Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

February 24, 1885 ~ February 20, 1966

Service To His Country

September 1, 1901 ~ February 20, 1966

(Sixty Four Years Five Months Naval Service)

Chester William Nimitz was born on February 24, 1985 in Fredericksburg, Texas, where his house is now a museum. He was influenced by his grandfather, Charles H. Nimitz, a former seaman in the German Merchant Marine. His grandfather taught him, “the sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. The best way to get along with either is to learn all you can, then do your best and don’t worry – especially about things over which you have no control.”

Originally, young Nimitz wanted to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point and become an Army officer. However, no appointments were available. His Congressman told him that he had one appointment available for the Naval Academy and that it would be awarded to the best-qualified applicant. Nimitz began studying for his prospective appointment examination. Chester Nimitz would get this appointment from the Texas 12th Congressional District in 1901. He graduated with distinction from the Naval Academy at Annapolis on January 30, 1905, seventh in a class of 114 midshipmen. It was many years later, following his promotion to Fleet Admiral that he would be awarded his high school diploma from his former school in Texas as he had never graduated from high school.

Upon graduation, he would join the battleship U.S.S. Ohio (BB-12) and later transferred to the Cruiser U.S.S. Baltimore. In January 1907, after being at sea for two years, which was required by law, he was commissioned as an Ensign, U.S. Navy. At the age of 22, the newly commissioned Ensign was given his first command, the U.S.S. Decatur, a destroyer. While deployed to the Philippines, his ship ran aground on a sandbar. Ensign Nimitz was court martialed, convicted of hazarding a Navy ship, and received a letter of reprimand. This action should have ended his career.

Ensign Nimitz would serve on a variety of naval vessels including a career in the submarine fleet, in which he would serve as Commander of the flotilla. He established himself as a submarine Commander and with the outbreak of World War I; he would serve as the aide to Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. Prior to the conclusion of the war, he would he selected as the Chief of Staff to the same command.

Following World War I he would serve in a variety of Command roles in the submarine fleet as well as graduating from the Naval War College in June 1923. He would become the Chief of Staff, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Fleet. In August 1926, he went to the University of California and established the Navy’s first Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps unit. Nimitz would continue to serve in a variety of roles as both a Commander at sea and high level posts in the Department of Navy. In September 1938, he took command of Battleship Division 1, Battle Force.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese Imperial Navy would make a devastating aerial attack on the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The entire battleship group was in port at the time and was either destroyed or severely damaged along with a large number of other surface vessels. Unknown to the Japanese Navy is that the aircraft carrier fleet, their escorts, and a large number of submarines were at sea and escaped the attack.

Ten days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the existing Command In Chief Pacific Fleet (CINPACFLT) Admiral Kimmel would be relieved of his duties. He was replaced by Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz. On December 31, 1941 be would be appointed to the rank of Admiral, bypassing the promotion to Vice Admiral which was the normal promotion system in the Navy. Having been promoted to a four star Admiral, the Joint Chiefs of Staff designated Nimitz as Commander In Chief, Pacific Ocean with operational control over all allied units on land, sea, and air in the Pacific theatre.

By utilizing his assets, the U.S. Navy carrier fleet and the submarine forces, he went on the immediate offense against the Japanese. This was alarming to the Congress, as they preferred to keep the fleet closer to the mainland of the United States for protection in the event the Japanese decided to attack the defenseless western coast. Under his command, the Japanese Navy was defeated in several battles, including the Battle of Coral Sea and the Solomon Islands. Admiral Nimitz continued applying pressure on the Japanese war machine, despite being heavily outnumbered in all respects. Through our intelligence forces, it was discovered that the Japanese Navy was going to invade the Island Of Midway in order to establish a land base. Admiral Nimitz turned the carrier groups around that had just returned from the Coral Sea and dispatched them to a position northeast of Midway Island. When Washington D.C. found out his tactics, they were concerned that the Japanese fleet was not going to Midway but would attack the United States instead. Knowing their concern, the Japanese sent a smaller battle group to invade the Aleutian Islands. This attack occurred prior to Midway, in hopes to draw the U.S. Fleet north to protect the United States. Admiral Nimitz made the decision to retain the fleet of carriers at Midway and intercepted the largest Japanese naval force that had put to sea since the strike on Pearl Harbor. The Battle of Midway was the turning point in the war in the Pacific region, with the Japanese Navy suffering heavy casualties among their aircraft carriers and smaller surface ships.

On December 14, 1944 the rank of Fleet Admiral was created by Public Law, Admiral Chester Nimitz, Admiral King, and Admiral Leahy would be promoted to the rank of Fleet Admiral and the awarding of five stars. At the same time, four Generals in the Army would also be promoted to a five star rank, General of the Army. They would be General Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, and Arnold. Admiral “Bull” Halsey would be promoted to a five star Admiral in December 1945 and General Omar Bradley would receive his fifth star in September 1950. These are the only five star Admiral and Generals in the history of the United States.

On September 2, 1945 Fleet Admiral Nimitz signed for the United States when Japan formally surrendered on board the battleship, U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

In December 1945, Fleet Admiral Nimitz was appointed Chief of Naval Operations. Upon assuming the position, he assured the President that he was willing to serve as the CNO for one two-year term and no longer. On December 14, 1947 he officially retired, however, since the rank of Fleet Admiral is a lifetime appointment, he remained on active duty for the rest of his life with full pay and benefits. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz passed away on February 20, 1966. In his passing, the rank of the five star Admirals and Generals also passed away. The rank cannot be activated again without the approval of Congress and the President of the United States.