Apra Harbor, Guam. (April 18, 2025): The beautiful island of Guam looks down upon the world’s most famous aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz. In this photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Jetzer, the USS Nimitz arrives for a scheduled port visit and to commemorate Admiral Chester Nimitz and his contributions to liberating Guam.
During World War II, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and he played a crucial role in the recapture of Guam. Then a U.S. territory, Guam was invaded by the Japanese on December 10, 1941, which began a thirty-two-month ordeal for the island’s inhabitants, the Chamorros. Japanese troops routinely used forced labor, beatings, and torture to subdue local tribes. Those suspected of helping Americans were often beaten, tortured, and killed. The brave islanders endured this harsh treatment until rescued by American forces.
For the Americans, Guam held many important strategic advantages. First, the island’s airfields could support the Air Force’s new B-29 Superfortress Bombers that put Japan’s home islands within range. Second, Guam became the “home base” of the Pacific War when Nimitz moved his base of operations there in January 1945. As the new forward base in the war, forces in Guam went on to support the Saipan and Tinian (Marianas Islands).
Nimitz's leadership and strategic decisions are celebrated to this day by the people of Guam who remain grateful to the man and the country that saved them.