Admiral Husband Kimmel

In Girl in the Glass, James shows up at Ford Island to reunite with Declan. However, he must first get past a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer who isn’t keen on granting him access. The officer says:

“I hate to break the news to you, sir, but nobody, not even sweet Jesus, gets past me without Pac Fleet Commander Kimmel’s clearance.”

“Then it’s a good thing I have friends in even higher places,” replied James, pulling a sealed envelope from his pocket. “The author isn’t an actual deity,” he said, handing over the letter, “though he still outranks Commander Kimmel.”

Admiral Husband E. Kimmel was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. In Girl in the Glass, he is responsible for the professor’s continued detention. At the time, Kimmel was a four-star admiral. However, he was relieved of his command shortly after the attack, reverting to his permanent rank of rear admiral before retiring in early 1942. 

Also known by his nicknames, “Kim” and “Hubbie”, Kimmel was held partly responsible for the lack of preparedness at Pearl Harbor. He was criticized for his handling of intelligence, use of reconnaissance aircraft, and overall readiness. He was found guilty of errors in judgment but not dereliction of duty. Many believe Kimmel was unfairly singled out to deflect blame from higher-ranking officials and the Roosevelt administration, who did not share important intelligence information with him. Or perhaps, he was overly distracted by Declan’s custody or the manhunt for James.

Admiral Husband E. Kimmel