The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz - Apr. 12th, 2003

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq36-4.htm ^

[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

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FReepers from the USO Canteen, The Foxhole, and The Poetry Branch
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

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Admiral Chester William Nimitz
1885 - 1966

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Chester William Nimitz was born on 24 February 1885, near a quaint hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas built by his grandfather, Charles Nimitz, a retired sea captain. Young Chester, however, had his sights set on an Army career and while a student at Tivy High School, Kerrville, Texas, he tried for an appointment to West Point. When none was available, he took a competitive examination for Annapolis and was selected and appointed from the Twelfth Congressional District of Texas in 1901.

He left high school to enter the Naval Academy Class of 1905. It was many years later, after he had become a Fleet Admiral that he actually was awarded his high school diploma. At the Academy Nimitz was an excellent student, especially in mathematics and graduated with distinction -- seventh in a class of 114. He was an athlete and stroked the crew in his first class year. The Naval Academy's yearbook, "Lucky Bag", described him as a man "of cheerful yesterdays and confident tomorrows."

After graduation he joined USS Ohio in San Francisco and cruised in her to the Far East. On 31 January 1907, after the two years' sea duty then required by law, he was commissioned Ensign, and took command of the gunboat USS Panay. He then commanded USS Decatur and was court martialed for grounding her, an obstacle in his career which he overcame.

He returned to the U. S. in 1907 and was ordered to duty under instruction in submarines, the branch of the service in which he spent a large part of his sea duty. His first submarine was USS Plunger (A- 1). He successively commanded USS Snapper, USS Narwal and USS Skipjack until 1912. On 20 March of that year, Nimitz, then a Lieutenant, and commanding officer of the submarine E-1 (formerly Skipjack), was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal by the Treasury Department for his heroic action in saving W.J. Walsh, Fireman second class, USN, from drowning. A strong tide was running and Walsh, who could not swim, was rapidly being swept away from his ship. Lieutenant Nimitz dove in the water and kept Walsh afloat until both were picked up by a small boat.



He had one year in command of the Atlantic Submarine Flotilla before coming ashore in 1913 for duty in connection with building the diesel engines for the tanker USS Maumee at Groton, Conn. In that same year, he was sent to Germany and Belgium to study engines at their Diesel Plants. With that experience he subsequently served as Executive Officer and Engineering Officer of the Maumee until 1917 when he was assigned as Aide and Chief of Staff to COMSUBLANT. He served in that billet during World War I.

In September 1918 he came ashore to duty in the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and was a member of the Board of Submarine Design. His first sea duty in big ships came in 1919 when he had one year's duty as Executive Officer of the battleship USS South Carolina. After that he continued his duty in submarines in Pearl Harbor as Commanding Officer USS Chicago and COMSUBDIV Fourteen.

In 1922 he was assigned as a student at the Naval War College, and upon graduation went as Chief of Staff to Commander Battle Forces and later Commander in Chief, U.S. Fleet (Admiral S. S. Robinson) .

In the meantime, the ROTC program had been initiated and in 1926 he became the first Professor of Naval Science and Tactics for the Unit at the University of California at Berkley. Throughout the remainder of his life he retained a close association with the University. After three years in that assignment, in 1929, he again had sea duty in the submarine service as Commander Submarine Division Twenty for two years and then went ashore to command USS Rigel and decommissioned destroyers at the base in San Diego. In 1933 he was assigned to his first large ship command, the heavy cruiser USS Augusta which served mostly as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. Coming ashore in 1935 he served three years as Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. His next sea command was in flag rank as Commander Cruiser Division Two and then as Commander Battle Division One until 1939, when he was appointed as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation for four years. In December 1941, however, he was designated as Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, where he served throughout the war. On 19 December 1944, he was advanced to the newly created rank of Fleet Admiral, and on 2 September 1945, was the United States signatory to the surrender terms aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.



He hauled down his flag at Pearl Harbor on 26 Nov. 1945, and on 15 December relieved Fleet Admiral E.J. King as Chief of Naval Operations for a term of two years. On 01 January 1948, he reported as special Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy in the Western Sea Frontier. In March of 1949, he was nominated as Plebiscite Administrator for Kashmir under the United Nations. When that did not materialize he asked to be relieved and accepted an assignment as a roving goodwill ambassador of the United nations, to explain to the public the major issues confronting the U.N. In 1951, President Truman appointed him as Chairman of the nine-man commission on International Security and Industrial Rights. This commission never got underway because Congress never passed appropriate legislation.

Thereafter, he took an active interest in San Francisco community affairs, in addition to his continued active participation in affairs of concern to the Navy and the country. he was an honorary vice president and later honorary president of the Naval Historical Foundation. He served for eight years as a regent of the University of California and did much to restore goodwill with Japan by raising funds to restore the battleship Mikasa, Admiral Togo's flagship at Tsushima in 1905.

He died on 20 February 1966.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), 1975-____, is named in honor of Fleet Admiral Nimitz.



PROMOTIONS

Graduated from the Naval Academy - Class of 1905
Ensign - 07 Jan. 1907
Lieutenant (junior grade) - 31 Jan. 1910
Lieutenant - 31 Jan. 1910
Lieutenant Commander - 29 Aug. 1916
Commander - 8 march 1918
Captain - 02 June 1927
Rear Admiral - 23 June 1938
Vice Admiral - Not held - promoted directly to Admiral
Admiral - 31 Dec. 1941
Fleet Admiral - 19 Dec. 1944

DECORATIONS and AWARDS

Distinguished Service Medal with two gold stars
Army Distinguished Service Medal
Silver Lifesaving Medal
Victory Medal with Escort Clasp
American Defense Service Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal

[SAMWolf]

Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet during the war, had outstanding gifts as a strategist and organizer of naval combat. Unlike Admiral Yamamoto, Nimitz stayed on shore during major battles. He believed in large-scale amphibious operations.

After Pearl Harbour his main duty was to protect the Hawaiian bases and he gathered a fleet near Midway Island. In May 1942 two of his carriers were involved in the Battle of Coral Sea which paved the way for the victory at Midway. One great advantage was that the US Intelligence had cracked the Japanese Fleet's code.



Midway left Nimitz with a freer hand to direct operations. The Pacific Area had been divided into two commands: MacArthur's command was the Southwest Pacific to line 160 degress E longitude. Nimitz had the Central Pacific area up to that line but including Guadalcanal. This was his next target. The force sent to Guadalcanal was the first US sea-borne expedition in the war and it was beset with problems. In the many sea battles off Guadalcanal the Japanese showed their superiority in night fighting. In October 1942 Nimitz was left with only one carrier but this crisis was overcome eventually because although the US losses in shipping matched those of the Japanese, the US Fleet was able to replace ships more quickly.

In 1943 the Americans gained control of the South Solomons and Nimitz received more ships than aircraft. He came to realize that frontal assaults were not effective ways of fighting the Japanese. He favoured attacking a less well-defended island to the rear of Japanese troop concentrations and cutting them off. He also felt that the quickest way to defeat the Japanese was to approach them via the islands in the Central Pacific; finally the Joint Chiefs of Staff agreed with this plan. In Novemeber 1943 this strategy began with the capture of Makin and Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, and Truk and Saipan in February 1944. For these Nimitz used Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet and Vice-Admiral Spruance's 5th Fleet alternately. Nimitz had been a submarine specialist and his submarine arm maintained an efficient blockade of Japan by constant attack on Japanese merchant shipping.

In march 1944 Nimitz was told to speed up his advance to the Marianas and his fleet emerged victorious from the Battle of the Phillipine Sea. In October the Joint Chiefs of Staff gave way to MacArthur's insistence and agreed that Nimitz's fleet should help in the conquest of Luzon and then move on to the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. As part of the Luzon campaign, Vice-Admiral Kinkaid and Rear Admiral Oldendorf repulsed the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.



In February 1945 assault troops captured Iwo Jima and then in June moved on to Okinawa. Nimitz's staff were now planning operations to land on mainland Japan but the Japanese surrendered. The formal surrender of the Japanese was accepted on board Nimitz's flagship the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945.

[SAMWolf]

The sad suicide of Admiral Nimitz

The name of Chester W. Nimitz is legendary in the annals of naval warfare. In June 1942, Admiral Nimitz commanded the U.S. forces assigned to block a Japanese invasion of Midway.

In the Battle of Midway, Nimitz's fighter-bombers caught the Japanese fleet off guard, as its carrier aircraft were being refueled on deck. His pilots swooped in and sent to the bottom four of the Japanese carriers – Hiryu, Soryu, Akagi and Kaga – that had led the attack on Pearl Harbor. Midway broke the back of Japanese naval power and was among the most decisive battles in all of history.



Nimitz's son and namesake, Chester W. Nimitz Jr., would rise to the same rank of admiral and become a hero of the Pacific war – a submarine commander who would sink a Japanese destroyer bearing down on his boat by firing torpedoes directly into its bow.

But Chester W. Nimitz Jr., achieved another kind of fame on Jan. 2. In a suicide pact with his 89-year-old wife, the 86-year-old hero ended his life with an overdose of sleeping pills.

Having lost 30 pounds from a stomach disorder, suffering from congestive heart failure and in constant back pain, the admiral had been determined to dictate the hour of his death. His wife, who suffered from osteoporosis so severe her bones were breaking, had gone blind. She had no desire to live without her husband.

So, as the devoted couple had spent their lives together, they decided to end their lives together. The admiral's final order read: "Our decision was made over a considerable period of time and was not carried out in acute desperation. Nor is it the expression of a mental illness. We have consciously, rationally, deliberately and of our own free will taken measures to end our lives today because of the physical limitations on our quality of life placed upon us by age, failing vision, osteoporosis, back and painful orthopedic problems."



According to The New York Times obituary, "The Nimitzes did not believe in any afterlife or God, and embraced no religion. But one of Mr. Nimitz's three surviving sisters, Mary Aquinas, 70, is a Catholic nun. ... Sister Mary said that she could not condone her brother's decision to end his life, but that she felt sympathetic. 'If you cannot see any value to suffering for yourself or others,' she said, 'Then maybe it does make sense to end your life.'"

The admiral's suicide is a moral tragedy. As a war hero who carried a great name, Chester W. Nimitz Jr. was a man whom it is natural to admire and emulate. Yet, many of those who read of how he ended his life will conclude that this is the course of dignity and honor for brave men. Many will take the final step the admiral took – not out of calculation, but depression, loneliness, despair and fear.

Patrick J. Buchanan

Additional Sources:

www.theamericancause.org
www.npg.si.edu
www.usna.com
www.heartlandmidway.org
www.mpls.lib.mn.us
www.nato.int
www.history.navy.mil
www.museumofworldwarii.com
www2.whidbey.com
www.military.com

[SAMWolf]

'A ship is always referred to as "she" because it costs so much to keep one in paint and powder.'

'That is not to say that we can relax our readiness to defend ourselves. Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.'

'We shall never forget that it was our submarines that held the line against the enemy while our fleets replaces losses and repaired wounds. It is to the everlasting honor and glory of our submarine personnel that they never failed us in our days of peril'

-- Chester Nimitz

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On this Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on April 12:
1500 Joachim Camerarius [Liebhard Kammerer] German humanist
1573 Jacques Bonfrère Dutch bible expert
1579 François de Bassompierre marshal of France
1626 Paul Hainlein composer
1692 Giuseppe Tartini composer, Istria
1695 Caspar Burman historian/mayor (Utrecht Netherlands)
1716 Felice de' Giardini composer
1722 Pietro Nardini composer
1724 Lyman Hall US physician (signed Declaration of Independence)
1727 Gaspare Gabellone composer
1760 Juan Manuel Olivares composer
1764 Dirk van den Boetzelaer regent of Holland
1769 Giovanni Agostino Perotti composer
1777 Henry Clay [the Great Compromiser] US politician
1788 Johann Erik Nordblom composer
1791 Francis Preston Blair newspaper editor (Washington Globe)
1792 John George Lambton London, statesman (1st Earl of Durham)
1793 Ferdinand I the Good Natured, Emperor of Austria/king of Hungary
1794 Germinal P Dandelin Belgian mathematician (geometry)
1801 Henry de Cock Dutch reformed vicar/secession leader
1801 Josef Franz Karl Lanner Austria, composer/violist
1802 François MP Liberman French relig leader (Congregation of Heart)
1815 Henry Hugo Pierson composer
1823 Aleksandr Ostrovsky Russian playwright (Artists & Admirers)
1827 Edward Mollenhauer composer
1831 Constantin Meunier Belgian painter/sculptor
1831 George Burgwyn Anderson Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
1831 Grenville Mellen Dodge Major General (Union volunteers)
1838 John Shaw Billings US, librarian/army physician
1839 Victorin de Joncieres composer
1840 Edmond Audran composer
1851 Emil Liebling composer
1852 [Carl L] Ferdinand von Lindemann German mathematician
1856 William M Conway English historian/explorer (Spitzbergen)
1863 Raul d'Avila Pompeia Brazilian writer (Boarding School)
1869 Henri-Désiré Landru French sex murderer
1871 Ioannis Metaxas Greek General/dictator (1936-41)
1878 Richard B Goldschmidt German/US zoologist
1879 Frederick G Melcher US, publisher/editor/founded children book week
1883 Imogen Cunningham photographer (1965 ASMP award)
1884 Otto Meyerhof Germany, psychologist/biochemist (Nobel-1922)
1885 Robert Délaunay French painter
1889 Pierre-Étienne Flandin French premier (1934-35)/Minister of Foreign affairs
1892 Johnny Dodds early jazz clarinettist
1894 Francisco H Craveiro Lopes Portuguese General/President (1951-58)
1898 Sir Grantley H Adams President of Barbados
1902 Louis J M Beel premier of Netherlands (1946-48, 58-59)
1903 Jan Tinbergen Dutch economist/UN advisor (Nobel 1969)
1904 Harald James Penrose pilot
1905 Inger J Hagerup-Halsír Norwegian poet
1908 Carlos Lleras Restrepo President of Colombia
1908 John T Hughes Bishop to Forces
1908 Virginia Cherrill actress (Lake Extra, Brat, City Lights, Delicious)
1910 Jürgen Rausch German philosopher/author (End of the Playboys)
1911 Darrell A Amyx US archaeologist (Greek Ceramics)
1911 Geoff Chubb cricketer (South Africa pace bowler vs England 1951-52 aged 40)
1912 Georges Franju France, director (Judex, L'homme sans visage)
1912 Herbert Mills singer, (Mills Brothers)
1912 Eric Feldary Budapest Hungary, actor (16 Fathoms Deep)
1912 Harold Maguire British air marshal
1913 Gabor Jodal composer
1915 Emil [Theodore] Petaja US, sci-fi author (Star Mill, Tramontane)
1916 Brian Connell writer/broadcaster
1917 M Marie Widlow St Louis MO, softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1957)
1917 Vinoo Mankad cricketer (India's greatest all-rounder to his time)
1918 Edward John Stanley 18th Earl of Derby, English landowner/multi-millionaire
1919 Istvan Anhalt composer
1919 Lady Ricketts CEO (National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux)
1919 Maurice Girodias French publisher
1919 Wilson Charles Geoffery Baldwin hero
1920 Robert Fizdale Chicago IL, pianist (Misia)
1920 H R Hewitt CEO (Johnson Matthey)
1921 A W Mabbs archivist
1923 Ann Miller [Lucille Ann Collier] Houston TX, dancer/actress (On the Town)
1923 Maria Callas opera singer (Carmen)
1923 E C Meade British chartered accountant
1924 Julius Moormann student/resistance fighter (WWII)
1924 Sergiu Natra composer
1925 Johnny Jordan England, cameraman (You Only Live Twice)
1927 Jane Withers Atlanta GA, actress (All Together Now, Josephine the plumber)
1927 Patrick Meehan petty criminal
1928 Brooklyn Supreme Belgium, stallion, heaviest known horse (1450 kg)
1928 Hardy Kruger Berlin Germany, actor (Barry Lyndon, Wrong is Right)
1928 Uwe Kitzinger president (Templeton College-Oxford)
1929 Elspet Gray (Lady Rix), actress (4 Weddings & a Funeral, Solo, Tenko)
1930 Betty Clooney Maysville KY, singer (Jack Paar Show)
1930 Bryan Magee writer
1930 Lou A de Graaf Dutch Assistant Secretary of Social Affairs (VDA)
1930 Uwe Kitzinger president (Templeton College, Oxford)
1931 Billy Vaughn Glasgow KY, singer (Chapel by the Sea)
1931 Martin Boykan composer
1932 Tiny Tim [Herbert Butros Khaury] New York NY, singer (Tip Toe Thru' the Tulips With Me)
1932 Henri Lazarof composer
1932 Jack Gelber US, playwright (Connection, Apple)
1933 Montserrat Caballé Barcelona Spain, soprano (Mimi-La Boheme)
1935 Wendy Savage obstetrician/gynaecologist
1936 Charles Napier actor (Night Stalker, Rambo)
1936 Kennedy A Simmonds premier (St Kitts & Nevis, 1983-95)
1937 Igor Petrovich Volk Russia, cosmonaut (Soyuz T-12)
1937 Raymond Ceulemans Belgian world champion billiards player
1939 Alan Ayckbourn London, playwright
1940 Herbie Hancock Chicago IL, pianist (I Thought it was You)
1941 Julio B Euson Aruban singer (I Use the Soap)
1942 Frank Bank Hollywood CA, actor (Lumpy-Leave it to Beaver)
1942 Bill Bryden theatre director
1942 Daniel Winslow Schmidt composer
1943 Charles Ludlam New York NY, playwright/actor (Big Easy)
1944 John Kay [Joachim F Krauledat] Tilsit East Prussia Germany, rocker (Steppenwolf-Hour of the World)
1944 Karel Kryl folk singer
1945 Hilary Nicolle educationist
1946 Ed[ward] O'Neill Youngstown OH, actor (Michael Mooney-Big Apple, Al Bundy-Married with Children)
1946 Peter L de Baan Dutch actor/director/playwright (Leonce & Lena)
1946 René Krijnen Dutch keyboardist (Les Baroques)
1947 Dan Lauria actor (Jack Arnold-Wonder Years) (1947 approximately)
1947 David Letterman Indianapolis IN, comedian (Late Night)
1947 Wayne Northrop Sumner WA, actor (Michael-Dynasty)
1948 Raphick Jumadeen cricketer (West Indies slow left-armer of the 70's)
1950 David Cassidy New York NY, singer/actor (Keith-Partridge Family)
1950 Tom Werner owner (San Diego Padres)/producer (Roseanne, Cosby Show)
1951 Jakson Spires rock drummer/songwriter (Blackfoot)
1952 Alexis Arguello Managua Nicaragua, featherweight boxer (1974 champion)
1952 Fred McCarren Butler PA, actor (Free Country, Amanda's)
1952 J D Nicholas English guitarist (Heatwave, Commodores)
1954 Marvin Johnson US, middleweight boxer (Olympics-bronze-1972)
1954 Pat Travers Toronto Ontario Canada, rock guitarist (Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights)
1956 Andy Garcia [Andrés Arturo García Menéndez] Havana Cube, actor (Stand & Deliver, 8 Million Ways to Die)
1956 Alexander Briley vocalist (YMCA-Village People)
1956 Doris Baaten Dutch actress (Sesame Street, Fien)
1958 Tony James rocker (Sigue Sigue Sputnik-Love Missile F-111)
1958 Will Sergeant rock guitarist (Echo & Bunnymen-Killing Moon, Heaven Up Here)
1959 Elissa Leeds New York NY, actress (Cissy-Dorothy)
1959 Pascal Barré France, sprint relay team/twin brother of Patrick (Olympics-bronze-1980)
1959 Patrick Barré France, sprint relay team/twin brother of Pascal (Olympics-bronze-1980)
1961 D D Verni heavy metal rocker (Overkill-Hello From the Gutter)
1961 Julius Kariuki Kenya, 3K steeplechaser (Olympics-gold-1988)
1964 Mike Macfarlane Stockton CA, catcher (Kansas City Royals)
1965 Elaine Zayak New Jersey, figure skater (Olympics-6th-1984)
1966 Jeffrey Hunter WLAF defensive end (London Monarchs)
1966 Lorenzo White NFL running back (Cleveland Browns)
1966 Theo Blanco WLAF receiver (Amsterdam Admirals)
1967 Bobby Abrams NFL outside linebacker (New England Patriots)
1967 Donna Andrews Lynchburg VA, LPGA golfer (1994 Nabisco Dinah Shore)
1967 Kirk Everist Houston TX, water polo driver (Olympics-96)
1967 Mellow Man Ace [Ulpiano Sergio Reyez] Havana Cuba, Spanish rapper/actor (Only the Strong)
1968 Adam Graves Toronto Ontario Canada, NHL left wing (New York Rangers)
1968 Alicia Coppola actress (Lorna Devon-Another World)
1968 Neal Fort CFL tackle (Montréal Alouettes)
1969 Michael Jackson NFL wide receiver (Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens)
1970 Patrick Brugnoli hockey forward (Team Italy 1998)
1971 Shannen Doherty Memphis TN, actress (Little House, Bev Hills 90210)
1971 Fernando Meligeni Argentina, tennis star
1971 Kent Manderville Edmonton, NHL left wing (Edmonton Oilers)
1971 Tyrone Chatman CFL linebacker (British Columbia Lions)
1973 Antonio Osuna Sinaloa México, pitcher (Los Angeles Dodgers)
1973 Claudia Jordan Miss Rhode Island-USA (1997, top 10)
1973 Pamela Polk Berlin WI, Miss Wisconsin-America (1996)
1974 Kabir Khan cricketer (Pakistani slow left-armer 1994- )
1974 Roman Hamrlik Gottwaldov Czechoslovakia, NHL defenseman (Lightning, Olympics-gold-98)
1975 Marcie Alberts WNBA guard (Cleveland Rockers)
1975 Sofie Rahman Miss Hong Kong-Universe (1996)
1978 Eddie Robinson actor (Neil Atwater-Swan's Crossing)
1979 Claire Danes New York NY, actress (Angela-My So Called Life, Romeo & Juliet)

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Deaths which occurred on April 12:
0352 Julius I pope (337-52), dies
1550 Claude of Lorraine duke of Guise, dies at 53
1555 Johanna de Wanzinnige Queen of Castilie (1504-20), dies at 75
1605 Boris Godunov Tsar of Russia (1598-1605), dies
1690 Miguel Gomez Camargo composer, dies at 71
1704 John Hudde 21x mayor of Amsterdam, dies at 76
1748 William Kent English sculptor/architect (Kensington Palace), dies
1760 Baron Ernst Gottlieb composer, dies at 64
1777 Claude-Prosper J de Crébillon French writer (Le sopha), dies at 70
1788 Carl Joseph Toeschi composer, dies at 56
1788 Carlo Antonio Campioni composer, dies at 67
1795 Rainieri de Calzabigi Italian literary, dies at 80
1797 Josef Antonin Stepan composer, dies at 71
1817 Charles Messier "comet ferret" & catalogs famous "M objects", dies
1828 Jean Henri Appelius Dutch lawyer/minister of Finance, dies at 60
1845 Henry M baron the Kock officer/politician, dies at 65
1859 John Emde German evangelist, dies at about 84
1864 Thomas Green US Confederate Brigadier-General, dies in battle at 50
1878 William M "Boss" Tweed New York politician, dies
1896 Alexander Ritter composer, dies at 62
1909 Hermann Kotzchmar composer, dies at 79
1910 William G Sumner US sociologist/politicologist (Folkways), dies at 69
1912 Clara Barton organized American Red Cross, dies at 90
1914 Josef Nesvera composer, dies at 71
1922 Frantisek Ondricek composer, dies at 64
1938 Feodor Chaliapine Russian author (Man & Mark), dies at 65
1938 Serafín Alvarez Quintéro Spanish playwright (Piropos), dies at 67
1942 Johannes E Akkeringa Dutch painter/etcher, dies at 80
1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt 32nd US President (1933-1945, Democrat), dies of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs GA at 63
1946 August Borms Flemish nazi collaborator, executed at 67
1946 F Guicciardi writer, dies
1947 Christian F L Leipoldt South African writer (Die Moormansgat), dies
1951 Harold Vincent Milligan composer, dies at 62
1954 Pim [Willem JH] Mulier Dutch journalist/sports-organizer, dies at 89
1956 José Moscardo Ituarte Spanish General (Alcázar 1936), dies at 77
1959 Ernest Willem Mulder composer, dies at 60
1959 James Gleason dies at 76
1961 Nils-Eric Fougstedt composer, dies at 50
1961 Philippine "Pine" Belder [Mary de Klerk] actress, dies at 93
1965 Linda Darnell US actress (Dakota Incident), dies at 43
1966 Sumokil President of Republic South Moluccas, executed
1972 C W Ceram [Kurt Marek] German/US writer (1st American), dies at 57
1972 Henri Potiron composer, dies at 89
1974 Carl Jaffe dies at 72
1975 Joséphine Baker US/French revue artist (Folies-Bergère), dies at 68
1976 Paul Ford actor (Phil Silvers Show), dies at 74
1977 Philip K Wrigley baseball owner (Chicago Cubs), dies at 82
1980 William R Tolbert Jr Liberian President & 27 others killed in coup
1980 Stanley De Silva cricketer (motor bike Sri Lanka '79 World Cup), dies
1981 Hans Chemin-Petit composer, dies at 78
1981 Hendrik F Andriessen Dutch organist/composer (Te Deum), dies at 88
1981 Joe Louis [Brown bomber] US heavyweight champion (1937-49), dies at 66
1984 Ruth Taylor actress (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), dies at 76
1987 Ewan Calague economist/statistician (Social Security) dies at 90
1988 Alan Stewart Paton writer, dies
1989 Abbie Hoffman yippie peace activist of the 60's, dies at 52
1989 Sugar Ray Robinson [Walker Smith Jr] world welterweight champion (1946-51)/5-time middleweight champion, dies of Alzheimers at 67
1990 Henry Kendrick dies
1991 James Schuyler US poet (Pulitzer 1980), dies
1992 Joe Medwick vocalist, dies at 61
1993 Isaac Rojas Vice President of Argentina (1955-58), dies
1993 Patience Jarvis dies of melanoma at 56
1994 Harry la Fontaine Danish/US resistance fighter/producer, dies at 81
1994 Jean Carmet dies at 72
1994 Q T Macon blues vocal/guitar, dies at 60
1995 Chris Pyne trombonist, dies at 56
1996 Marthe Robert essayist/translator, dies at 82
1996 Nancy Sheehan writer, dies at 69
1996 William Wilkinson businessman/conservationist, dies at 63
1997 George Wald scientist, dies at 90

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Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1966 CONWAY JAMES B. FRANKLIN TN.

1966 GLASSON WILLIAM A. LOS ANGELES CA.

1966 HARRIS REUBEN COLUMBUS OH.

1966 JORDAN LARRY M. SAN JOSE CA.

1966 PUGH KENNETH W. LANCASTER CA.
12/16/75 PRG RETURNED ASHES

1967 CLAY WILLIAM C. III HENDERSON NC.
REMAINS RETURNED '95 IDENTIFIED 02/25/97

1969 DE SOTO ERNEST L. MANNING AR.

1969 HALL FREDERICK M. WAYNESVILLE NC.

1969 LAMP ARNOLD WILLIAM JR HEBRON OH.
REMAINS IDENTIFIED19 JULY 95

1970 TABB ROBERT ERNEST
03/27/73 RELEASED BY PRG ALIVE IN 98

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by the
P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

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On this day...
0352 St Julius I ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1065 Pilgrims under bishop Günther of Bamberg reach Jerusalem
1111 Pope Paschalis II crowns Henry V, Roman emperor
1204 4th Crusade occupies & plunders Constantinople
1229 Queen Blanche of Castilië & earl Raymond VII van Toulouse sign peace
1385 Willem van Oostervant weds Philip the Stout's daughter Margaretha (10)
1545 French king François I orders protestants of Vaudois to be killed
1583 William of Orange marries Louise de Coligny
1606 England adopts the Union Jack as its flag
1648 University of Harderwijk Netherlands solemn opens
1654 England, Ireland & Scotland unite
1709 1st edition of Tattler magazine in England
1713 Dutch State-General signs peace with France Netherlands loses Orange Princedom
1770 Townsend Acts repealed
1776 Halifax resolution for independence adopted by North Carolina
1782 Battle at Les Saintes West-Indies British fleet beats French
1787 Philadelphia's Free African Society forms
1811 1st US colonists on Pacific coast arrive at Cape Disappointment WA
1826 Weber's opera "Oberon", premieres in London
1844 Texas became a US territory
1857 Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" published
1858 1st US billiards championship is held in Detroit (Michael J Phelan wins)
1859 Hibernia Savings & Loan Society of San Francisco incorporates
1861 Fort Sumter SC is shelled by Confederacy, starting the Civil War
1862 James Andrews steals Confederate train (General) at Kennesaw GA
1862 Union troops occupy Fort Pulaski GA
1863 Gunboat battle at Bayou Teche LA
1864 Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest captures Fort Pillow TN
1864 Battle of Blair's Landing LA
1869 North Carolina legislature passes anti-Klan Law
1872 Jesse James gang robs bank in Columbia KY (1 dead/$1,500)
1877 British annex Transvaal, in South Africa
1877 Catcher's mask 1st used in a baseball game
1883 French troops under Lieutenant-Colonel Borgnis-Desbordes occupy Bamako Senegal
1887 Henrik Ibsen's "Rosmersholm", premieres in Oslo
1892 George C Blickensderfer patents portable typewriter
1893 Battle at Hoornkrans Southwest-Africa German Schutztruppen chases away Hottentotten under Hendrik Witbooi
1894 British & Belgian secret accord on dividing Central-Africa
1896 Stamasia Portrisi is 1st woman to win a marathon (5:30 in Athens)
1898 Army transfers Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco Bay to Navy
1905 Hippodrome arena opens (New York NY)
1905 French Dufaux brothers test helicopter
1907 Belgium government of De Stain de Naeyer, resigns
1908 Fire makes 17,000 homeless in Chelsea MA
1909 Philadelphia's Shibe Park (later Connie Mack Stadium) opens
1911 1st non-stop London-Paris flight (Pierre Prier in 3 hours 56 minutes)
1917 Bijou Theater opens at 222 W 45th St New York NY (Demolished in 1982)
1917 Domenico Scarlatti & Jean Cocteau's ballet premieres in Rome
1919 British Parliament passes a 48-hour work week with minimum wages
1926 Dutch Catholic Radio Broadcast (KRO) forms
1927 General Chiang Kai-shek begins counter revolution in Shanghai
1928 Assassination attempt on king Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
1930 4th Test Cricket West Indies vs England ends in a draw after nine days
1930 Wilfred Rhodes ends Test Cricket career aged 52 years 165 days
1931 Joe McCarthy debuts as New York Yankee manager
1931 Spanish voters reject the monarchy
1932 Emmanuel Chabriers & Balanchines ballet premieres in Monte Carlo
1933 Moffatt Field commissioned
1934 Highest velocity wind ever recorded on Mount Washington NH, 231 mph
1935 "Your Hit Parade", debuts on radio
1935 Germany prohibits publishing "not-Arian" writers
1935 Royal Proclamation sets design of Canada's new Jubilee Silver Dollar
1938 1st US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses (New York)
1938 Stanley Cup Chicago Blackhawks beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3 games to 1
1940 NFL cuts clipping penalty from 25 yards to 15 yards
1940 Italy annexes Albania
1941 Stanley Cup Boston Bruins sweep Detroit Red Wings in 4 games
1941 Vichy-France's head of government Admiral Dalan consults with Hitler
1942 9th Golf Masters Championship Byron Nelson wins, shooting a 280
1942 Japan kills about 400 Filipino officers in Bataan
1943 Allies conquer Soussa, North-Africa
1943 Dutch Catholic University Nijmegen closed
1944 Lillian Hellman's "Searching Wind", premieres in NYC
1945 Canadian troops liberate Nazi concentration camp Westerbork, Netherlands
1945 Harry Truman sworn in as 33rd US President
1945 Richard Strauss completes his "Metamorphosis"
1946 Syria gains independence from France
1951 Israeli Knesset officially designates April 13 as Holocaust Day
1952 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Houston Weathervane Golf Tournament
1952 Salaheddine Baccouche forms Tunisian government
1953 Keizo Yamada runs fastest marathon to date, at Boston
1953 17th Golf Masters Championship Ben Hogan wins, shooting a 274
1953 KFDX TV channel 3 in Wichita Falls TX (NBC) begins broadcasting
1954 Bill Haley & the Comets record "Rock Around the Clock"
1954 Joe Turner releases "Shake, Rattle & Roll"
1954 18th Golf Masters Championship Sam Snead beats Ben Hogan to win his 3rd Masters tournament, shooting a 289
1954 8th NBA Championship Minneapolis Lakers beat Syracuse Nationals, 4 games to 3
1954 Belgian Van Houtte government resigns
1955 1st game in Kansas City, Kansas City A's beat Detroit Tigers, 6-2
1955 Salk polio vaccine safe & effective; 4 billion dimes marched
1956 Bandaranaike government forms in Ceylon
1957 Jim Spalding set a 2088 pin nine-game bowling record
1957 USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test
1958 12th NBA Championship St Louis Hawks beat Boston Celtics, 4 games to 2
1958 Flemish Open air museum opens in Bokrijk
1959 13th Tony Awards J B & Redhead win
1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Babe Didrikson-Zaharias Golf Open
1959 France Observator reports torture practice by French army in Algeria
1960 Bill Veeck & Chicago Comiskey Park debut the "Exploding Scoreboard"
1960 Bert Haanstra wins Oscar for "Glass"
1961 Douglas MacArthur declines offer to become baseball commissioner
1961 Yuri Alexeyevich Gagarin becomes 1st person to orbit Earth (Vostok 1)
1961 3rd Grammy Awards Theme From a Summer Place wins, Ray Charles wins 4
1962 San Mateo County withdraws from BART district (San Francisco Bay area)
1963 Beatles "From Me to You" is released in UK
1963 Birmingham police use dogs & cattle prods on peaceful demonstrators
1964 28th Golf Masters Championship Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 276
1964 Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Baton Rouge Ladies' Golf Open Invitational
1965 1st National League game at Houston's Astrodome (Philadelphia Phillies beat Houston Astros 2-0)
1966 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium opens; Pittsburgh Pirates beat Atlanta Braves 3-2
1966 Rocker Jan Berry crashes his Corvette into a parked truck
1966 1st B-52 bombing on North Vietnam
1969 Simon & Garfunkel releases "The Boxer"
1970 Yankees dedicate plaques to Mickey Mantle & Joe DiMaggio
1973 France recognizes North Vietnam
1973 Sudan adopts constitution
1973 Swaziland suspends constitution
1975 Linda Ronstadt releases "When Will I Be Loved"
1976 India set 403 to win by West Indies; they get them, 6 wickets 7 overs spare
1979 Soyuz 33 returns to Earth
1980 Milwaukee beats Boston Red Sox, 18-1 (Cooper & Money hit grand slams)
1980 US Olympic Committee endorses a boycott of the Moscow games
1980 BCMA (Black Consciousness Movement of Azania) forms
1981 Maiden voyage Space Transit System-space shuttle Columbia launched
1981 45th Golf Masters Championship Tom Watson wins, shooting a 280
1981 Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA American Defender/WRAL Golf Classic
1981 Emmy News & Documentaries Award presentation
1982 3 CBS employees shot to death in NYC parking lot
1983 Harold Washington becomes Chicago's 1st black mayor
1983 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1985 16th Shuttle Mission (51D)-Discovery 4 launched-with Senator Jake Garn
1986 20,000 mine workers protest closing of Hasselt Belgium mines
1987 Texaco files for bankruptcy
1987 51st Golf Masters Championship Larry Mize wins, shooting a 285
1987 Ahmed Salah wins 2nd World Cup marathon (2:10:55)
1987 Ayako Okamoto wins LPGA Kyocera Inamori Golf Classic
1988 Frank Robinson replaces Cal Ripkin as manager of the Baltimore Orioles
1988 New Jersey Devils 4-2 over New York Islanders-Devils lead 3-2 in 1st round
1988 Harvard University patents genetically engineered mouse (1st for animal life)
1988 Sonny Bono elected mayor of Palm Springs CA
1989 Peter Ueberroth deal to purchase Eastern Airlines falls through
1989 3rd Soul Train Music Awards Anita Baker wins
1990 1st meeting of East German democratically elected parliament, acknowledges responsibility for Nazi holocaust & asks for forgiveness
1990 Greyhound Bus hires new drivers to replace strikers
1990 James Brown moves to a work-release center after serving 15 months
1991 2,500th episode of Entertainment Tonight airs
1991 US announces closing of 31 major US military bases
1991 Nepalese Congress party wins general elections
1992 "Streetcar Named Desire" opens at Ethel Barrymore Theater NYC for 137 performances
1992 2nd lowest NBA scoring game - Detroit Piston 72, New York Knicks 61
1992 Earthquake rocks Germany
1992 Euro Disney opens in Marne-la-Vallee France
1992 Lynn Gunther of California threatens to blow herself up in front of UN
1992 Matt Young no-hits Cleveland, but loses 2-1
1992 New York Mets lose 1st 3 home games for 1st time since 1962
1992 Trump Shuttle becomes US Air Shuttle
1992 53rd PGA Seniors Golf Championship Lee Trevino wins
1992 56th Golf Masters Championship; Fred Couples wins, shooting a 275
1992 Actress Lisa Bonet files for divorce from singer Lenny Kravitz
1998 62nd Golf Masters Championship Mark O’Meara wins

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Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Mauritius : Ougadi
North Carolina : Halifax Independence Day (1776)

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Religious Observances

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Religious History
1204 The armies of the Fourth Crusade captured Constantinople and established the Latin Empire.
1572 French-born Swiss reformer Theodore Beza (John Calvin's successor) wrote in a letter to Scottish reformer John Knox: 'They whose citizenship is in heaven ought to have their whole dependence on heaven.'
1799 The Church Missionary Society was organized in London under the original name of the Society for Missions in Africa and the East. This Anglican missions agency currently works in fields located in Africa, Ceylon, India, Pakistan, Iran, Palestine and the Far East.
1882 The Evangelical Reformed Church in Northwest Germany was created by royal decree when the king of Prussia ordered the 124 "reformed" congregations scattered throughout the area to become incorporated as an independent territorial church.
1914 An 11-day constitutional convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas, ended. During its sessions, the Assemblies of God denomination was founded.

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Thought for the day :
"Only the doctor can suffer from good health."

[Jen]

FALL IN to the FReeper Foxhole!

To be removed from this list, please send me a blank private reply with "REMOVE" in the subject line! Thanks! Jen

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Feather

[SAMWolf]

Hi Spooky.

[larryjohnson]

Good mornin from Maine. keep up the good work, FRoopers, I am having a tough time keeping up with FR posts and ...CNN(just kidding)... Fox news.

[SAMWolf]

1941 Vichy-France's head of government Admiral Dalan consults with Hitler

Starting the long traditon of French and German cooperation of anti-semitic harrassment and blaming the Jews for all their problems.

[SAMWolf]

Good morning Jen

[manna]

Present!

[SAMWolf]

No CNN allowed at the Foxhole, only "Fox"

[tarawa]

Always good to see another Texan honored. I went to Tivy High school in Kerrville, myself, for a while...

[GATOR NAVY]

The Greatest Generation. How come we were so lucky to have naval leaders like Nimitz, Spruance, Halsey and King at the same time?

P.S. Spruance should have 5 stars