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Brigadier General Don Zabriskie Zimmerman (25 November 1903 – 11 May 1983) was an aviator in the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
and the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
. He was the first
Dean of Faculty Dean is a title employed in academic administrations such as colleges or universities for a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, over a specific area of concern, or both. In the United States and Canada, deans are usu ...
at the nascent
United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...
.


Early life

Don Zabriskie Zimmerman was born in
Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...
, on 25 November 1903, the youngest of four children of John Wilbur Zimmerman, a
comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
at a lumber company, and his wife Zilpha Zula Zabriskie, a teacher. He attended Eugene High School, and entered the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...
when he was 15. During his first year he was a mathematics
major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
, but switched to
geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
as a
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
. He played
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
and was the
left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
and captain of the university team in his
senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...
year. His ability attracted baseball talent scouts, and he received offers from two
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
and two
Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
teams, but turned down the offers. After graduating with his bachelor of science after four years, Zimmerman pursued a master's degree in geology, and was a graduate assistant in geology at an annual salary of $500 in his fifth and sixth years at the university. He became a member of the
Phi Kappa Psi Phi Kappa Psi (), commonly known as Phi Psi, is an American collegiate social fraternity that was founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania in 1852. The fraternity has over ninety chapters at accredited four-year colleges and uni ...
fraternity, and was involved in the
ROTC The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC; or ) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces. While ROTC graduate officers serve in all branches o ...
, commanding the ROTC regiment as a cadet colonel during his sixth year. This led to an offer of a Regular Army commission, but he turned it down too, accepting a reserve commission in the
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
. Instead, he sought to secure a graduate scholarship in
petrography Petrography is a branch of petrology that focuses on detailed descriptions of rocks. Someone who studies petrography is called a petrographer. The mineral content and the textural relationships within the rock are described in detail. The clas ...
at an eastern university, but when this fell through, he decided to accept an offer of an appointment to the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
at
West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 durin ...
, from
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
Robert N. Stanfield. Zimmerman entered West Point on 14 July 1925. He played basketball and baseball every year, and was captain of the baseball team in his final year. He was also a substitute fullback on the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team in his final two years. He was a member of the cadet choir, taught Sunday school, and qualified as an expert marksman with the rifle and pistol. He was a color corporal and a company commander, and was a "distinguished cadet", one with an average grade of 92 or more. He was class president in each of his last three years. The class yearbook described him as "the most popular man of his class". During his senior year, he visited Langley Field, Virginia, where he was impressed by the adjutant,
Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
James F. Doherty's, advocacy of an independent air force. He was also impressed by the colonel's daughter Marion.


Early career

Ranked sixth in his class of 299, Zimmerman graduated from West Point on 13 June 1929, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the
United States Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wo ...
, as was normal for high-ranking graduates. However, he was detailed to the
United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
on 12 September 1929, and two days later became a student at the Air Corps Primary Flying School at March Field, California. He then attended the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, from which he graduated with his wings on 11 June 1930. He was formally transferred to the Air Corps on 11 December 1930, and was posted to Luke Field, Hawaii. In July 1931, while practising dive bombing in a Thomas-Morse O-19, a biplane that was the first Air Corps aircraft with a metal fuselage, he failed to pull out in time, and the aircraft struck the ground. Observers saw it somersault three times before coming to a halt right-side up. The landing gear had sheared off and the engine was later found away. They expected to find Zimmerman in a similar condition, but he had suffered only a few cuts and bruises and a broken leg. The accident permanently deepened his voice, and soon after his hair began turning white. Zimmerman married Marion Elizabeth Doherty in
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
on 15 July 1932. They had three children, two sons and a daughter. He returned to the United States on 26 February 1934, and was posted to Crissy Field, California, where he was promoted to
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
on 1 October 1934, and became a student officer at the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...
, once again pursuing a master's degree, but this time a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in
meteorology Meteorology is the scientific study of the Earth's atmosphere and short-term atmospheric phenomena (i.e. weather), with a focus on weather forecasting. It has applications in the military, aviation, energy production, transport, agricultur ...
. His teachers included Sverre Petterssen, a Norwegian meteorologist whose theories of atmospheric circulation revolutionized weather forecasting. Zimmerman became an enthusiastic adherent. He obtained his master's degree under the supervision of Irving P. Krick, and became the post weather officer at Randolph Field, Texas. Considering the manuals on weather forecasting out of date, he and First Lieutenant Thomas S. Moorman wrote a new ''Weather Manual for Pilots'' based on Petterssen's teachings. He was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
on 13 June 1939. Zimmerman also graduated from the
Air Corps Tactical School The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. ...
in 1939.


World War II

On 1 July 1940, Zimmerman became a mathematics instructor at West Point. He returned to the
California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes ...
on 1 February 1942 on a mission from the chief of the
Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
,
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
Henry H. Arnold Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold (25 June 1886 – 15 January 1950) was an American General officers in the United States, general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army and later, General of the Ai ...
. A report had reached the War Department that the
German invasion of Poland The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939 (1 September – 6 October 1939), was a joint attack on the Second Polish Republic, Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak R ...
had been made possible by a weather forecast of unseasonably dry weather. Zimmerman was sent to discover if such accurate long-range weather forecasting was possible. He reported that it was not. He was promoted to major on 15 March 1941, lieutenant colonel on 1 February 1942, and colonel on 1 March 1942. He was the director of weather on the War Department General Staff from 8 February 1942 until 1 December 1942. He then attended the shortened wartime course at the Army's
Command and General Staff School The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
, from 1 December to 30 January 1943, after which he commanded the 21st Bombardment Group at MacDill Field, Florida, until 4 June 1943. He was in the first class of the Army–Navy Staff College that had been created by the
Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, which advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and ...
in 1943, which he attended from 5 June to 14 October 1943. Having completed this course, Zimmerman's next assignment was with the joint planning staff of the V Amphibious Corps in the Central Pacific. In this role he was involved in the planning for Operation Flintlock, the capture of the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...
. He was aware of
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
's general theory on the evolution of
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
s and
atoll An atoll () is a ring-shaped island, including a coral rim that encircles a lagoon. There may be coral islands or cays on the rim. Atolls are located in warm tropical or subtropical parts of the oceans and seas where corals can develop. Most ...
s, as expounded in ''
The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs ''The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, Being the first part of the geology of the voyage of the Beagle, under the command of Capt. Fitzroy, R.N. during the years 1832 to 1836'', was published in 1842 as Charles Darwin's first monogra ...
'', from the 1840s, but believed that it was not an absolute predictor of the slope off lagoon shores in all cases. He built on Darwin's work with his own published paper on coral reef development, which divided atolls into 3 age strata, with different characteristics. The differences were crucial to the success of the operation, because the slopes off the lagoon shores of the Marshalls were steeper than forecast by a strict reading of Darwin's 19th century general work, and the lagoon was deep enough for LSTs to enter to discharge tanks directly onto the beach, which Zimmerman confirmed by going ashore with the 4th Marine Division. He was awarded the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
for this service. He returned to Washington, D.C., where he served with the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff from 5 June 1944 to 30 June 1945, returning to the Pacific to serve at the
Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
-based headquarters of the
United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific The United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific (USSTAF) was a formation of the United States Army Air Forces. It became the overall command and control authority of the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific theater of World War II ...
, for which he was awarded a second Legion of Merit.


Later life

After the war, Zimmerman served in the Office of the Secretary of War until 28 March 1946. He was a student at the
Imperial Defence College The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest level ...
in the UK from 1 April 1946 to 20 December 1946, and then returned to Washington for another tour of duty on the War Department General Staff. With the creation of the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
as a separate service, he transferred to it as a colonel on 12 April 1948. After the outbreak of the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
he went to the Headquarters
Far East Air Forces The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) is a Major Command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force and is also the air component command of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). PACAF is headquartered at the Hickam AFB portion of Join ...
, first as its director of plans, programs and policy, and then as deputy for intelligence until after the fighting ended in 1953. He became a brigadier general, and was awarded two more Legions of Merit and the
Air Force Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Air Force and United States Space Force and is presented to airmen and guardians to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorious service to the United S ...
. On 22 July 1954, Zimmerman became the first
dean of faculty Dean is a title employed in academic administrations such as colleges or universities for a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, over a specific area of concern, or both. In the United States and Canada, deans are usu ...
at the nascent
United States Air Force Academy The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academies, United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, Air Force Academy Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Colorado Springs. I ...
. As such, Zimmerman was responsible for the selection of teaching staff and development of the curriculum. He gave it a different orientation from West Point, with as many classroom hours devoted to the humanities and social studies as to scientific subjects. He then returned to the Pentagon as Air Force deputy director of Development Planning. In 1958 he became assistant for foreign developments to the deputy chief of staff of the Air Force for Development. Zimmerman retired from the Air Force on 17 July 1959, and became a consultant for
Boeing The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
. He moved to
Mercer Island, Washington Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to ...
and died there on 11 May 1983. Zimmerman was buried at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery on 17 May 1983.


Notes


References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmerman, Donald Z. 1903 births 1983 deaths People from Eugene, Oregon University of Oregon alumni United States Military Academy alumni Military personnel from Oregon California Institute of Technology alumni Air Corps Tactical School alumni United States Military Academy faculty United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni Joint Forces Staff College alumni Recipients of the Legion of Merit Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War Recipients of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal United States Air Force Academy faculty United States Air Force generals People from Mercer Island, Washington