National Museum of the Pacific War

Last updated
National Museum of the Pacific War
Texas State Historic Site
National Museum of the Pacific War Logo.png
Nimitz Museum, Fredericksburg, Texas.JPG
Relief map of Texas.png
Red pog.svg
National Museum of the Pacific War
Location within Texas
EstablishedFebruary 24, 1969 (1969-02-24)
Location340 East Austin Street
Fredericksburg, Texas
United States
Coordinates 30°16′21″N98°52′03″W / 30.2726°N 98.8675°W / 30.2726; -98.8675
Type Maritime museum
CuratorChristine Hicks, Curator; Nicole Bagley, Director of Collections and Exhibitions
Website National Museum of the Pacific War
DesignatedJanuary 1, 1983
Reference no. 8200000278

The National Museum of the Pacific War is located in Fredericksburg, Texas, the boyhood home of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz served as commander in chief, United States Pacific Fleet (CinCPAC), and was soon afterward named commander in chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. [1] The six-acre site includes the Admiral Nimitz Gallery, which is housed in the old Nimitz Hotel and tells the story of Nimitz beginning with his life as a young boy through his naval career as well as the evolution of the old hotel.

Contents

Nimitz Hotel

Charles Henry Nimitz, German merchant sailor and grandfather of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, was born in Bremen in Germany. He emigrated to the United States by way of South Carolina in 1844. In 1846, Nimitz moved to Fredericksburg with the initial settlers. In 1848, he married Sophie Dorothea Mueller, and nine of the couple's twelve children lived to adulthood. [2] Local trouble maker James P. Waldrip tried unsuccessfully to recruit Nimitz into Die Haengebande (vigilanty group). [3] Charles Nimitz built the Nimitz Hotel in 1852, and deeded it over to his son Charles H. Nimitz, Jr., in 1906. Locals referred to it as the Steamboat Hotel because of the ship's bow front. The hotel had its own saloon and brewery, a ballroom that doubled as a theatre, a smokehouse, and a bath-house. [4] In its heyday, the hotel hosted such guests as Horace Greeley, Johnny Ringo, President Rutherford B. Hayes, General Robert E. Lee, General James Longstreet, General Phil Sheridan, William Sydney Porter and General Ulysses S. Grant. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Anna Henke Nimitz, the wife of his son Chester Bernard Nimitz became pregnant with their only child Chester William Nimitz. The senior Chester died before his son was born on February 24, 1885. Little Chester's grandfather Charles served as a father figure the first five years of his life. In 1890, the widow Nimitz married her husband's brother William Nimitz and moved with him to Kerrville where he managed the St. Charles Hotel. While still a teenager, Chester was accepted for enrollment in the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated seventh out of a class of 114. Chester Nimitz rose to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Forces in World War II. Fleet Admiral Nimitz died February 20, 1966. [10]

The Nimitz Hotel was designated an historical marker in 1989, marker number 10089. [11]

The Museum

The Admiral Nimitz Foundation was established in 1964 (as the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Naval Museum, Inc.) to support a museum honoring Fredericksburg's native son, Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces, Pacific Ocean Area.

The entrance to the National Museum of the Pacific War Nmpw-front-left-flags.jpg
The entrance to the National Museum of the Pacific War

The hotel owned by Nimitz's grandfather Charles Henry Nimitz was restored to its original design and renamed the Admiral Nimitz Museum by an act of the Texas legislature in 1968. [12] The original intent was to focus only as a memorial to Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. [13] In 2000, the complex was renamed Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site – National Museum of the Pacific War and is dedicated exclusively to the Pacific Theater battles of World War II. [14] The conning tower and foc'sle of USS Pintado (SS-387) is at the main museum entrance. [15]

The Pacific Combat Zone is a re-creation of a Pacific island battlefield, and includes a Quonset Hut, a PT boat and base, Japanese tank, palm trees, and machine gun placements. Re-enactments, called Living History exhibits, are held throughout the year. [16] The Veterans' Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall can be found within the Memorial Courtyard. [17] Also located at the Pacific Combat Zone, the Quonset Hut now serves as the base for the museum's STEAM Lab.https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/discover/field-trips/

On May 8, 1976, the 130th anniversary of the founding of Fredericksburg, the Japanese government gifted the museum with the Japanese Garden of Peace. The garden was designed by Taketora Saita as a replica of the private garden of Gensui The Marquis Tōgō (1848–1934), the main Imperial Japanese Navy commander in the Russo-Japanese War. [18] Fleet Admiral Nimitz personally admired the Marquis Tōgō, having previously helped to establish a war memorial to the Japanese admiral. [19] [20]

Plaza of the Presidents on the Museum grounds Plaza of the Presidents Nimitz Museum.jpg
Plaza of the Presidents on the Museum grounds

The outdoor Plaza of the Presidents was dedicated on September 2, 1995, the 50th anniversary of Fleet Admiral Nimitz' acceptance of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri (BB-63). The plaza is a tribute to the ten United States Presidents who served during World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Commander in Chief), Harry S. Truman (Commander in Chief), General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower (Army), John F. Kennedy (Navy), Lyndon B. Johnson (Navy), Richard Nixon (Navy), Gerald Ford (Navy), Jimmy Carter (Navy), Ronald Reagan (Army) and George H. W. Bush (Navy). [21] [22]

George H. W. Bush cut the ribbon in 1991 for the $3 million gallery bearing his name. The George H.W. Bush Gallery is home to an I.J.N. Ko-hyoteki class midget submarine (which participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor), a Japanese Kawanishi N1K "Rex" floatplane, and an American North American B-25 Mitchell. In 1991, the land for the Bush Gallery was bought from H-E-B Grocery. [14] Money for the gallery was privately raised in the 1990s through the efforts of finance chairman Lee Bass and a board that included baseball star Nolan Ryan and Ernest Angelo, a former mayor of Midland. Admission tickets cover both museums. In addition, the museum is currently home to the PT boat PT-309. [23] [24]

Bush later reflected that "terrifying experiences" of war helped him to become a man: "I have often wondered why me, why was I spared when others died." [25]

On December 7, 2009, the museum hosted the Grand Reopening of the newly expanded George H. W. Bush Gallery where the second floor houses the Nimitz Education and Research Center. Former President George H. W. Bush his wife Barbara, along with Texas Governor Rick Perry, cut the ribbon. The ceremony was attended by survivors of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, and drew a crowd of 5,000 people. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester W. Nimitz</span> United States Navy fleet admiral (1885–1966)

Chester William Nimitz was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillespie County, Texas</span> County in Texas, U.S.

Gillespie County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 26,725. The county seat is Fredericksburg. It is located in the heart of the rural Texas Hill Country in Central Texas. Gillespie is named for Robert Addison Gillespie, a soldier in the Mexican–American War. It is known as the birthplace of 36th president of the United States of America Lyndon B. Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Halsey Jr.</span> United States Navy admiral (1882–1959)

William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others being William Leahy, Ernest J. King, and Chester W. Nimitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond A. Spruance</span> United States admiral (1886–1969)

Raymond Ames Spruance was a United States Navy admiral during World War II. He commanded U.S. naval forces during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, one of the most significant naval battles of the Pacific Theatre. He also commanded Task Force 16 at the Battle of Midway, comprising the carriers Enterprise and Hornet. At Midway, dive bombers from Enterprise sank four larger carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Most historians consider Midway the turning point of the Pacific War.

Nimitz may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleet admiral (United States)</span> Rank in the United States Navy

Fleet admiral is a five-star flag officer rank in the United States Navy whose rewards uniquely include active duty pay for life. Fleet admiral ranks immediately above admiral and is equivalent to General of the Army and General of the Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forrest Sherman</span> United States Navy admiral

Forrest Percival Sherman was an admiral in the United States Navy and the youngest person to serve as Chief of Naval Operations until Admiral Elmo Zumwalt in 1970. The Forrest Sherman-class destroyer and the airfield at Naval Air Station Pensacola were named for him.

The United States Fleet was an organization in the United States Navy from 1922 until after World War II. The acronym CINCUS, pronounced "sink us", was used for the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet. This was replaced by COMINCH in December, 1941, under the Executive Order 8984, when it was redefined and given operational command over the Atlantic, Pacific, and Asiatic Fleets, as well as all naval coastal forces. The Executive Order 9096 authorized the offices of the CNO and COMINCH to be held by a single officer; Admiral Ernest J. King was first to do so, and in 1944 was promoted to the five-star rank of fleet admiral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond K. Turner</span> American general (1885–1961)

Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, commonly known as Kelly Turner, was an admiral of the United States Navy during the Second World War, where he commanded the Amphibious Force in the Pacific theater. Turner was also responsible for the creation of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) in 1942 that were an early precursor to the United States Navy SEALs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert L. Ghormley</span> United States Navy admiral

Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley was an admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander, South Pacific Area during World War II. Ghormley was long considered to be an ineffective leader–overly cautious, pessimistic, and even defeatist–but recent scholarship has argued that while he may not have been an inspiring leader, he performed well enough under difficult circumstances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas C. Kinkaid</span> United States Navy admiral (1888–1972)

Thomas Cassin Kinkaid was an admiral in the United States Navy, known for his service during World War II. He built a reputation as a "fighting admiral" in the aircraft carrier battles of 1942 and commanded the Allied forces in the Aleutian Islands Campaign. He was Commander Allied Naval Forces and the Seventh Fleet under General of the Army Douglas MacArthur in the Southwest Pacific Area, where he conducted numerous amphibious operations, and commanded an Allied fleet during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of World War II and the last naval battle between battleships in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Ocean Areas</span> 1942–1945 Allied regional command in the Pacific War of World War II

Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War and one of three United States commands in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz of the U.S. Navy, Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, headed the command throughout its existence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles A. Lockwood</span> United States admiral

Charles Andrews Lockwood was a vice-admiral and flag officer of the United States Navy. He is known in submarine history as the commander of Submarine Force Pacific Fleet during World War II. He devised tactics for the effective use of submarines, making the members and elements of "silent service" key players in the Pacific victory.

<i>Harms Way</i> (novel) 1962 war novel by James Bassett

Harm's Way is a 1962 war novel by James Bassett. Set in the Pacific theater during World War II, it follows the exploits of Captain Rockwell "Rock" Torrey as he plans and carries out naval operations against the Japanese. The book was adapted into the 1965 film In Harm's Way, which was produced and directed by Otto Preminger and starred John Wayne and Kirk Douglas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Ocean theater of World War II</span> Major area of military events, 1942–1945

The Pacific Ocean theater of World War II was a major theater of the Pacific War, the war between the Allies and the Empire of Japan. It was defined by the Allied powers' Pacific Ocean Area command, which included most of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, while mainland Asia was excluded, as were the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Borneo, Australia, most of the Territory of New Guinea, and the western part of the Solomon Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet Headquarters (World War II)</span> United States historic place

CINCPAC Fleet Headquarters, also known as Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet Headquarters or COMPACFLT Headquarters, is a historic military building on Makalapa Drive in Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, on the island of Oahu in the US state of Hawaii. Built during World War II in 1942, it served as the headquarters of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from 1942 through 1945, while he was Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet and Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. Commanding land, sea, and air forces, Admiral Nimitz had major responsibility for campaigns such as the Battle of Midway, the liberation of Guam, and the seizure of Saipan and Tinian in the Marianas. It was designated a National Historic Landmark for this role in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Nimitz Jr.</span> United States Navy admiral (1915–2002)

Chester William "Chet" Nimitz Jr. was an American submarine commander in the United States Navy during World War II and the Korean War, and a businessman. He was awarded the Navy Cross and three Silver Stars for valor in battle. He was the son of U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John R. Redman</span> US Navy admiral (1898–1970)

John "Jack" Roland Redman was an admiral in the United States Navy. A naval communications officer, he played key roles in signals intelligence during World War II in Washington, D.C., and on the staff of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. He also competed at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Charles Henry Nimitz (born Karl Heinrich Nimitz; was born in Bremen, Germany, the son of a merchant seaman. Like his father before him, he was already a veteran seaman before the Nimitz family immigrated to South Carolina in the early 1840s, and later became part of the Adelsverein colonization experiment in the newly annexed state of Texas. He was the grandfather of, and role model for, Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. In 1852, he built the Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas, in the United States. The hotel he built now houses the National Museum of the Pacific War. The Nimitz Hotel was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1989, Marker number 10089. Nimitz was elected to the Twenty-second Texas Legislature in 1890, representing Gillespie, Comal and Blanco counties, which constituted District 89.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese Garden of Peace</span>

The Japanese Garden of Peace is a peace garden installed at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas.

References

  1. ↑ "Chester W. Nimitz Biography :: Notable Graduates". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  2. ↑ Kohout, Martin Donell. "Nimitz, Charles Henry". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
  3. ↑ Adam, Thomas (2005). Germany and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History . ABC-CLIO. p.  384. ISBN   978-1-85109-628-2.
  4. ↑ Potter, E B (1976). Nimitz (Potter) . US Naval Institute Press. p.  23. ISBN   978-0-87021-492-9.
  5. ↑ Jamison, Cheryl (1993). Texas Home Cooking. Harvard Common Press. p.  501. ISBN   978-1-55832-059-8.
  6. ↑ Johnson, David (1996). John Ringo. Barbed Wire Pr. p. 78. ISBN   978-0-935269-23-9.
  7. ↑ Larrabee, Eric (2004). Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War. US Naval Institute Press. p. 355. ISBN   978-1-59114-455-7.
  8. ↑ Carmack, Liz (2007). Historic Hotels of Texas: A Traveler's Guide. TAMU Press. p.  236. ISBN   978-1-58544-608-7.
  9. ↑ Kohout, Martin Donell. "Nimitz Hotel". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  10. ↑ Weddle, Robert S. "Nimitz, Chester William". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association.
  11. ↑ "Nimitz Hotel". Recorded Texas Historic Marker. William Nienke, Sam Morrow. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  12. ↑ "National Museum of the Pacific War| Museum Beginnings".
  13. ↑ "Natl Museum of the Pacific War". Texas Tourist Guide. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  14. 1 2 Hallowell, John (2007). "Fredericksburg's Nimitz Museum". Texas Hill Country Magazine (Fall).
  15. ↑ "Submarine Photo Index". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Brandt, Terry (7 December 2003). "Town Zeroing in on Tourism with Military Flair". Amarillo Globe News.
  17. ↑ Forehand, J C R (2010). The German Soldier that Sergeant York Never Met. Tate Publishing. p. 144. ISBN   978-1-61663-950-1.
  18. ↑ "Togo Heihachiro". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  19. ↑ "Garden of Peace-Fredericksburg". Texas Monthly: 112. August 1991.
  20. ↑ Kohout, Martin Donell. "National Museum of the Pacific War". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  21. ↑ "Plaza of the Presidents". Pacific War Museum. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  22. ↑ Naylor, June (2008). Quick Escapes Dallas/Fort Worth, 6th: Getaways in and around the Lone Star State. GPP Travel. p. 87. ISBN   978-0-7627-4558-6.
  23. ↑ Hlava, Chuck (31 Oct 2000). "Vets say adios to PT-309". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  24. ↑ "PT-309". Historic Naval Ships Association. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  25. ↑ Museum exhibit, Pacific Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas
  26. ↑ "George H.W. Bush Opens New War Museum". United Press International, Inc. 8 December 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.