This is John Batchel on Pearl Harbor Day, remembering 1941, but there was also

1944 and the decisions made by Chester Nimitz. I continue my conversation with Professor

Emeritus at the U.S. Naval Academy, Craig Simons, his new book on Nimitz.

I recommend it because it tells the story of the whole Pacific War from when Chester Nimitz, sent there by the president and Ernest King

right after Pearl Harbor, takes command.

He's outgunned by the Imperial Japanese Navy where he doesn't know where they are.

By 1944, he not only knows where they are,

they're on the run. He has the commander Halsey, Bull Halsey, Bill Halsey. And Bill Halsey is a

protege of risk. He's very good at it. He takes risk. He's very aggressive. And here the professor explains the risk that Bill Halsey, Bull Halsey took with a typhoon

that left a catastrophe in the fleet. And yet, Chester Nimitz did not remove him, and the professor explains why.

Craig Simons, on Bull Halsey and the typhoon and Chester Nimitz and making a decision between

this and that, between leaving Halsey for his bad decision making or keeping Halsey because

he's aggressive.

He took a risk.

It didn't work.

He'll be aggressive again. Award a win.

More of this than the complete conversation later tonight.

I don't know that Halsey took advantage of it. In a way, Nimitz's attitude was let Halsey be

Halsey. I mean, one of the things Nimitz liked about Halsey was his aggressive attitude.

He could be counted on to push the envelope, to go after the enemy as ferociously as he possibly could.

That's not always the right decision in every operational circumstance, but often it is.

And for those circumstances, Nimitz wanted to be able to give Halsey his leash. So when

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