Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was the last officer to hold the rank of Fleet Admiral in the United States Navy. Guess that can't be too bad for a guy who was once court-martialed for dereliction of duty. Despite his failures of the past, Admiral Nimitz was able to overcome those early missteps and become one of the most famous (infamous to our enemies) admirals to ever sail the seven seas.After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was given command of the Pacific fleet. The blow to Pearl Harbor was devastating, the morale of the people on Hawaii was expectedly grim, but Admiral Nimitz was a man of intense wisdom and tactical prowess. He was quoted as saying;

"The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"

The wisdom of Admiral Nimitz was displayed when he reported those three mistakes. Japan attacked while most sailors were on liberty, bombed the dry docks or attacked the fuel depot. Despite the attitude of everyone stationed in Hawaii, Admiral Nimitz knew that he already had the Japanese Navy beat, it was only a matter of time. That's the thing about great leaders. When everyone else sees despair and destruction, they see the mistakes of the enemy. When everyone is defeated, they stand back up and say "Is that all you've got?" He may or may not have added the term for a female canine at the end of that sentence, we'll never know for sure.

A nation felt defeated and demoralized, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from Fredericksburg, Texas was not so easily convinced. He knew that the fate of a nation rested in his hands. You've heard the expression "Act like you've been there before," well he hadn't been there before, but he acted like he had, with great poise and wisdom he turned the tide in the Pacific.

More stories of American Grit:

RISING ABOVE HARDSHIP: JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ

B.P. MCCOY: MODERN LEADERSHIP

MICHAEL MURPHY: WHAT HEROES ARE MADE OF