Nick Brown, age 13, of Rock Island, Ill., for his question:

WHO WAS ADMIRAL NIMITZ?

One of the true heroes of World War II was a naval officer named Chester Nimitz. He was the commander of the entire Pacific Fleet during the war, and as an admiral he also directed the operations of the Navy and Marine Corps.

He graduated at the age of 20 from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and during World War I he became an expert in submarines and diesel engines. Be served as commander of the Atlantic Submarine Fleet.

In December, 1941, Adm. Nimitz was named commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet and he directed action in the battles of Midway, the Solomons, the Gilbert Islands, the Marshalls, Marianas, Palaus and Philippines.

He became the nation's first five star admiral in 1944 after victories at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Adm. Nimitz was a signer for the United States when Japan surrendered in 1945. He then served as chief of naval operations until he retired from active duty in 1947. In 1949 he served as a U.N. commissioner for India.