Adm. Kimmel 2
As the nation remembers the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a statue of Adm. Husband Kimmel, sculpted by Louisville’s Raymond Graf, was unveiled in Henderson.
Kimmel, who commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese, was born and raised in Henderson. His grandsons, Tom and Manning Kimmel, issued this statement on behalf of the late admiral’s family:
“The men he lost—the majority of the 2,403 who died on Dec. 7—our grandfather said, ‘were fine, upstanding young Americans whom the American people should ever remember with gratitude and honor. They showed themselves fearless, resourceful and self-sacrificing. I shall always be proud of having commanded such men.’
“Kimmel was the most-senior admiral in the seagoing Navy. President [Franklin D.] Roosevelt had noted his 'splendid record, a lifetime of faithful service to our country.’ He was, Roosevelt said, ‘one of the greatest naval strategists of our time.’
“Yet, after the attack, the admiral—along with Hawaiian Army commander Lt. Gen. [Walter Campbell] Short—was relieved of command and, following a brief investigation, accused of dereliction of duty. A Navy Court of Inquiry, though, cleared Kimmel of the charge, as did a later investigation by Congress. Washington had failed to meet his repeated requests for vital equipment—especially for reconnaissance planes. And senior officers in Washington had failed to share vital intelligence with Hawaii.
“The admiral struggled for full exoneration until his death, but the stain of disgrace remained. He and Short had been the only two World War II officers not retired at their highest wartime rank. Restoration of our grandfather’s four-star rank became the only way the government could belatedly restore his honor.
“In 1991, 36 admirals petitioned President George H.W. Bush to recommend his posthumous promotion. In 2000, Congress passed a resolution recommending the measure to President [Bill] Clinton. No action, however, has been taken. A senior Navy department official has said Kimmel and Gen. Short were ‘necessary scapegoats.’ Vice President [Joe] Biden has called the case ‘the most tragic injustice in American military history.’ Just this month, a major new book—A Matter of Honor—reveals new evidence and exposes the full truth about the case.
Adm. Kimmel
From left, Madisonville's Steven Ray, one of the organizers of the event; Adm. Husband Kimmel's statue; Thomas Kincaid Kimmel Jr., a grandson of Kimmel's from Florida; and Manning Kimmel, also a Kimmel grandson, from Rock Hill, S.C.
“We are sure our grandfather wouldn’t give a hoot about the rank issue. He would, though, encourage us to the skies to get the full Pearl Harbor story to the public. The fact is that the U.S. Pacific Fleet was let down by the failures of those on whom they relied. Kimmel and Short alone took the blame for the failures of many. We respectfully call on President [Barack] Obama, before leaving office, to right this wrong at last.”
Participating in the unveiling and dedication of the statue on the Henderson waterfront were Capt. Keith Kimmel, USN (Ret.), the Henderson County High School JROTC unit, the Kentucky Wesleyan Brass Quintet, the Henderson County High School Choir and the Henderson American Legion Color Guard.
Some 120 miles upstream from Henderson, Louisville’s Frazier Museum is commemorating the 75th anniversary of the attack with the exhibition A Morning That Changed the World: Personal Stories of Pearl Harbor. The immersive, thought-provoking exhibition delves into this fateful event with stories told by people who experienced this moment in history.
The exhibit features the Rex Knight Collection of letters, photographs and mementos from servicemen and civilians that will leave visitors with a heightened feeling of a connection to the individuals who experienced those long two hours of horror and chaos. The result was not only vulnerability and fear, but also anger, nationalism and patriotism.
Read more about the exhibit here: Personal Stories of Pearl Harbor