Ben Cagle Tells The Story Of How His Mom Met Admiral Chester Nimitz, Eleanor Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill

Ruby Abbott Cagle was only 17 when she went to work as a verbal courier for Admiral Chester Nimitz. The Admiral was in charge of the Pacific Fleet during World War II. 

Chattanoogan Ben Cagle told his mother’s story to a group of submarine veterans who meet once a month in Chattanooga.  Alan Syler, president of the Carbonero Base Submarine veterans local chapter, said Mr. Cagle has a story about his family that all Americans should hear.

Mr. Cagle said when he was in middle school the class started studying Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt, Admiral Chester Nimitz, General Douglas MacArthur, Winston Churchill and others connected with the war. He said he asked his mother about those leaders and she replied, "I knew them all." It was then he realized the importance of his mom’s role in the war.

Mr. Cagle’s grandfather was stationed in Hawaii so his wife and young daughter joined him as volunteers.  Ruby Abbott was in a secretarial pool and applied for the verbal courier’s position.  She made a perfect score on the test administered by a general and was a finalist in the position in the Admiral’s office. Mr. Cagle said his mother made another perfect score and Admiral Nimitz was so impressed with her performance he chose her almost immediately while canceling the other interviews. 

Mr. Cagle said he remembers his mother's “photographic memory” growing up.  “My brothers and I couldn’t put anything past her.”

One memory his mother would share with the family was the day Admiral Nimitz found out she was underage.  Mrs. Cagle said his orders were short and sweet, saying, "That doesn’t need to be talked about, understood?" 

Mr. Cagle told about his mother getting Admiral Nimitz's mail every day.  He related the day of her meeting first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.  Mr. Cagle also said Prime Minister Winston Churchill came to see the Admiral, who was on the phone with the President.  She told Mr. Churchill, “Have a seat, the admiral is on the phone and will be with you shortly.” 

Mr. Cagle said his parents said many times the U.S. could have lost the war and didn’t consider themselves heroes.  His mom said, “The real heroes were the ones who died.”  She called her family’s coming home “icing on the cake.”

The speaker  said his father reminded the family often how he helped pull our men out of harbor waters and said the images would remain with him until his death.

Mr. Cagle’s mother kept a diary and saved a lot of memorabilia from her Hawaii experiences.  He cherishes a small model bomber plane that was on Admiral Nimitz’ desk while his mother was his secretary.  Mr. Cagle said one day the Admiral picked up the small model and told Ruby he wanted her to have it.

Mr. Cagle said his mother told him working for Admiral Nimitz was almost like a father-daughter relationship. She said the Admiral took her under his wing and made sure she and her mother had the best of everything.

Ruby Cagle told her family, Admiral Nimitz had a temper.  “When he got mad he’d kick the trash can.”  

Full of emotion, the retired broadcast executive said “the pain of my mother and dad’s stories will never go away.”

Mr. Cagle said his mother never considered herself privileged being in the inner circle.  She would say, "I was only serving my Country, the Admiral and doing my job."  

The young secretary met her husband, Burton Cagle, in Hawaii. He was stationed at Pearl Harbor and they got married there.

Although Mrs. Cagle was a native of Maine, after the war she and her family moved back to her husband’s home of Jasper, Tn.

The Chattanooga Chapter of Freedoms Foundation and Third District Congressman Chuck Fleischmann honored Mrs. Cagle for her service.  She passed away Nov. 18, 2018.

Hamilton County Historian Linda Moss Mines listened intently as Mr. Cagle related his mothers’ experiences.  Mrs. Mines said, “This is a fascinating glimpse into history we cannot forget.”