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A 50-cent Great Americans Series stamp depicting Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who commanded the US Pacific Fleet during World War II, was issued February 22, 1985, in Fredericksburg, Texas, his birthplace. The dedication ceremony was held at Admiral Nimitz State Historical Park.

Nimitz's tactics and leadership were instrumental in key naval victories in the Pacific during World War II. He first made his mark at the Battle of Midway in June of 1942, when his astute positioning of carriers enabled United States bombers to sink four Japanese carriers and allowed the Allies to shift to the offensive. In the battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf, Nimitz's ships drastically reduced the size and power of the Japanese navy. His forces aided in the capture of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and began to raid Japan in 1945, hastening the end of the war in the Pacific.

Chris Calle of Stamford, Connecticut designed the stamp. It was printed in the intaglio process and issued in panes of 100. The art director was Derry Noyes; typographer was Bradbury Thompson; modeler was Clarence Holbert; engravers were Robert G. Culin, Sr. (lettering and numerals) and Thomas R. Hipschen (vignette).

Admiral Nimitz, whose tact and serenity were proverbial, was acknowledged as one of the US Navy's foremost administrators and strategists and as an expert judge of men. After the war, he became chief of naval operations and later served as United Nations Commissioner for India and Pakistan. He died in 1966.