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| Jack Rogers, center, and his two brothers Edward and Charles, served on the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans. |
While the Thomas and Alleta Sullivan family are the best known American family who lost multiple sons in one World War II battle (five), they were not the only ones. Here is the story of another.
Jack Ellis Rogers, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Jack Ellis Rogers, Jr. never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Jack was born on March 16, 1920 in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents Jack Sr. and Josie were born in Tennessee and West Virginia, respectively. His father worked as a machinist and repairman in an electric plant. Jack had one older brother, two older sisters, two younger brothers, and one younger sister.
He graduated from Jones Valley High School in Birmingham in June 1940 and immediately enlisted in the US Navy. Two of his brothers later enlisted in the Navy, younger brother Charles in November 1940 and older brother Edward, who was 30 years old, in December 1941. Their 60 year old father tried to enlist as well but was turned down.
All three Rogers brothers eventually served together aboard the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans. Jack and Charles were likely aboard the New Orleans at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on 7 December 1941, and were joined by Edward sometime in early 1942. In May 1942, the New Orleans was part of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown’s task force during the Battle of the Coral Sea. During the battle, the carrier USS Lexington was heavily damaged and New Orleans rescued 580 of Lexington's crew. She next operated as part of the defensive screen for the carrier USS Enterprise during the Battle of Midway, and then screened USS Saratoga during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
On 30 November 1942, New Orleans, along with four other cruisers and six destroyers, fought in the Battle of Tassafaronga in Ironbottom Sound off the island of Guadalcanal. The US force engaged eight enemy destroyers attempting to deliver food to the Japanese forces on Guadalcanal. During the battle, she was struck by an enemy torpedo that detonated the ship's forward magazines and gasoline tanks, severing 150 feet of her bow just forward of turret number 2. The severed bow quickly sunk taking 178 officers and enlisted men to their deaths, including all three Rogers brothers.
Jack Ellis Rogers, Jr. and his brothers are buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Their youngest brother Emmett enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 hoping to avenge his brothers’ deaths, and eventually served aboard the repaired New Orleans from November 1944 thru the end of the war.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Last year on this date we profiled Navy Cross hero Thor Thostenson of the 5th Marine Division. You can read about Thor here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
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“Where Every Day is Memorial Day”
Amazing story - another Sullivan family having to bear the loss of their sons. Thank you for sharing.
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