Chester Nimitz ALS, Plus Typed Printed Speech with his Notes

Lot 191

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About Auction

American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. by Cowan's Auctions

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American History, Featuring the Property of N...

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 9, 2017 - Jun 10, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-06-09 10:00:00 2017-06-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-featuring-the-property-of-n-flayderman-co-2392 Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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Lot Description

Lot of 3. Nimitz, Chester W. (1885-1966). Commander in Chief of the US Pacific Fleet who engineered the "island-hopping" strategy that won the Pacific war. ALS to Bob (Robert R.) Gros, Gros' response, and 9pp typed speech that was to be given by Nimitz to the House Armed Services Committee (with over a page of holograph notes).

ALS, 2pp, on Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Berkeley, CA letterhead, June 11, 1958. Nimitz writes to Gros:

I enclose a copy of the statement which I had prepared for Vinson's Committee but did not use because I was not called. However, I may be called before the Senate Armed Forces Committee, and if so, will use it. I am grateful that you will hold the paper secure. You are free - however - to help yourself to such of the ideas expressed - if you believe in them....Aunt Catherine joins me in warmest regards...

The second letter is typed carbon copy, June 23, 1958 with typed Robert R. Gros, Vice President. (possibly Vice President, public relations, for Pacific Gas and Electric Co., often lectured on international relations, according to Online Archive of California). After commenting on Nimitz' speech, Gros says: I do hope you are called before the Senate Armed Forces Committee and I expressed that same hope to Tom Gates during the course of a pleasant visit I had with him in Washington last week.... I am utterly shocked at the hint thrown out by the Secretary of Defense yesterday that they might sack Arleigh Burke because of his testimony. ...it is the very negation of the democratic process to inhibit a professional officer's testifying to his honest convictions when called before a Congressional Committee...

In the speech that he planned to give before one of the Armed Forces Committees, Nimitz gives his opinion that he believes all armed services should remain independent. I am one of those 'obtuse admirals' who believes that if we should unfortunately engage in World War III in the predictable future - say the next five or ten years - we will use many of the methods and in considerable part the same weapons - greatly improved of course - that we used in World War II. ...It has always been my belief that each service should have the tools it needs to carry out its major function - even though other services use similar tools. ...My great concern is that during all the experimentation now going on with missiles of all kinds, none of which have as yet proved themselves at long (over 200-300 miles ) range, we will neglect the proved weapons of World War II. While there have been great advances, there have been only a few changes. Even the atom powered submarine has only a few improvements. It is a steam turbine driven ship with a reactor furnishing heat instead of a boiler. The British had steam driven subs in World War I, and long before that the Turks had a small steam driven sub...

Condition

Generally very good.
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