Honorable Enemies Become Lasting Friends

Anyone who studies the late war in the Pacific will know the name of American Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. It was Admiral Nimitz who led the American naval campaign that ultimately forced Japanese forces out of the South Pacific area. However, Admiral Nimitz was not someone who was anti-Japanese and after the war worked to make sure that America and Japan became fast friends. (Especially after the communist victory in the Chinese civil war, many in the US began to realize that favoring China over Japan in their foreign policy had been a costly mistake) He was very forthright in his opinions and did not hesitate to say in public that there was no military justification for using nuclear weapons against Japan. He told the New York Times newspaper that Japan had already started to try to make peace with the United States before Hiroshima was bombed and so the use of atomic weapons had no impact on the Japanese defeat. Also, Admiral Nimitz, as a student of naval history, had great respect for the naval forces of Japan and particularly admired the great Admiral Heihachiro Togo, famous all over the world for his stunning victory over the Russian Imperial Navy. After World War II, the flagship of Admiral Togo, the Mikasa, had deteriorated badly and Admiral Nimitz joined with the Japan Times to lead a campaign to restore this historic battleship of symbol of Japanese national pride. The campaign was a success and the ship is again on public display today in Yokosuka.

Later on, military and civilian leaders in Japan wanted to show their appreciation for what Admiral Nimitz had done for Japanese-American reconciliation and to do so in a way that reflected his great respect for Admiral Togo. To do this, they had built in Fredericksburg, Texas (the hometown of Admiral Nimitz) a traditional Japanese garden identical to that of his hero Admiral Togo which is called the "Garden of Peace". Today this garden is part of the Admiral Nimitz Museum and the National Museum of the Pacific War in the small hill country town of Fredericksburg. Admittance is free for all veterans of World War II, whether American or Japanese.