[Transcript of Letter from Chester W. Nimitz to William Nimitz, January 1905] Page: 1 of 2

                                
My dear Father:-

I should have written before this but there was absolutely no news and I had written once that I
was sure of having passed my physical exam all right. Day after tomorrow we begin on thirty
hours of exams so you won't hear from me until they are all over which will be by Jan 25th. We
are all busy now getting our outfits together
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ready for sea and when everything is gathered together, it makes quite a lot, such a collection of
rubber boots, shoes, uniforms, etc. all piled together. I am going to St Louis on the Pennsylvania
RR and from there to S.A. [San Antonio] on the I + G.N. [International - Great Northern
Railroad]. If you do come to S.A. to meet me let me know up here by the 24th at least so that I
can let you know when I land in S.A. Otherwise I will not know whether to
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telegraph ahead or not.
I had often thought, during my time here that I would be sorry to leave, etc. but even in these last
few days not a single thought like that has come to me. Everything is laid out on such matter of
fact plans, there will be no ceremonies at our graduation, we will march down to the Armory and
each man will draw his sheepskin, shake hands with Teddy Roosevelt and get out, and things
will run on the same track until another graduation. It is all strictly business.
The underclassmen will be glad to see us go, and we will be glad to go.
I have not been able to find out anything in regard to the amount of leave we will get. Some of
the officers say that we will get only a few days, and some say that we may get at least two
weeks.
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As I wrote before, Stewart and Church are going to their homes first and then coming by to visit
us will depend on their orders. If we are all ordered to Pensacola, Fla., they will both come by
and stay a few days. If we are all ordered to the Asiatic or Pacific only Stewart can come by, so
if Aunt Augusta has planned any reception or dance in their honor, have her belay it until we
know for sure
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what's up. Grandfather wrote me that she had planned all of these things so tell her of the
uncertainty of all these things.

When I get home, the best thing for me to do is to go to Fredericksburg for a few days and then
come back for the remainder of the time in Kerrville because my orders may come a week after o
get there, "to move on."
I've just been informed by a delegation of second classmen of my company that the presence of
all the first classmen in the 8th Co.

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