TAKING COMMAND OF A WRECKED FLEET Colleague Craig Symonds. Arriving at Pearl Harbor on Christmas 1941, Chester Nimitz faced the immediate task of bringing stability to a devastated command while the harbor was still burning. Selected by President Roosevelt, who knew him personally, Nimitz was chosen over the skepticism of Admiral Ernest King, who doubted Nimitz's toughness. While King viewed Nimitz as a "fixer" and manager rather than a warrior, Nimitz focused on rebuilding confidence. He privately expressed uncertainty to his wife but projected calm assurance to his subordinates, navigating early naval rivalries between aviators ("brown shoes") and ship drivers ("black shoes"). NUMBER 1
1945 OKINAWA