Early Life in Fredericksburg

Early Life in Fredericksburg. Admiral Chester Nimitz. , Chester William Nimitz was born on 24 February 1885 in the house at 249 East Main Street. Shortly before Chester was born, his father died and Chester and his mother, Anna, moved into the Nimitz Hotel, located behind you. Charles Henry Nimitz, Chester's grandfather, built the hotel in the 1850s. Recently widowed and semi-retired, he devoted much time to his grandson. , In later years, Chester Nimitz would write, "I didn't know my father, because he died before I was born. But I had a wonderful white-bearded grandfather." Between chores and homework I listened wide-eyed to stories about his youth in the German merchant marine., 'The sea, like life itself, is a stern taskmaster,' he would say. 'The best way to get along with either is to learn all you can, then do your best and don't worry, especially about things over which you have no control."' , Grandfather's Advice , In July 1908, while commanding the USS Decatur, the ship ran aground on a mud bank in the Philippines. Knowing he would have to wait and be pulled off in the morning, Nimitz recalled his grandfather's advice about not worrying, "So set up a cot on deck and went to sleep." A court-martial found Nimitz guilty of "neglect of duty." Nimitz did not let the verdict affect his performance or dedication to the service., Captions , Middle Lower: Grandpa Nimitz with one of his grandchildren. (Nimitz Education and Research Center) , Lower Right: For more on Chester Nimitz's life visit the Admiral Nimitz Museum located in the former Nimitz Hotel.