16 Sterne in 4 Gräbern

[Big A]

Aus "Proceedings", US Naval Institute, Ausgabe 04/08

Sixteen Stars in Four Graves
By Colonel Thomas L. Constantino, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (Retired), and Midshipman Matthew Constantino, U.S. Naval Academy

The simple two-foot-tall white stone is not much different from the more than 138,000 others that surround it at the Golden Gate National Cemetery a dozen miles from downtown San Francisco. Besides the inscription, five stars arrayed in a circle at its peak is the only distinction that separates the grave marker of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from the others. Why the admiral is buried here is an interesting story.


Because he was prone to seasickness—and that not being a career enhancing trait for naval officers—Chester Nimitz originally wanted to attend the U.S. Military Academy. With an appointment to West Point unavailable, he became a midshipman at Annapolis instead. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy—at the age of 15 and without graduating from high school—from Fredericksburg, Texas, a small German immigrant farming community in the hill country west of San Antonio not far from today's LBJ Ranch. He soon outgrew his malady.

Most historians would agree that Admiral Nimitz was this country's number one Sailor in World War II. Selected over 28 more senior officers to lead the Pacific Fleet, he is best remembered for his successful island hopping campaign and his immortal words for those who fought at Iwo Jima—"Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Nimitz was a tall, lean, and rigidly straight officer with a weather-beaten face. Oddly, he never heard a shot fired in anger in World War II or, for that matter, in any other conflict. Arriving on Tarawa, he saw a scene of total devastation. Thousands of Japanese corpses still remained to be buried. "It's the first time I've smelled death," said Nimitz softly.

In his hometown, the National Museum of the Pacific honors those who served in that theater during World War II. The admiral figures prominently in its displays, his career is chronicled from midshipman to five-star officer. The Admiral Chester Nimitz Museum is located downtown on Main Street. It seems somewhat strange that the admiral is neither buried in his hometown nor with honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Golden Gate National Cemetery, off I-280 on San Bruno's Sneath Lane, is a 161-acre facility established in 1938 because the cemetery at the San Francisco Presidio that had served military needs since 1850 would soon be filled. The first burials were in 1941 and the cemetery was officially dedicated on Memorial Day, 1942.

Nimitz's grave, with his wife, Catherine, buried beside him, is located about 100 yards east of the flagpole toward the El Camino Real. Amid the thousands of near-identical headstones, it is easy to miss the simple inscription: CHESTER W. NIMITZ, FADM, U.S. NAVY, FEB 24 1885, FEB 20 1966. In searching for his grave, visitors are apt to find surprises (15 Medal of Honor recipients among them), especially at the sites immediately around his.

Admiral Nimitz is buried among two admirals, a vice admiral, and their spouses. Sixteen stars in four graves! These are not "ordinary" admirals. They were his subordinate commanders while he was commander-in-chief of the Pacific theater.

Next to Catherine lies Admiral Raymond A. Spruance and his wife, Margaret. Spruance commanded U.S. carrier forces and is best remembered for his decisive role in the Battle at Midway. This victory by air groups from the carriers Yorktown (CV-5), Hornet (CV-8), and Enterprise (CV-6), although costly in planes and aircrews, checked the enemy's advance in the Pacific. Next are buried Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood and his wife, Phyllis. Lockwood commanded U.S. submarines in the Pacific. Many forget that more than 80 percent of all enemy merchant tonnage was sunk by American subs during the war. In the next graves are Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner and his wife, Harriet. Turner commanded U.S. amphibious forces throughout the war.

All four men were Naval Academy graduates: Nimitz, 1905; Spruance and Turner, 1906; and Lockwood, 1908. They had been friends for more than 40 years.

Why was Admiral Nimitz buried in San Francisco? President John F. Kennedy, according to College of San Mateo history professor Michael Svanevik, wrote the admiral suggesting that, on his death, he be afforded a state funeral with interment at Arlington. The admiral respectfully rejected this offer, declaring that he wanted to be near the Pacific Ocean surrounded by men who made his victories possible.

In many ways the San Francisco Bay area had become his home. For many it is hard to imagine the area as a bustling, fully mobilized Navy community. During World War II naval installations and shipbuilding yards dotted the bay: Mare Island, Alameda, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, numerous Kaiser and other shipyards, Treasure Island, U.S. Merchant Marine facility at San Mateo's Coyote Point, and the Navy Personnel Center, San Bruno. Today all these facilities are either closed, sold, under joint use, or a long-term lease.

Nimitz served as the first commander of the Navy ROTC detachment at the University of California Berkeley. After a lifetime of sea and shore duty stations, the last years of his life were on Yerba Buena Island (adjacent to Treasure Island) in San Francisco Bay. While there he served as a regent at nearby UC Berkeley for eight years.

A more detailed explanation of the San Francisco burial was found in a dusty copy of an old Veterans Administration pamphlet.

The honor and dignity with which Admiral Nimitz served his country earned for him not only citations and medals but also the loyalty and respect of thousands of gallant men of all services, living and departed, who fought under his command. It was his personal request to be interred with his men rather than at Arlington.

On 13 September 1952, Fleet Admiral Nimitz wrote the Chief of Naval Personnel:

While I fully understand and appreciate the decision of the Quartermaster General to make no grave site reservations in the Golden Gate National Cemetery for other officers, I earnestly request that Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, USN (Ret.), and Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, USN (Ret.) upon their deaths, be given grave sites adjoining those which have been reserved for Mrs. Nimitz and me. This request is made because I firmly believe that our success in the Pacific during World War II was due in a very large measure to the splendid service rendered the Nation by these two officers.

Gravesites for Admiral Lockwood and spouses were designated later. Nimitz died in 1966.

Colonel Constantino is a recipient of the Legion of Merit, and trustee emeritus of the San Mateo County, California, Community College District. Midshipman Constantino is his nephew

[rosenow]

Guter Bericht Axel, habe mir diesen von Google übersetzen lassen, einfach schrecklich

16 Sterne, ein Ballungsgebiet.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
,,Die zwei weißen Sterne sind, wie die ihn umgebenden 138000 anderen Sterne, auf dem Golden Tor des zentralen Staatsfriedhofs, ein Dutzend Kilometer von der Innenstadt von San Francisco entfernt
Der einzige Unterschied, der sein Grab von den andren trennt, ist die Inschrift mit der fünf Sterne Anordnung

Die Historiker waren sich einig, das Admiral Nimitz die Nummer 1 der Seemänner im 2. Weltkrieg war.
Von weiteren 28 Spitzenoffizieren die ausgewählt wurden, blieb Admiral Nimitz durch sein Inselspringen, am besten in Erinnerung."


Was ich aus dieser Übersetzung nicht so richtig entnehmen konnte:
Ist er See untauglich gewesen oder hat er diese Krise überstanden?

Hier noch ein Link:
http://www.nimitz-museum.org/nimitzbio.htm

Gruß Michael

[Big A]

Er wurde bei der Beförderung 28 Offizieren, die in der Seniorität vor ihm standen, vorgezogen.

Seine Seekrankheit sol er nie ganz überwunden haben, wobei man dafür nichts kann, wenn das Gleichgewichtsorgan nicht 100% ausgerichtet ist wird man - mal mehr, mal weniger - seekrank. Dazu reicht (wieich aus leidvoller Erfahrung weiß ) schon ein fiebriger Infekt im Mittelohr und man füttert die Aussenbordskameraden. Manche überwindes es ganz schnell, andere nie...

Axel