US navy sailed in as friends
Included was the story of another branch of the clan, the five Irish-American Sullivan brothers who, in similar fashion, believed in staying together come what may and tragically lost their lives on the same US navy vessel during World War II.
After their deaths on December 7, 1941, US vice-president Henry A Wallace described it as "one of the most extraordinary tragedies which has ever been met by any one family in the United States."
Consequently, it was fitting that the US navy should have been invited to the recent festivities. Two grandchildren of the youngest of the brothers were also present for the unveiling of a plaque at the family's original homestead.
Dominic Carroll, in a letter entitled The Empire sails in (Irish Examiner, Sept 3) acknowledged the brothers' deaths as a tragedy but then he seemed to go off at a tangent, saying that they died "while fighting in an imperialistic war on behalf of the world's most belligerent superpower."
Eh... I thought it was the Nazis in Europe and the Japanese in the Pacific who were the warmongers back then and only for the Americans getting involved in the battle for survival of democratic, civilised values, Europe, (including us) would have been over-run by a despotic regime intent on rule for 1,000 years.
Another reference to the "obscene" presence of an American warship in Beara was way over the top.
The organisers stressed that the invitation extended to the American navy warship USS The Sullivans was commemorative not political.
The Americans, as represented by their navy on this occasion, were invited as friends. How in heaven's name does this compromise our neutrality?
Mary Sullivan,
Horgan's Buildings,
College Road,
Cork.
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