Admiral Chester Nimitz - Master of the Pacific

Comments · 688

• DR

  @Drachinifel · 3 years ago · pinned

  Pinned post for Q&A :)

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• TH

  @th8973 · 3 years ago (edited)

  In the early 1960s Nimitz had a home in the Berkeley hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The neighborhood children knew he was a good customer for girl scout cookies and boy scout fund raising efforts. As a 10 year old, I managed to sell him a boy scout event ticket. He invited me into his living room and showed me his telescope where he could view ships in the Bay. My interaction with him seems consistent with what I have read about his interpersonal relations since.

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• JA

  @jaredthehawk3870 · 3 years ago

  There's another good anecdote about Nimitz. During his time as Captain of The USS Augusta, he managed to accidentally collide with a tanker during a routine refueling operation in a major sea incident. Captain Nimitz turned to a young lieutenant and asked him what he should have done. The young lieutenant replied that Nimitz should have anchored in the weather and backed down to the ship. Nimitz looked at him and said “That’s right, and don’t you ever forget that!”

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• JO

  @josephpicogna6348 · 3 years ago

  Met Halsey in 1958 just before he died, and it was a wonderful ten minutes. Saw Nimitz close up and while he didn’t greet anyone individually, it was obvious we were in the presence of greatness. .

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• RI

  @Rickinsf · 3 years ago

  A story I heard about the crash in San Francisco Bay was that Nimitz would not leave the wreck until his cap had been retrieved, much to the outrage of some of the rescuers. They learned later that the cap had a pocket in the crown in which the admiral carried communication codes relevant to upcoming operations and he wanted them secured or destroyed.

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• TU

  @turbulentlobster · 3 years ago

  My grandfather, Lt. Tommy Roscoe, was the copilot of the plane Nimitz was on that crashed and the one fatality. They never found his body, because it was pulled off by the strong currents in that part of San Francisco Bay. I knew the plane had flipped over when it struck a submerged object, but I'd never seen that photo of the wreckage. Much more damage to the front of the plane than I'd always pictured. Appreciate you including it in the video.

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• TH

  @theeNappy · 3 years ago

  That story about the sailor telling Nimitz to sit down after the plane crash: King would have chewed the sailor out for daring to even speak to him; MacArthur wouldn't have let his rank insignia be covered by a blanket.

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• BO

  @bobfrancis123 · 3 years ago

  I’ve been to the Nimitz Museum (now named the National Museum of the Pacific Theater) in Fredericksburg, TX, many times. It’s always an inspirational journey, and Nimitz was absolutely the Right Man at the Right Time!

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• AL

  @alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723 · 3 years ago

  Find it also cool he met Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō of the IJN and was there for his funeral, also he helped preserve his flagship, but there was great deal of tragedy in his family in the aftermath of the war,

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• UN

  @untermench3502 · 3 years ago

  I spent an evening with Admiral Nimitz. My father worked for the Perkin Elmer Corporation and I was a member of the company rifle team. One evening the sponsor of the rifle team, Chester Nimitz paid us a visit and I was able to spend the evening with him talking about life.

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• GI

  @GiangNg320 · 3 years ago

  What I found remarkable about Nimitz is that he was able to restrain both Halsey and MacArthur while somehow appease the God Emperor of USN, Fury itself incarnate, Admiral King at the same time, that require a nerve of steel, a keen mind and great understanding of strategic situation.

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• PE

  @petesheppard1709 · 3 years ago (edited)

  In my shallow reading of WWII Pacific history, Nimitz seemed like a distant, omniscient demi-god who never erred.<br>Thanks for this opportunity to gain way-overdue details to his remarkable performance and character.

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