F. Sullivan, Washington, 6 February 1943.

One page, 223 x 171 mm, on White House letterhead, includes original mailing envelope (some fading, slight discoloration).

Roosevelt names a ship for the Sullivan brothers, killed in the sinking of the USS Juneau on November 13, 1942 at Guadalcanal. Roosevelt letter formally Mrs. Sullivan to christen the new destroyer USS The Sullivans, which was named in honor of her five sons: George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel, and Albert Leo. "In order to express to you in a tangible way the nation's appreciation of your gallant spirit, it gives me great pleasure to extend an invitation to you to christen the Destroyer U.S.S. THE SULLIVANS which has been named in honor of your five sons". The ship was scheduled to be launched on April 4, 1943, at the Bethlehem Steel Company in San Francisco, California. Roosevelt concludes by praising her courage and sacrifice, which served as an "inspiration" for the nation. The tragedy of the Sullivan brothers led to the adoption of the Sole Survivor Policy, forbidding family members from serving in the same vessel.