Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

404 Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy
take eff ect February 28, 1942 . . . without condonation of any
off ense or prejudice to future disciplinary action. 128
General Short was out of the Army by March 1, 1942.
Retirement of Admiral Kimmel “Without
Condonation to Future Disciplinary Action.”
On January 25, Stark talked about Kimmel with Knox.
Kimmel was then notifi ed, on orders from Washington—from
Knox himself, Kimmel learned later—that Short had submitted a
request for his retirement. 129 Until then, Kimmel had not thought
of retiring. However, he “took that as a suggestion that I submit a
similar request.” 130 Th erefore, on January 26, he too submitted his
request for retirement. Two days later Kimmel was informed by
phone that his notifi cation of Short’s request for retirement “was
not meant to infl uence” him. However, Kimmel wrote back that
same day that he wished his “request for retirement to stand, subject
only to determination by the Department as to what course
of action will best serve the interests of the country and the good
of the service.” 131
Kimmel gathered that Stark did not really expect Kimmel
would be retired at that time. Nevertheless, the question of
Kimmel’s retirement moved ahead. Th e wording to be used in
the Navy Department’s letter of acceptance was raised with the
Navy’s assistant judge advocate general. 132 At FDR’s request,
128Ibid., part 7, p. 3142.
129Ibid., part 33, p. 691. Kimmel statement to NCI September 27, 1944.
130Ibid. 131Ibid. 132Ibid., part 19, p. 3965, Letter to Captain Gatch, February 14, 1942, signed
by Edwin Dickinson, Special Assistant to the Attorney General; part 19, pp.
3966–67, part 7, pp. 3141–42, Assistant Chief of Staff Brigadier General J.H.
Hildring’s February 14, 1942 memorandum for Attorney General Francis
Biddle.