Nimitz News Dispatch

Visit OurWebsite at PacificWarMuseum.org

“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

Newsletter of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation and National Museum of the Pacific WarA Property of the Texas Historical Commission ----------- Second Quarter 2018

A D M I RA L N I M I T ZFOUNDATION

ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM SEPTEMBER 22nd 2018ROCKBOX THEATER, FREDERICKSBURG, TEXASFor tickets or more information please visit www.pacificwarmusuem.org

THEN I M I T ZGRAYBOOKCHRONICLES OFTHE PACIFIC WARThe Nimitz Graybook towers as the most significant

single source on how the Pacific War was won.

FOUNDAN I M I T ZA D M I RA L

TIONUNDAATIONI M I T Z

D M I RA L

FOUNDATIONUNDAATION

his year’s Symposium will focus on the NimitzGraybook— Chronicles of the PacificWar. It will be

held on 22 September 2018 from 9am to 5pm at the RockboxTheater in Fredericksburg, Texas.The Nimitz Graybook is the Command Summary of Fleet

Admiral ChesterW. Nimitz and was compiled by theWar PlansSection of the Pacific Command Headquarters in HawaiiduringWorldWar II. It contains daily estimates of the situation,Command decisions, and running summaries of communica-tions from 7 December 1941 to 31 August 1945. Thus, it wasthe daily record of the combat situation that Nimitz faced dailyand presents what Nimitz knew and what the basis and reasonsfor his daily decisions were. Naval war historians have calledthe Graybook “a national treasure” as “it is the most authori-tative source on the Pacific War available anywhere.”The Graybook, which has been digitized and is in the public

domain, is often used by naval historians as a major resource.The Symposium will present a number of highly qualifiednaval scholars very familiar with the Graybook. HistorianKelly Crager will serve as Moderator. The tentative listof speakers (subject to change) and their topics include:-- Introduction to the Graybook: Speaker to be an-

nounced.-- Early Months of Nimitz’s Command and Struggle

with Admiral King: John Lundstrom, historian and authorof books on the Pacific War, including The First SouthPacific Campaign — Pacific Fleet Strategy, 1941-June1942.-- Battle of Midway Through the Lens of the Graybook:

Craig Symonds, Distinguished Visiting Ernest J. King Pro-fessor of Maritime History at the U.S. Naval Academy, au-thor of naval history books, including The Battle ofMidway.

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Fall Symposium:The Nimitz Graybook:

Chronicles of the PacificWar22 September 2018

UNDER TWO FLAGSJapanese Peace GardenRededicated in JointAmerican-Japanese

CeremonyPlease See Page 7 forDetails and Photos

Continued on Page 2

Page 2 Nimitz News Dispatch

-- Battle of Guadalcanal Through the Lens of the Gray-book: Richard Frank, military historian and frequent Sym-posium speaker. Author of many military history books,including Guadalcanal, the Definitive Account of theLandmark Battle.

-- Admirals Nimitz and Halsey:Walter Borneman, mil-itary historian who wrote The Admirals (Nimitz, Halsey,Leahy and King).

-- End Game— 1944-1945: James Hornfischer, awardwinning author of naval history books, including TheFleet at Flood Tide— America at Total War in thePacific, 1944-1945.

-- The Graybook Today: Speaker to be announced.The program also includes a Meet and Greet the Pre-

senters, Book Signings and a Round Table Discussionwith speakers and the audience. The latter will be mod-erated by Richard Frank and Kelly Crager.

Basic Symposium Information:The Symposium is open to the public and will be held at the Rockbox Theater, “*New Location,” located at 109 N.

Llano St., in Fredericksburg. Seating is limited so please reserve your space as soon as possible. Doors open at 8am,and the hours are 9am to 5pm.Tickets are $50 forAdmiral Nimitz Foundation members and $60 for non-members. Lunch will be on attendees' own

so they may choose among the town's excellent restaurants.Fredericksburg is located 70 miles from SanAntonio on IH 10N and 75 miles fromAustin on 290W. Air service is

available to SanAntonio andAustin on major carriers. For information, please contact the Fredericksburg Conventionand Visitor's Bureau on (888) 997-3600. Its website is visitfredericksburgtx.com. The Inn on Barons Creek, one blockfrom the Museum, will have a block of rooms with special rates for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights for all at-tendees. Please make reservations before 14August to guarantee a room. Its phone number is (830) 990-9202, and itsaddress is 308 S. Washington. Please check our website: PacificWarMuseum.org under "Events" for updated detailsand on line registration. A registration form is also provided on Page 3 for your convenience.

Sign-in and packet pick up for pre-registered attendeeswill be available in the George H.W. Bush Gallery all dayFriday, September 21, starting at 10am. Registration willalso be available at that time, and at 8am on Saturday, the22nd, if tickets are still available. Attendees will receivea digital copy of the entire Graybook on a USB stick. Inaddition, attendees will have free admission to the Mu-seum from Friday to Sunday. Symposium name tags willserve as admission.

On Friday evening, 21 September, there will be aWelcome Reception, free to all attendees, in the GeorgeH.W. Bush Gallery Lobby from 6 to 8pm. This will be anopportunity to meet the speakers and other attendees. Re-freshments will be served. As a special treat, artifacts per-tinent to the Graybook will be on display. They willpresent a visual chronicle of Nimitz's command decisionsthrough maps, Guam headquarters blueprints, letters, re-ports and photos. All of these are in the Museum's owncollection. Attendees will also have the opportunity tolearn how to take advantage of the resources offered bythe Nimitz Education and Research Center for their ownresearch projects.

Welcome Reception for All Attendees:

Registration, and Sign-in forPre-Registered Attendees:

Symposium, Continued from Page 1:

Saturday evening after the symposium,Treat Yourself to Dinner &Wine

at Das Peach HausOpen to All, Including Symposium Attendees

Saturday evening, 22 September, the Messina HofHill Country Winery is teaming up with Fischer &Wiesers’ Das Peach Haus to present a three-coursedinner paired with wines from the Nimitz Museumcollection, Chardonnay, Cabernet and the AdmiralNimitz Port.

Each purchase of Messina Hof Nimitz wine di-rectly supports the Admiral Nimitz Foundation andhelps to ensure the mission of the Museum is carriedout.The dinner, which will begin at 6:30pm, is open

to the public and seating is limited. We suggest Sym-posium attendees make their reservations early. Fortickets or more information, please call 830-990-4653 or email: hillcountry@messinahof.com.

Nimitz News Dispatch Page 3“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

Symposium Registration Form22 September 2018 -- Rockbox Theater, Fredericksburg

Registrants’ Names (As They Should Appear on Your Name Tag -- Veterans Pls Include Service Info):

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

• Tickets:Admiral Nimitz Foundation Members (# of Persons):______________Non-Foundation Members (# of Persons): ________________________Active Duty Military (# of Persons): ____________________________(WWII Veterans are free as part of WWII Veterans Scholarship Fund)Students with ID are admitted free

• Join the Admiral Nimitz Foundation ($35 basic annual membership):_____

@$50 = __________@$60 = __________@$30 = __________

@$35 = __________Total = __________

Check Enclosed for $ __________ (Payable to the Admiral Nimitz Foundation)MasterCard/VISA/Discover Card No. ________________________________Expiration Date: ________Card Verification Number: _________ Signature: ______________________________________________

Address:____________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________

Telephone: _________________ E-Mail________________________________________________________

Please Mail Form to: The Admiral Nimitz Foundation, Attn: Barbara Ford328 East Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624 or contact bford@NimitzFoundation.org

You may also register on-line at: PacificWarMuseum.org under “Events.”Please contact Barbara Ford for additional information at bford@NimitzFoundation.org.

Suggestion: The Theater venue can be chilly. A jacket or sweater may be helpful.Dress Code: Casual Dress

Please note: Cancellations must be received by 31 August 2018. Otherwise, a $10 fee will be charged.Seating at the Symposium is limited. If available, all tickets at the door will be $60.

Page 4 Nimitz News Dispatch

New Education Department Activities:

he Museum’s Education Department has entered theworld of robotics! This is in line with the Department’s

goal of developing programs which will connect STEMcourses (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) tohistorical aspects of the war in the Pacific. Education DirectorBryan Degner, assisted by the Gillespie County 4-H RoboticClub and sponsored by Keith and Carly Jenkins, put togethera highly successful contest,Operation Pacific Assault RoboticChallenge. It called upon students to build and program LEGOrobots to complete certain missions using a WWII-inspiredmap. All the missions were related to the Island HoppingStrategy used by Admiral Chester Nimitz during the PacificWar. They included clearing the jungle on Guadalcanal priorto building the Henderson Field Airport; throwing a satchelcharge into a Japanese bunker on Tarawa; raising the Ameri-can flag on Iwo Jima; sending supplies to Okinawa; and trans-porting Atomic Bomb components to Tinian.Both the students and visitors enjoyed the event which was

a learning experience for all involved. “It’s a blast watchingthe students do the programming and coding, as well as strate-gize,” said Keith Jenkins, a coach for the Gillespie 4-H Robot-ics Project. Degner agreed and added that the contest was sopopular that team members were already talking about “nextyear.”

Robotics Contest: Texas History Day:or over 30 years, thousands of students from acrossthe state have been participating in the National

History Day (NHD) contest. Texas History Day is an af-filiate of NHD, which is a highly regarded project basedacademic program for G-12 grade students. According tothe Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), over65,000 students from Texas join the more than 500,000students from across the United States for a chance tocompete at the national contest held at the University ofMaryland.This year, for the first time, our Museum partnered

with the TSHA to award students whose projects are con-nected to WWII in the Pacific or on the Home Front.After reviewing numerous submissions, Education Direc-tor Bryan Degner selected one Junior and one Senior proj-ect to receive the special award.

Kate Nethery, a 6th grade student from FortWorth, pro-duced a documentary on Rosie the Riveter and the overallrole women played to win the war. Katie was influencedin her selection because her Great Uncle served in theArmy during the PacificWar, and her Great Grandmotherworked in an aviation factory. When asked what shehopes people take away from her documentary, she said“it wasn’t just one Rosie, but millions of women workingin the factories doing their part to win the war.”The senior award went to Ruth Patino, a 10th grade stu-

dent from Baytown, Texas. Her exhibit was on the con-troversy surrounding the internment of JapaneseAmericans duringWWII. Ruth first heard about the plightof the Japanese Americans in her dual credit AmericanHistory class. Ruth spent countless hours doing research,including interviewing those who were interned. All thehard work paid off. Not only did she receive the awardfrom our Museum, but she won first place in the seniorindividual category and will be competing in the NationalHistory Day contest in June.

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Nimitz News Dispatch Page 5“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

MuseumDirector Joe Cavanaugh Retiresoe Cavanaugh, who has been theMuseum’s Director and Historic

Site Manager since June 2000, retired inlate May. During his tenure, almost everyfacet of the Museum’s grounds andbuildings were renovated or constructed.Some of his specific roles included over-seeing the recent renovation and redesignof the Pacific Combat Zone, the 2007renovation of the Admiral Nimitz Mu-seum, the 2009 expansion of the 64,000square foot George H.W. Bush Gallery and the recent ren-ovation of the Japanese Peace Garden. In 2017, he led theeffort to develop a new Strategic Plan for the Museum,thus setting the stage for future growth.During the last months of his tenure, he turned his

attention to trying to better relationsbetween Japan and the United States byescorting area high school students toJapan. They met with Japanese officialsand fellow students and were introducedto various aspects of Japanese culture.During the April rededication of theJapanese Peace Garden, YasuhideNakayama, a member of the JapaneseHouse of Representatives, commentedthat he hopes Joe will win the Nobel

Peace Prize for his work to improve relations and educateyouth about Japan.We can’t think of a better accolade for Joe to “go out

on.” We, too, would like to thank Joe for his contributionsand wish him continued success in the coming years.

oin us on 2 September 2018 aswe celebrate VJ Day with our

inaugural virtual Victory Run support-ing the National Museum of the Pa-cific War and the Sons and Daughtersof WWII Veterans Society.VJ Day commemorates the Allied

victory over Japan in World War II.On 2 September 1945, the Japanesesigned the formal surrender docu-ments ending the war. On the sameday, the Allied and Japanese delega-tions met aboard theUSSMissouri inTokyo Bay for the formal signing of

the surrender documents. Representa-tives of Japan signed the two instru-ments of surrender, one each for theAllied and Japanese governments, fol-lowed by representatives of theUnited States, China, the UnitedKingdom, the Soviet Union,Australia,Canada, France, the Netherlands, andNew Zealand. With the signing of thesurrender, World War II had formallyended, and President Truman declared2 September to be the official VJ Day.

What better way to reflect on thesacrifices of the brave men andwomen who participated in WWIIthan by getting out and experiencingthe freedom that was preserved bywalking or running through your com-munity. The National Museum of thePacific War’s Virtual Run also allowsyou to honor those heroes throughyour participation fee that helps pre-serve and present their stories for gen-erations to come.

Virtual races are just like tradi-tional races with a shirt, medal, bib,community and fun, but you can run,walk or hike your race wherever youwant, with whomever you want —even on a treadmill! Racers reporttheir time, and the Museum sends amedal to them for completing therace. What have you got to lose?

Once you complete your race, login to your account (created after youregister) and report your finish timeand we'll send your medal!

Join Us for Our First Virtual Victory RunCelebrating VJ Day – On the Heels of Heroes

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Register Now at: https://vr.redpodium.com/victory-run?registrants.source=nmpw

Page 2 Nimitz News Dispatch

From the Desk of the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Admiral Nimitz Foundation:

Dear Members,

Best Wishes, Mike Hagee

ummer has arrived in the HillCountry with a bang. Although we

experienced a superb Memorial Dayweekend, at the Museum, Living Historyshows, and our Memorial Day Program,the temperatures have been near recordlevels for this time of year.Joe Cavanaugh, our Museum and Site

Director for the past 18 years, retired on31May. Not only did he provide excellentstewardship during his tenure, but he wasintimately involved in the expansions andrenovations of the George H.W. Bush Gallery, the PacificCombat Zone, the Japanese Garden of Peace and theNimitz Museum. During his tenure, we have seen theMuseum grow to a world-class and nationally-knownMuseum and destination. We wish him “fair winds andfollowing seas.”We have selected as his replacement Dr. Rorie Cartier.

Rorie joined the Foundation from the WW-II Museum inNew Orleans last year. He was Head of our Membership

Department before his selection as thenew Museum Director. A professionalhistorian, we look for a smooth transi-tion between Joe and him.Our annual symposium on Saturday,

22 September, should be a specialevent. We have several well-known his-torians who will lead discussions onNimitz’s Graybook, the detailed opera-tional diary of his time in the Pacificfrom right after the attack on Pearl Har-bor up to the signing of the surrenderdocuments in Tokyo Bay. We look for-

ward to seeing you there.As a reminder, our website at www.pacificwarmu-

seum.org is the best way to get information on theMuseum, Foundation and our activities.As always, thank you for your strong and dedicated sup-

port. You are a critical part of our legacy and continuedsuccess. Best wishes for a great summer,

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Be Sure To Sign Up for the4th Annual

BATTLE BUDDIES CLASSICClay Shoot

25 August 2018

Sponsorships Also AvailableContact Savannah Richter on830 997-8600, ext. 211 or

SRichter@nimitzfoundation.org

Benefits AdmiralNimitz Foundation

&Veterans AssistanceDogs of TexasTeams orIndividualsWelcome

2018 Nimitz Jr. Corps Program:21 July: Use it up; Wear it out; and Do without!

For children 8-13, Free of charge. 1pmContact Barbara Ford at

830-997-8600, x225 to sign up.

� �

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Reminder:

We are very gratefulto Whataburger®

for their sponsorshipof these programs.

o enhance the experiences of our Museum visitors,we are pleased to announce that our Tour-Mate

AudioWands, used in self guided tours, are now availablein six languages: English, Spanish, French, German,Japanese and Chinese Mandarin.

AudioWands for Self-Guided ToursNow Available in Six Languages

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Nimitz News Dispatch Page 7“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

uring the late April rededication of the JapanesePeace Garden, American and Japanese speakers

echoed one another as they spoke the words of "war andpeace," "enemies and allies," "reconciliation and re-spect," and "renewal and friendship." They stood in thePeace Garden, which was originally dedicated in May1976 and restored to its full beauty in 2015. It was agift from the Japanese people in memory ofAdmiral Chester Nimitz, who had honored AdmiralTogo by working to preserve his battleship, theMikasa.One of the honored guests was Muneko Hosaka, the

great granddaughter of Admiral Togo who stated:"This garden shows the strong spirit and importance ofpeace, and it was given with prayers for everlastingpeace. We Japanese appreciate and respect AdmiralNimitz who cared so much for the Japanese people."Yasuhide Nakayama, a member of the Japanese Houseof Representatives added "This is a reconciliationceremony. Reconciliation starts with respect. Seventy-three years ago, we fought against and killed eachother. But now we help each other and fight againstenemies and raise our kids together."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Tom Schiefferalso spoke. "A Japanese garden is a sacred place...Whenyou talk about Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Togo, youhave two men who had a monumental impact in mili-tary affairs. And yet above all else, they were men whorespected each other -- respected the ability to defendone's nation, respected the ability to defend humanity.Recently appointed Ambassador to the U.S. ShinsukeSugiyama said that he couldn't think of a better begin-ning to his service than being present and added thatthe Japanese Government wanted to express its appre-ciation for everything that is done to maintain the tran-quil garden in the midst of a war museum. "We arefriends bonded in spirit." Other dignitaries present in-cluded ViceAdmiral Doug Crowder, Commander of theSeventh Fleet from 2006-2008.The program represented a merging of cultures with

the gifts of cowboy hats to the Japanese, a tea ceremonywith the Urasenke Tanko Kai Association of Houston,which is dedicated to the spiritual concept of tea focus-ing on harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. TheKaminari Taiko Drum group performed traditional per-cussion numbers in the Garden's background.AMoun-tain Laurel was also planted in a tree plantingceremony. It was a wonderful day, filled with harmonyand friendship.

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Rededication of the Japanese Peace Gardenwith Respect & Friendship

One of the honored guests was Muneko Hosaka,the great granddaughter of Admiral Togo who

stated: "This garden shows the strong spirit andimportance of peace, and it was given with prayers

for everlasting peace.”

Page 8 Nimitz News Dispatch

Heroes are Standing By: The Pacific Medals of Honor“Above & Beyond” on Attu in the Aleutians: Army Private Joe T. Martinez

by Kent Knudson

training before reporting to Company K.The invasion ships left for Attu on 4 May; however, due to

storms and dense fog, invasion of the island by the first of12,500 soldiers on the northern and southern coasts did notoccur until 11 May. Company K landed on Beach RED two

days later as part of the Northern LandingForce. Over the next two weeks, GIs fought inmuck, ice, snow, and over difficult tundra ter-rain that prohibited large scale maneuvering.Severe weather conditions minimized air andsea support and restricted visibility of the en-trenched enemy. The turning point of the battleoccurred on 18 May, when contact with theSouthern Landing Force as part of a semicir-cular pincer movement was achieved. Japaneseforces were forced into an eastward fighting re-treat with their backs toward Chichagof Harborfor their last stand.In pursuit, Company K led the second at-

tempt to secure the snow-covered Holtz Bay-Chichagof Harbor Pass. Earlier attempts had

failed to drive the Japanese from their precipitous defensivepositions 150 feet below the pass along the northwestern ra-zorback slopes of Fish Hook Ridge.On 26 May 1943, the second attempt was started…and

stalled. The fighting was from foxhole to foxhole among therocks and snow drifts. Private Martinez rose and resumed hisadvance amidst severe enemy artillery and arms fire, urgingand inspiring his fellow soldiers on. After a difficult climbingassault, Martinez effectively utilized his Browning AutomaticRifle (BAR) and hand grenades to neutralize part of the enemyposition, allowing his comrades to advance as well. He thenagain led the soldiers onward and upward towards the pass de-spite enemy fire on his flanks from the rocky ridges and tiersof snow trenches ahead. He continued to silence enemytrenches with his BAR, while fighting to reach the rim of thepass. There was a final trench.As he engaged with it, Martinezwas mortally wounded with a head wound and died the nextday. The pass was taken. Two days later, Attu was secure. Thecost in men to capture the island (in proportion to opposingtroop numbers) would be exceeded only by Iwo Jima in thePacificWar. Two weeks later, theAllies landed on Kiska unop-posed. The Aleutians were back in American hands.In 2013, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service placed a monu-

ment on Attu to commemorate the heroism of Private Joe P.Martinez--the lone Medal of Honor recipient of the Battle ofAttu. In a poignant reminder of his sacrifice, its last sentenceasks, “As you read these words, please remember that yourview to the east is the same as the last view seen by this braveand courageous infantryman on May 26, 1943.”

he successful 18April 1942 bombing raid on the Japan-ese home islands by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolit-

tle and his 16 B-25B Mitchell aircraft and their crewsprompted an embarrassed Imperial High Command, chargedwith Japan’s home defense, to begin planning for the expan-sion of her eastern central and northern Pa-cific defensive perimeters. This protectiveboundary would have its northern anchor intheAleutian Islands ofAlaska and its easternanchor on Midway Atoll in the central Pa-cific.Through the efforts of his codebreakers,

Admiral Chester Nimitz was informed ofAd-miral Isoroku Yamamoto’s intent to attackboth locations. He correctly deduced that theprimary concentration of Japanese navalforces was headed toward Midway and fo-cused most of his U.S. Pacific Fleet forcesthere, sending a smaller task force to defendthe Aleutians. The 4-7 June 1942 Battle ofMidway denied Japan this extension of hereastern defensive perimeter. Its attack on the American navalstation at Unalaska’s Dutch Harbor on 3 June 1942 and unop-posed invasion of Attu and Kiska four days later secured hernorthern defensive flank in the Aleutians for the time being.Aleutian operations were heavily influenced by extreme dis-

tance, as well as the brutalArctic weather and rough seas. His-torian Samuel Eliot Morison. described campaign efforts thereas the “Theater of Military Frustration.” Despite occasionalskirmishes and a sea battle, a stalemate existed for the nextnine months in theAleutians as theAllies concentrated their ef-forts in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.By 1 April 1943, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had approved the

invasion ofAttu--the westernmostAleutian island. The 7th In-fantry Division at Fort Ord, CA, was selected to lead the as-sault. The unit was in a high state of readiness after training inthe Mojave Desert to support the North Africa campaign. Itundertook amphibious training on the California coast beforeembarking in transport vessels for Alaska on 24 April. Theywould soon be spending four miserable days anchored inwindswept Cold Bay, AK.Among the GIs on those crowded ships was Private Joe P.

Martinez, U.S. Army, attached to Company K, 3rd Battalion,32nd Infantry Regiment within the 7th Division. A native ofTaos, NM, he was born on 27 July 1920 to Jose Manuel Mar-tinez and Maria Eduvigen Romo. Jose was an agricultural la-borer and, by 1927, the couple and their seven children hadmoved toAult, CO, where Joe completed his primary and sec-ondary education and enlisted in the Army. He was sent toCamp Roberts in central California for his 17 weeks of basic

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Nimitz News Dispatch Page 9“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

Pre-Order Your Autographed Books by This Year’s Symposium Speakers:The First SouthPacific Campaign:Pacific Fleet StrategyDecember 1941 -June 1942By John B.Lundstrom$22.95

World War II At Sea -A Global History(May 2018)By Craig L. Symonds$34.95

The Battle ofMidway -By CraigL. Symonds$27.95

Guadalcanal\The DefinitiveAccount of theLandmarkBattleBy Richard B.Frank,$25.00

The Fleet at Flood Tide -America at Total War inthe Pacific, 1944-1945By James D. Hornfischer$35.00

TO ORDER: Call 830-997-8600, x252ON-LINE: https://store.pacificwarmuseum.org

Shipping and TX Taxes Extra

FoundationMembersReceive a

15% Discount

The Admirals:Nimitz, Halsey,Leahy, and King--The Five-StarAdmirals Who Wonthe War at SeaBy Walter R.Borneman $18.00

Page 6 Nimitz News Dispatch

Memoralizing the Sacrifices of the Bataan DeathMarchn 25 March, WhiteSand’sMissileRange

hosted the 29th AnnualBataan Memorial DeathMarch. A record numberof nearly 8,500 marchersparticipated. Categoriesincluded military or civil-ian, individual or team,and heavy or light. Therewas also an individual

only category for the 14.2 mile honorary March.

The Bataan Memorial DeathMarch commemorated theoriginal Bataan Death Marchof April 1942 in which ap-proximately 75,000Americanand Filipino troops who sur-rendered to the Japanesewere forced to march 65miles to a prison camp. Dur-ing that March, the prisonerswere given little food orwater and were subjected toextremely brutal treatment. Approximately, 10,000 pris-oners died during the March.Seven Bataan Death March survivors were present at

this year’s commemorative march. The National Museumof the Pacific War was represented by Reagan Grau,Archivist, and Rich and Nan Koone, both Volunteers(above right). They all completed the Honorary March.

LEFT: A drawing by Ben Steele, depicting death marchersdrinking water from mud holes.

THE BOMBING OF CLARK FIELD

THE BATAAN DEATH MARCH

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TEMPORARY EXHIBIT: Prisoners ofWar Under the Rising Sun

new special exhibit, entitled Prisoners of WarUnder the Rising Sun, began on 15 June in the

Temporary Gallery. It features a look at the experiences ofBenjamin Steele who was imprisoned after the Bataan

A

death march and endured a confinement of unparalleledcruelty. He documented his prison life through a series ofdrawings during the 1244 days he was a captive. This ex-hibit consists of material from the Museum’s collectionand pieces of artwork borrowed from the MontanaMuseum of Art and Culture at the Museum of Montana.This exhibit is free to the public and does not require

a Museum ticket.

For News and Upcoming Events, visit our website: www.pacificwarmuseum.org

Nimitz News Dispatch Page 11

Our Partnership with the Texas Historical Commission:Workingtogether by agreement as a state agency and a non-profit organization, theTHC and Admiral Nimitz Foundation formed a new public/private part-nership created to preserve the historic resources of the National Museumof the Pacific War and guide the expansion of the Museum. It is the onlyinstitution in the continental United States dedicated exclusively to tellingthe story of the Pacific Theater battles of World War II.

Nimitz News Dispatch StaffEditor: Lee Price ArellanoDevelopment Director: Marty KaderliGraphic Design: Billy BurdettPhotos: Fredericksburg Standard; Dudley Harris,Brandon Vinyard

Please send comments or queries to:The Admiral Nimitz Foundation

328 E. Main St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624(830) 997-8600, ext. 204 -- kaderli@Nimitz Foundation.org

MOVING?

NewAddress __________________________________

City/State/Zip __________________________________

Send to: The Admiral Nimitz Foundation328 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg, TX 78624

kaderli@nimitzfoundation.org

Please paste mailing label here

“We Inspire Our Youth By Honoring Our Heroes”

Admiral Nimitz Foundation2017 Board of Directors

OfficersCase D. Fischer, Chairman

Robert B. Phelps, Vice ChairmanGeneral Michael W. Hagee, USMC (Ret)President and Chief Executive Officer

Nancy L. Dreher, SecretaryRonald L. Woellhof, Treasurer

DirectorsDavid Q. Bates, Jr.Kenneth L. BurengaAllyson P. Cook

VADMWilliam D. Crowder, USN (Ret)Nancy L. DreherAndrea FeilerDavid D. FitchJohn E. Harris

Steven L. HighlanderJohn C. Kerr

R. Bruce LaBoonDennis E. MurphreeJohn L. Nau, IIIBruce NicholsRobert PhelpsMark RocheGreg Shrader

Sam Bell Steves, IICapt. Michael Tatsch (USN, Ret.)

Robert F. WhelessRonald L. Woellhof

Directors EmeritiAnn Brey

John R. GoodwillieBarbara Schmidt Heinen

Bruce H.C. HillSteven K. Howell

LTG Neal T. (Tom) Jaco, USA (Ret)CAPT Thomas H. Murray, Jr., USNR (Ret)

Gordon E. SauerJohn Schrock, Sr.Roy E. Stroeher

Craig L. Symonds, Ph.D.

Honorary TrusteesGeneral Billy J. Boles, USAF (Ret)The Honorable George H.W. Bush

U.S.Senator John CornynU.S. Senator Ted Cruz

The Honorable Gordon EnglandAmbassador Kay Bailey HutchisonTexas Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.

Woodrow F. (Woody) McCaslandHelen McDonald

Nancy Brown NegleyJohn P. Schneider, M.D.George E. Seay, III

Mark Your Calendars forUPCOMING EVENTS IN 2018:

Pacific Combat ZoneLiving History Programs in 2018:

25 August:Battle Buddies Classic Clays Shoot

2 September:Virtual Victory Run22 September:

Fall Symposium: Nimitz’s Graybook15 June - 3 September

Exhibit: “Prisoners Under the Rising Sun”11 NovemberVeterans Day

14 September - 7 January 2019:Exhibit: “Art of the Aloha Shirt” 1938-1951

14-15 July1-2 September13-14 October

Times: 10:30am and 2pm Each Day

OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS & EXHIBITS:

17-18 November

Page 12 Nimitz News Dispatch

Nimitz News DispatchThe Admiral Nimitz Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profitfoundation eligible for corporate matching grants. Foundationmembers may forward any forms for matching gift programswith their membership contributions.

The Admiral Nimitz Foundation328 E. Main St. • Fredericksburg, TX 78624

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

The National Museum of the Pacific War is amember of the BLUE STAR MUSEUM PROGRAMwhich allows free admission to active duty membersof the U.S. military and up to five members of theirfamilies. This includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Ma-rine Corps, Coast Guard, as well as Active Duty andReservists, National Guardsmen, U.S. Public HealthCommissioned Corps, and NOAA CommissionedCorps. Qualified members must show a Geneva Con-vention Common Access Card for entrance. Thisprogram is in effect through the Labor Day weekend.

Distinguished Speaker Series:U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattiswas the guest of honor at the Annual

Nimitz Dinner, one of the events in theFoundation’s Distinguished Speaker

Series. The dinner was held on March17th at the Hangar Hotel ConferenceCenter. Secretary Mattis was intro-duced by the Foundation’s Presidentand CEO, General Michael Hagee,USMC (Ret), who is a close friend,

having served with General Mattis overmany years. In his keynote address,

General Mattis gave his appraisal of thethreats the U.S. currently faces aroundthe world and also answered questions

from the audience.