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Adapted from "Captain Nelson D. Zimmerman, United States Naval Reserve, Deceased"
[biography, dated 2 August 1963] in Biographies, 20th century collection,
Navy Department Library.

Topic
  • Intelligence
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
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Location of Archival Materials

Nelson Daniel Zimmerman

8 October 1905 - 1 December 2003

Born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 8 October 1905, Nelson Daniel Zimmerman graduated from Pennsylvania State College with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, Law School from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Prior to entering Naval Service he was a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Reporting for active duty as a Lieutenant (junior grade) in the US Naval Reserve, he was assigned in May 1941 to the District Intelligence Office in the Ninth Naval District with headquarters at Great Lakes, Illinois. Late in 1942 he was transferred to the District Intelligence Office, Tenth Naval District, San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he remained until the fall of 1944. He next served in the Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Department and in December 1945 became a member of the United States Naval Technical Mission to Japan.

He was released from active duty in the summer of 1946 and served in an inactive capacity until September 1948, when he was again ordered to active service. Assigned to the Office of Naval Intelligence, he continued to serve there until March 1957, after which he had duty in the Tenth Naval District, with headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico. From June 1959 until April 1962 he was Director of the Security Policy and Programs Branch, Office of Naval Intelligence, and next served as District Intelligence Officer in the Ninth Naval District, with headquarters at Great Lakes, Illinois.

On 1 July 1963 he was transferred to the Retired List of the US Navy.

A lawyer, Captain Zimmerman was a member of the American Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association and had been admitted to practice before the Supreme Courts of the United States, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Promotions:

Commissioned Lieutenant (jg), USNR, 31 December 1940

            Lieutenant, USNR, 1942

            Lieutenant Commander, USNR, 1 July 1943

            Commander, USNR, 20 July 1945

            Captain, USNR, 1 July 1956

            Transferred to Retired List of USN, 1 July 1963

Decorations and Medals:

Naval Reserve Medal

            American Defense Service Medal

            Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal

            World War II Victory Medal

            National Defense Service Medal

Chronological Transcript of Naval Service:

May 1941                    Nov 1942        9th Naval District, Great Lakes, Ill. (District Intelligence Office)

Nov 1942                    Oct 1944         10th Naval District, San Juan, P.R. (District Intelligence Office)

Nov 1944                    Dec 1945         Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Navy Dept. (Office of Naval Intelligence)

Dec 1945                     Jul 1946           Naval Technical Mission to Japan (member)

Jul 1946                       Sep 1948         Inactive

Sep 1948                     Mar 1957         Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Dept.

Apr 1957                     Jun 1959          10th Naval District, San Juan, P.R.

Jun 1959                      Apr 1962         Office of Naval Intelligence, Navy Dept. (Director, Security Policy and Programs Branch)

May 1962                                            District Intelligence Officer, 9th Naval District, Great Lakes, Ill.

1 July 1963                                          Transferred to Retired List of U.S. Navy

Captain Zimmerman died 1 December 2003.

[END]

Published: Mon Feb 11 11:29:27 EST 2019