The granddaughter of one of the “five Sullivan brothers” is leading the effort to get the lost Navy sailors on Iowa’s quarter. As you may know, the “tails” side of new quarters has been reserved for states to depict their heritage. Iowa gets to send the U-S mint up to five images for the back of the quarter — and 29-year-old Kelly Sullivan Loughren of Cedar Falls hopes an image of her grandfather and his four brothers — the Sullivan brothers — is chosen. She says the Sullivans represent sacrafice and patriotism and says the quarter would be a tribute to all veterans. Sullivan Loughren was in the Iowa House yesterday as a resolution was passed to support her family’s cause. Sullivan Loughren is the granddaughter of Albert Sullivan, the youngest of the five brothers — the only one who was married and had children. She grew up hearing all sorts of stories about her grandfather and great uncles — her family calls the five lost souls “the boys.” She says the stories helped her grow up with pride in her country and the military. Loughren says the impact of what happened is especially evident at Christmas. She says the family holiday gatherings are small instead of being a large Irish Catholic family had the boys all married. After the Sullivan family lost all five brothers, the U-S military established a rule prohibiting family members from serving on the same ship or in the same unit.
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