Chester W. Nimitz

Chester W. Nimitz
Portrait of Nimitz, c.1945–47
Born	(1885-02-24)February 24, 1885 Fredericksburg, Texas, U.S.
Died	February 20, 1966(1966-02-20) (aged 80) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Buried	Golden Gate National Cemetery San Bruno, California, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1905–1966[1]
Rank	Fleet Admiral
Service number	5572
Commands held	Chief of Naval Operations Pacific Ocean Areas United States Pacific Fleet Bureau of Navigation USS Augusta (CA-31) USS Rigel (AR-11) USS Chicago (CA-14) Atlantic Submarine Flotilla USS Skipjack (SS-24) 3rd Submarine Division Atlantic Torpedo Fleet USS Narwhal (SS-17) USS Snapper (SS-16) USS Plunger (SS-2) First Submarine Flotilla USS Decatur (DD-5)
Battles/wars	Philippine–American War World War I World War II Battle of the Coral Sea Battle of Midway Solomon Islands campaign Battle of the Philippine Sea Battle of Leyte Gulf Battle of Iwo Jima Battle of Okinawa
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal (4) Army Distinguished Service Medal Silver Lifesaving Medal Full list
Relations	Charles Henry Nimitz (grandfather) Chester Nimitz Jr. (son)
Other work	Regent of the University of California
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Chester William Nimitz (/ˈnɪmɪts/; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) 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.^[2]

Nimitz was the leading US Navy authority on submarines. Qualified in submarines during his early years, he later oversaw the conversion of these vessels' propulsion from gasoline to diesel, and then later was key in acquiring approval to build the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, whose propulsion system later completely superseded diesel-powered submarines in the US. He also, beginning in 1917, was the Navy's leading developer of underway replenishment techniques, the tool which during the Pacific war would allow the US fleet to operate away from port almost indefinitely. The chief of the Navy's Bureau of Navigation in 1939, Nimitz served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1945 until 1947. He was the United States' last surviving officer who served in the rank of fleet admiral. The USS Nimitz supercarrier, the lead ship of her class, is named after him.